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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Merce Cunningham study before going to New York City?

2. In "45' for a Speaker" Cage says one danger for the magnetic tape is what type of music?

3. How many seconds is each line of "45' for a Speaker" supposed to be said in?

4. In what year did Cage meet Merce Cunningham?

5. "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?" was first recorded in how many parts?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when Cage attended a party to which he was not invited and asked the hostess for rum to drink?

2. What does Cage say about silence at the end of "45' for a Speaker"?

3. What does Cage suggests that Morton Feldman felt about opposites?

4. What does Cage say about the title of his article called "2 Pages, 122 Words on Music and Dance"?

5. What happened when Cage told a technician during a recording session what to expect from his music?

6. What contributions is painter Robert Rauschenberg known for?

7. Where did Cage get the idea to write "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?"

8. Why did Vera Williams' children cry when she served them mushrooms on their steak?

9. What does the author say about modern dance and whether it works?

10. Describe the process Cage using for writing "45' for a Speaker."

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore Varese's significance in the book. How does Cage characterize Varese's work? Why does he say that he has established the present nature of music? What examples does he present to prove this statement? What does he say to claims that Varese is a figure of the past?

Essay Topic 2

What ideas or people does Cage say inspired him as an artist? What techniques does the author use to convey to the reader that these ideas or people have inspired him? In other sections in Part 1, do you see traces of these influences?

Essay Topic 3

What reasons does Cage give for saying America has an intellectual climate suitable for radical experimentation? What does he mean when he says the country knows "nowness"? How does America being a newer country help make it a suitable place for radical experimentation? What ideas does the country tend to reject throughout its history?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 808 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample