Yang Jinlong, a 46-year-old performer, drives to primary schools or middle schools in Xi’an at 9 a. m. and teaches students about Shaanxi kuaiban until 6 p. m.. Then, he returns home to prepare classes for the next day.
Shaanxi kuaiban is a form of traditional Chinese storytelling in the Shaanxi dialect(方言), to the rhythm of clapping bamboo strips(竹板). It can be performed by a group or one person.
The art form showed up in the late Qing Dynasty(1644—1911). Farmers used it to share their knowledge and earn money. Now people perform Shaanxi kuaiban at festivals, parties and art shows.
Yang himself first learned kuaiban at the age of 9. Before that, he often went with his father to watch kuaiban performances.
“As a young boy, I was drawn to the art form because many of the stories are about heroes. It’s easy for the audience to remember the stories since all the lines rhyme,” Yang said.
His love for kuaiban has driven him for more than 30 years. To make the art more popular, especially among young people, Yang tries to be creative. Instead of the traditional gown, he wears a suit while telling modern stories. Yang also borrows many pop elements(元素)like tap dance, ballet, jazz dance and the rhythms of popular music. His stories focus on more modern topics, like stories of heroes who have worked to reduce poverty(贫困)and members of the Chinese Olympic team.
16. How many hours does Yang Jinlong teach students every day?
17. What can we know about Shaanxi kuaiban?
A.It appeared in the early Qing Dynasty. | B.It can only be performed by one person. |
C.Businessmen performed it to earn money. | D.The performers need to clap bamboo strips. |
18. What does the underlined phrase “
was drawn to” in paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.Was taught by. | B.Was pulled by. |
C.Was painted by. | D.Was attracted to. |
19. How does Yang Jinlong promote the art among young people?
a. By borrowing the pop elements.
b. By focusing on more modern topics.
c. By dancing to the rhythms of pop music.
d. By wearing a suit while telling modern stories.
20. What is the best title of the text?
A.Love for Shaanxi kuaiban. | B.An introduction to Shaanxi kuaiban. |
C.Updating an old tradition—Shaanxi kuaiban. | D.A Shaanxi kuaiban performer—Yang Jinlong. |