Music which is original is individual and personal. That is to say, it can be identified as belonging to a particular composer. It has particular qualities, or a style, which are not copied from another. If you can recognize the style of a composer, you will probably be able to tell that a certain composition belongs to him or her even though you have never heard it before.
A basket-maker has the skill of weaving and interweaving his materials to create colorful patterns. Similarly, in music a composer organizes his melodies and rhythm and combines sounds to create harmony. A composer may be capable of thinking up very good, original tunes, yet if tunes are poorly organized, that is, if the workmanship is poor, the final result will not be up to standard. Good music expresses feelings in a way that is suitable to those feelings. These may be joy, sorrow, fear, love, anger, or whatever. Bad music, on the other hand, may exaggerate some feelings and make them vulgar, that is, cheap and ugly.
Good music will stand the test of time. It will not go out of fashion but will continue to be enjoyed and respected long after it is first introduced. It will gain a kind of permanent status while bad music will disappear and be forgotten quickly in pop music, where the general rule seems to be Tthe newer the better,U the test of time is the hardest test of all to pass.
【題組】What does “the test of time is the hardest test of all to pass” near in this passage?
(A) Good music needn’t pass the test of time.
(B) It is most difficult for music to gain a permanent status.
(C) Pop music will cease to be enjoyed soon after it is introduced.
(D) The newer the music is, the harder it can pass the test of time.