Renaissance

The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France. Then it was adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom     1     it to European culture during the 150 years from 1450 to 1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the     2     interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to     3     the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human rather than spiritual values. Fulfillment in life rather than concern about an afterlife became a desirable goal. Expressing the     4     range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer looked down upon.

These changes in     5     deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period--how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed, experienced, and discussed. They could see the     6     monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered , but they could not actually hear ancient music although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming     7     in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed     8     with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature.

The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a(n)     9     set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half--though at different rates in different countries-that we cannot     10     a single Renaissance style.

【推荐3】There are a few different stories behind the origin of the modern-day Christmas tree, although not all     1     (root) in fact. Evergreen trees were     2     (actual) used by people in winter festivals for thousands of years. During the winter solstice (冬至), evergreens signified the coming of spring. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the trees began to be used as a symbol for Christmas. In mystery plays in Germany, they were often used as props (支柱),     3     (decorate) with apples to represent the Garden of Eden.

One legend credits 16th century Protestant reformer Martin Luther for     4     (bring) the Christmas tree into homes. Luther was supposedly walking through the forest on the night before Christmas when he looked up to see stars shine through the tree     5     (branch). He was so dazzled by the     6     (beauty) sight that he told his children it reminded him of Jesus and then put up     7     tree in his own home.

But it wasn’t until the mid-19th century           8     the Christmas tree as we now know it became custom. England’s Queen Victoria encouraged her husband to decorate a tree as he had back at home in     9     is now Germany. When a drawing of the royal family with their beautiful Christmas tree     10     (appear) in a London newspaper, the tradition also became popular throughout the UK and US.