Women in Music

The main difference between the Sweethearts and most other bands of the 1940s was that the Sweethearts —

• were allowed to travel and perform in Europe
• were a racially integrated group of women
• played swing music outside the South
• tended to perform in large cities

In paragraph 11, the word refuted means —

• ignored
• performed
• disproved
• questioned

Which sentence from the selection helps explain why the Sweethearts became successful?

• Swing musicians usually played instruments such as the clarinet, the saxophone, the
  trombone, and the trumpet.
• At this point a few new musicians joined the group.
• The women chose to include “International” in the band’s name because they came from
  many different cultural backgrounds.
• But they remained focused on their main ambition: to play great swing music.

The author organizes the selection by —

• comparing the Sweethearts with other swing bands of the time
• describing the Sweethearts’ experience of traveling throughout the country
• detailing the major accomplishments of the Sweethearts
• relating the history of the Sweethearts in chronological order

The author wrote this selection most likely to —

• explain how swing music is played
• encourage young women to learn how to play musical instruments
• celebrate a group of musicians who influenced American popular music
• prove that the 1940s were a turning point for female musicians

Paragraph 3 reveals that the author intends to —

• offer reasons why the Sweethearts performed well
• explain what made the Sweethearts unique
• express an opinion about the type of music the Sweethearts performed
• describe how members of the Sweethearts were selected

Becoming a full-time traveling band helped the Sweethearts by —

• increasing their popularity
• enabling them to recruit new members
• allowing them to earn money for school
• providing them with opportunities to listen to all-male bands

Which sentence expresses the main idea of the selection?

• The International Sweethearts of Rhythm traveled and performed in the United States
  during World War II.
• The International Sweethearts of Rhythm commonly performed to sold-out crowds in
  ballrooms and theaters.
• The International Sweethearts of Rhythm were an all-female touring swing band popular
  during the 1940s.
• The International Sweethearts of Rhythm chose to play swing music because it was what
  most people wanted to hear.

Based on the selection, why did the Sweethearts stop playing together?

• The musicians became tired of traveling to different cities.
• Swing music eventually became less popular in the United States.
• Americans were uninterested in music during World War II.
• Musical groups composed of only women were no longer a novelty.

Which of these is the best summary of the selection?

• The International Sweethearts of Rhythm were a touring swing band made up of young women from different ethnic backgrounds. Although the band faced discrimination in the segregated South, the Sweethearts achieved success in the 1930s and 1940s.
• In 1937 a group of young female musicians formed a band that would become known as the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. The musicians played instruments such as the clarinet, the saxophone, the trombone, the trumpet, the bass, the guitar, and the piano.
• Swing was an extremely popular kind of music played by many American bands during the 1930s and 1940s. One of the most interesting and talented swing groups of this period was the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a 17-member band from Mississippi.
• The International Sweethearts of Rhythm were a successful band that included African American, Chinese American, Mexican American, American Indian, and Puerto Rican members. Just a few years after the group was founded, the Sweethearts were able to become a professional touring band.