Passage A
◆Important Words and Expressions◆
prominent［ˈprɒmInənt］adj.having a quality that thrusts itself into attention；conspicuous in position or importance著名的；突出的
e.g. 1.He was dismissed for publicly insulting prominent politicians.
他在大庭广众之下辱骂政坛显贵，结果被撤职了。
2.The newspapers gave prominent coverage to the news.
各报在显著位置上登载了这条消息。
eligibility［ˌelIdʒəˈbIləti］n.the quality or state of being eligible适任，合格；被选举资格
e.g. 1.Check interrelated system and equipments have been installed,and checked eligibility.
检查相关的系统及设备已安装完毕，并检验合格。
2.The rules covering eligibility for benefits changed in the 1980s.
20世纪80年代，有关救济金领取资格的规定变了。
loyalty［ˈlɔIəlti］n.the quality of being loyal；the act of binding oneself（intellectually or emotionally）to a course of action忠诚；忠实
e.g. 1.They swore an oath of loyalty to the country.他们宣誓要报效祖国。
2.Among her many virtues are loyalty,courage,and truthfulness.
她有许多的美德，如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
integrity［Inˈtegrəti］n.moral soundness；an unreduced or unbroken completeness or totality真实，诚实；完整
e.g. 1.He was praised for his fairness and high integrity.他的公正和正直操守受人称道。
2.We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.
维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
soar［sɔː］vi.rise rapidly；fly upwards or high in the sky猛增，剧增；飞翔，翱翔
e.g. 1.The figures showing customer complaints had soared to record levels and profits were falling.有数字表明，顾客投诉已经达到历史最高水平，利润正在下降。
2.Great trees soar above to cut out most of the light.大树参天，把光线差不多都挡住了。
snub［snʌb］vt.refuse to acknowledge冷落，怠慢
e.g. 1.He snubbed her in public and made her feel like an idiot.
他当众冷落她，让她觉得自己像一个白痴似的。
2.They snubbed his invitation to a meeting of foreign ministers at the UN.
他们没有理睬他发出的出席联合国外交部长会议的邀请。
be nominated for被提名为……
e.g. 1.She was nominated for the Tony Award several times.她获得托尼奖提名若干次。
2.Practically every movie he made was nominated for an Oscar.
事实上，他所制作的电影都获得奥斯卡提名。
be critical of爱挑毛病的；批评的，对……挑剔的，对……苛求的
e.g. 1.It is difficult enough to be critical of our own mistakes.
对我们自己的错误采取批评的态度确实非常困难。
2.Today's report is expected to be critical of its management.
外界认为，今天的调查报告会对其当时的管理层提出严厉指责。
at odds争执，不一致
e.g. 1.Halsey's war record and his public reputation were curiously at odds.
海尔赛的战绩是与他的声望很不相称的。
2.The English and the Continentals were already at odds.英国人与大陆的伙伴已经不和。
◆Explanations of Difficult Sentences◆
1.The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists,and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely viewed televised ceremony.
•众多著名歌手会在这个一年一度的音乐盛宴中登台演出，同时会直播备受关注的颁奖盛况。
•本句的后半句为被动语态的现在时。本课文使用了大量的被动语态，阅读时要留意被动语态的各种时态的使用。
2.It has also been criticized for generally awarding or nominating more commercially successful albums rather than critically successful albums.
•格莱美也因更多地为商业成功而不是严肃意义上成功的专辑颁奖和提名而受到批判。
•句中“rather than”意为“instead of”，“而不是”。
3.The focus is still on the old music industry model of cash⁃cow hits,major label investments and commercial radio.
•各个提名奖项关注的重点依然是音乐行业里原有的摇钱树式的热曲、主要唱片公司的出品以及商业电台的热播音乐。
•“label”在这里应该理解为“唱片公司”。
4.Falling behind the times is nothing new for the Grammys,but once they've lost sight of the artistry that makes music soar,they'll not just be irrelevant,they'll be out of business.
•格莱美已经落后于时代并且毫无新意，然而一旦奖项忽视了可以让音乐扣人心弦的艺术性，它们只会成为无关紧要的东西，还会被踢出市场。
5.We must acknowledge the massive cultural impact of Eminem and Kanye West and how their music is shaping,influencing and defining the voice of a generation.
•我们必须承认埃米纳姆和坎耶·韦斯特带来了深远的文化碰撞，必须看到他们的音乐是如何形成、如何影响人们并如何被定义为新生代之声的。