職稱英語等級考試的測試重點在於考察考生的閱讀理解能力。綜合類考題要求考生能綜合運用英語語言知識和閱讀技能來理解一般內容的英語書面材料。
Pop Music in Africa非洲的流行音樂
Young musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music . The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today, such as hip-hop, rap, rock, jazz, or reggae. The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world, but at the same time is distinctly African. It is different also in another way：Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues in Africa today.
非洲國家的年輕音樂家們創造了一種流行音樂的新形式。音調與旋律不僅有傳統的非洲因素也有當 下十分流行的各種形式，比如嘻哈、說唱打擊樂、搖滾、爵士或者是瑞格舞。這樣就使這 種音樂讓世界 各地的聽者都覺得很熟悉，而它又是典型的非洲音樂。這種音樂在另一方面也有所不同：很多音樂有着 嚴肅的主題，與當今非洲重要的社會問題和政治問題相關。
Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians. He grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, in a family of musicians. As a teenager, he listened to pop music from the United States, and later he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. Now he has produced a CD in Kenya. Eric's most popular song, "Land of ‘A Little Something’“ is about Kenya's problem of bribery, or paying others for illegal favors . He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to make Kenya a better place to live.
Eric Wainaina 是這些非洲音樂家的其中之一。他成長於肯尼亞內羅畢的一個音樂世家。少年 時期他 就昕美國的流行音樂，之後就讀於波士頓 Berklee College 學習音樂。現在他在肯尼亞發了 一張 CD。他最紅的歌曲是"Land of ? A Little Something' ， 這首歌是有關肯尼亞賄賂問題的。他希望人們聽他的歌曲 然後思考如何讓肯尼亞變成更好的居住地。
Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga from Tanzania. Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women. At the age of fifteen she lost her home, but she was luckier than other homeless young people. She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street. By the time she was eighteen years old, she had become a star. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania, especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women.1
另一個寫有關嚴肅主題音樂的音樂家是來自坦桑尼亞的 Witness Mwaijaga。 她的個人經歷讓 她能夠切 身體會非洲婦女所受的苦難。她15歲的時候失去了家，但是比起和她一樣無家可歸 的年輕人來說她很幸 運。她可以靠寫歌和在街頭賣唱維持生計。在她18歲的時候，她成爲一 個明星。她用嘻哈和說唱的風格 寫歌，歌曲的內容是坦桑尼亞的各種問題，特別是艾滋病和女 性權利的缺失。
Baaba Maal, from Senegal, also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment. He says that in Senegal, storytellers have always been important people. In the past, they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive. Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility. They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better. The words of his songs are important, in fact. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love for one' s family, and saving the environment.2
來自塞內加爾的 BaabaMaal 也認爲流行音樂不僅僅是爲了娛樂。他在塞內加爾說過，故事的' 講述者 往往是重要的人物。在^：去，他們是人民歷史的書寫者。他認爲寫歌者也擁有同樣的責任。 他們必須寫 他們周圍的世界，幫助人民明白如何使它變得更好。事實上，歌詞的內容十分重要。他倡導在非洲要和 平與協作，同時也包括婦女權利、熱愛家庭和保護環境。
One of South Africa's most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie. She is sometimes compared to Madonna, the American pop star, because she likes to shock people in her shows. But she also likes to make people think. She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid. Now that apartheid has ended, her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life. To sing about these, she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.
南美最流行的音樂家之一是 Brenda Fassie。 她可以與美國流行巨星麥當娜媲美， 因爲她的舞 臺表現力 震撼人心。但是她也喜歡讓人深思。20世紀80年代她因爲一首有關反對種族隔離的單 曲而一炮走紅。現 在種族隔離巳經終止了，她的歌曲有關於南美政治和文化的其他方面。她使用傳統的非洲語言與一種新 的流行形式庫威多來歌唱。
In recent years, people outside of Africa have also begun to listen to these young musicians. Through music, the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and, at the same time, influencing the rest of the world.
近些年，非洲以外的人們都開始聽這些年輕音樂家的歌曲。通過音樂，年青一代的音樂家使非洲與 世界其他的地方相連接，同時也影響着世界的其他地方。