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Violin prodigies (神童), I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers if the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe.I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists the reason for this phenomenon. It is very clear, he told me. They were all Jews(犹太人) and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage. As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society, with stronger discipline than ours. ”says Isaac Stem, children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World WarⅡ, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well. The Koreans and Chinese as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work,biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.
练习题：
Choose correct answers to the question:
1.Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school
because ______ .
A. it would allow them access to a better life in the West
B. Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent
C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional field
D. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country
2.Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that ______ .
A. enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence
B. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development
C. encourage people to compete with each other
D. promise talented children high positions
3.Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to ______ .
A. all-round development.
B. the learning of Western music
C. strict training of children
D. variety in academic studies
4.Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according
to the passage?
A. A natural gift.
B. Extensive knowledge of music.
C. Very early training.
D. A prejudice-free society.
5.Which of the following titles best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A. Jewish Contribution to Music.
B. Training of Musicians in the World
C. Music and Society
D. The Making of Prodigies
