1.38. The american greats

Read some information about jazz and find the names of musical instruments and the words denoting musicians.

Jazz is improvised mu­sic. The great jazz musi­cians are individual players and not really composers. Jazz grew out of Negro blues, ragtime and marching brass bands in about 1900. Traditional jazz de­veloped in New Orleans, a port in Louisiana. Many Negroes and also many French- and Spanish-speaking Creoles lived there.

Traditional jazz bands had a cornet, a clarinet and a trombone playing the tune and improvising round it. There was a rhythm sec­tion of a banjo, bass and drums. The first well-known jazz soloist was cornet player Louis .Arm­strong. Jazz spread to Chicago and Kansas City, and later to New York, as Negroes travelled north looking for job. White people began playing; bands grew bigger, with saxophones, more trum­pets and trombones, a piano, and sometimes a singer. One of the best bands was led by Duke Wellington, possibly the greatest composer in the history of jazz.

In the late 1940s some black, musicians in New York developed a new form of jazz called "be­bop" with long, difficult solo improvisations over standard chords, with a new style of drumming. The most famous soloists were the alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, the cornet player Dizzy Gillespie and the pianist Thelonious Monk. In the 1950s and 1960s "be-bop" developed into what we usually call "modern jazz". The most famous groups include the ones led by John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Charlie Mingus. John Coltrane played tenor saxophone, using simple chords but improvising on various scales. In the 1970s some musicians stopped play­ing chords and scales and created "free jazz".

Exercise

Answer the questions:

1. Are jazz musi­cians individual players ?

2. Where did the traditional jazz develop?

3. Who was the first well-known jazz soloist?

4. Why did jazz spread to Chicago and Kansas City, and later to New York ?

5 .Who was the greatest composer in the history of jazz ?

1.39. Summer camps in the united states

Read the text and find out what types of summer camps there are in the USA.

The summer camp tradition in the United States started in 1861 during the Civil War. A man

named Frederick William Gunn,. the founder of a boys' school in Connecticut, led 15 boys that

summer on a two-week hike/camp out to Milford. 40 miles away. Gunn's idea spread quickly, and soon many youth organizations and churches began to sponsor camps for youth. It soon became almost "expected" to send children to camp for part or all of the summer, especially in the Northeastern United States.

There are over 10.000 camps in the U.S. Although quite a few of them are still concentrated in the Northeast, camps are found in all 50 states. There’re camps to suit all tastes: sport camps, camps specializing in art, religious camps, academic camps, self-improvement camps, military camps, special camps for disabled and many, many others. For example, there are camps for overweight children which have special weight loss programs. Each camp has its own traditions, carefully followed for years, its own attractions, its own peculiarities.

Children at summer camps usually range in age from 5-16 and come from all different backgrounds. They usually stay at camp for a one to two week period, although many children enjoy camp so much that they stay for 4-5 weeks!

Why do parents send their children to camp? Many consider it an important part of a child's social education, as the children learn to live and play together for an extended period of time. It's also a chance for city kids to live in the "great outdoors", breathe fresh air and get a lot of exercise. In addition, the children get to learn new crafts, games, sports. and important skills like leadership and sportsmanship. Each day at camp is different, filled with numerous activities, exciting and educational. Last, but not least, the children have a lot of fun. This is more than enough for parents who would like to take a rest from parenthood for some time..

Each camp has its own special character. Some are rustic, with basic "back to nature" facilities, while others seem more like private country clubs for the young. Almost all camps are located in a remote, but beautiful outdoor setting, usually with lots of trees, a lake, river or waterfront, and often with hills or mountains near by. Some camps, however, are located in city parks, school playgrounds and even on islands!

Exercise

Answer the questions:

1. Why do parents send their children to camps?

2. When did the summer camp tradition in the United States start?

3. What was the first camp like?

4. How many camps are there in the U.S.A.?

5. How long do children stay at camp?