Bunker Hill Community College

Reading Comprehension

8. Jazz is a peculiarly American contribution to Western culture. It was born out of the unique experience of American Blacks. Although its history is not entirely clear, jazz obviously has roots in the rhythm patterns and melodic lines of Africa, the tradition of Christian spirituals as sung by slave communities, the music of the blues as developed in the Deep South, and ragtime.

According to this passage, one can conclude that:
a.) jazz is the sole Black contribution to Western culture.
b.) there is some difficulty tracing the origin of jazz.
c.) jazz is most closely related to spiritual music.
d.) jazz is not a complex musical form.

Back to Questions