“Piano lessons” for life

河北樂亭第一中學 胡金瑩

羅比是“我”鋼琴培訓班的一名學生，他天生沒有音樂天賦，但出于對母親的愛和一種執著的精神，他創造了鋼琴演奏的奇跡，讓“我”永生難忘。

題材文章詞數教育與生活4 7 2 難度 ★★★體裁建議用時記敘文8′

I am a former elementary school music teacher.I've always added my income by teaching piano lessons.Over the past 30 years I have found that children have many levels of musical ability.Some children weremusically challengedpupils，one of whom was Robby.

From the beginning，I thought he was hopeless because he lacked the sense of tone.But，he carefully reviewed what I required all my students to learn.At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say， “My mom's going to hear me play someday.”

Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons.I didn't want to call him because he was a bad advertisement for my teaching！

Several weeks later I mailed to the students a flyer on theupcomingrecital （獨奏會）.To my surpriseRobby asked me if he could be in the recital.I told him that the recital was forcurrentpupils and he really did not qualify.He said that his mom had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons，but he was still practising.

“Miss Hondorf...I've just got to play！ ” he insisted.I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital.Maybe it was his persistence （堅持不懈）or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night for the recital came.The high school gymnasiumwas packed withparents，friendsand relatives.Therecitalwentoffsmoothly.Then Robby came up on stage.His clothes were wrinkled （有皺紋的）and his hair looked like he had run an eggbeater through it.“Why didn't hedress uplike the other students？ ” I thought. “Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night？”

Robby pulled out the piano and he began.I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart'sConcerto in C Major.I was not prepared for what I heard next.His fingers were light on the keys.They even danced nimbly（敏捷地）on the ivories.Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people of his age.

After six and a half minutes he finished and everyone was on their feet in wildapplause.In tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy.“I've never heard you play like that Robby！ How did you do it？”

Through the microphone Robby explained，“Well Miss Hondorf...remember I told you my mom was sick？ Actually，she had cancer and passed away this morning.Well...she was born deaf，so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play.I wanted to make it special.”

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening.That night，he was the teacher and I was the pupil，for it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love.

Reading Check

1.How did the author feel when Robby was absent from class？ （within 2 words）

2.Why was the author surprised when Robby went on the stage？ （within 10 words）

3.What did the author learn from Robby？ （Any answer is possible.）

Language Study

Ⅰ.Complete the passage with the vocabulary given.

1.musically challenged五音不全的

2.upcomingadj.即將來臨的

3.to one's surprise令某人吃驚的是

4.currentadj.現在的

5.be packed with擠滿

6.go off進行

7.dress up喬裝；打扮

8.applausen.鼓掌

Robby was one of the students who learned to play the piano with me.However，he had great difficulty playing the piano well because he was 1._______.One day， there was a（n）2______._recital for my 3._______students.4_______._，Robby wanted to join in as usual although I had told him that he didn't qualify.When the night for the recital came，the gym 5._______many people.Allthe students 6._______well except Robby.However，he gave us a surprisingly excellent performance that everyone present cheered with 7______._.

Ⅱ.Sentences for writing

1.“介詞+關系代詞”引導的非限制性定語從句

有些孩子五音不全，羅比就是其中的一個孩子。

Some children were musically challenged pupils， _______________________was Robby.

2.never置于句首時構成的部分倒裝句式

我從來沒聽到過莫扎克的曲子被他這個年齡的人演奏得這么好。

______________Mozart played so well by people of his age.

3.“It is/was+被強調成分 +that+其他”構成的強調句式。

那天晚上，他是老師，我是學生，因為是他教給了我堅持不懈和愛的意義。

That night，he was the teacher and I was the pupil，for ______________________taught me the meaning of perseverance and love.