Question

Country music dates back to the 1920s. Residents of the Appalachian Mountains created a unique type of music at that time. They brought their music with them when they moved to Georgia to work in cotton mills. Many people called it “hillbilly music.”


This style of music changed during the Great Depression and World War II. Problems rained down on the American people. Many felt sad, hopeless, and scared. Musicians used these emotions as inspiration for their songs. Stars like Hank Williams and George Jones were popular musicians at this time with a country music style called honky-tonk. Even rock and roll snuck into country music thanks to stars like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.



Nashville became the center of country music in the 1960s. It didn’t take long for country music to become a permanent genre within the music industry. Since then, country music has evolved significantly. More recent stars like Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, and Blake Shelton have drawn millions of people into the country music world as lifetime fans. The most popular song topics within country music are about finding love, heartbreak, country values, small towns, and fishing. Now country music is its own diverse and fun-loving culture.


Questions
How does the statement “problems rained down on the American people” help readers understand the text?


It shows that the weather was often rainy during the Great Depression.


It helps explain how rock and roll snuck into country music.


It helps explain why all country music used to be depressing but is now fun and lively.


It shows that Americans at the time faced lots of difficu

Answer 1

It shows that Americans at the time faced lots of difficulties (the problems came down on them), which helps explain why musicians wrote sad, hopeless songs during the Depression and WWII.