尼日利亞男孩雨中芭蕾感動世界

安徽 張 嵐

十一歲的安東尼·梅梅索瑪·馬杜在身著粉紗的舞群里翩然起舞，優雅旋轉，格外出眾。 他身著黑色緊身褲和白色高領套頭衫，看起來比實際年齡更成熟。 他雨中的芭蕾感動了全世界。題材人物體裁記敘文

文章詞數 難度 建議用時349 ★★★ 6 分鐘

難詞探意

1. pirouette /,p?ru'et/ n. （尤指芭蕾舞中的）單腳尖旋轉

2. coarse /k?:s/ adj. 粗糙的

Gracefully spinning among a group of dancers in pink, 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu stands out in black leggings and a white turtleneck. He performed in a calm, confident manner, which seems too unique to go far beyond his years.

His parents in Lagos, Nigeria's teeming lagoon city, wanted him to become a priest. Instead, he wished to live in his own way. He has touched millions of people around the world with his ballet.

“When I am dancing, I feel as if I am on top of the world,” he told Reuters. Dancing makes him so happy.

A video of him dancing barefoot in the rain on concrete outside the studio where he trains, the Leap of Dance Academy, went viral once it was broadcast online.

More than 15 million people have watched his joyful leaps and pirouettes. Despite the rain and the coarse surface, he just danced wholeheartedly as if he was immersed deeply in his dance.

The video caught the eye of the top American Ballet Theatre, which gave him a scholarship and arranged Internet access for virtual training.

This year in 2021,he will train in the United States on a scholarship from Ballet Beyond Borders.

“When my friends see me dancing, they feel like, what is this boy doing and is he doing a foreign dance?” he said. “Now I have won a grand prize to go to the US. I will be in the plane and this is what I am waiting for, and ballet has done it for me.”

The video also sparked a flood of donations to the academy, which teaches its students for free.Founder Daniel Ajala Owoseni said he will use the money, and fame, to promote ballet in Nigeria, a country where it is not yet widely practised.

It is painstaking for a boy who learns to dance. However, he steps out of the traditional bias and proves he is outstanding.

“I saw the need to bring a form of art that shows discipline, dedication and commitment,” he said. “Students who are able to learn all of these can transfer them into other fields of their lives.”

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A. By raising a question. B. By describing a scene.

C. By making a comparison. D. By analyzing a phenomenon.

2. What is the boy's parents' attitude towards his career choice?

A. Puzzled. B. Worried. C. Indifferent. D. Disapproving.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “on top of the world” in the text?

A. Wild with joy. B. In good form.

C. Enthusiastic about everything. D. Against my will.

4. What can we learn from Anthony Mmesoma Madu's story?

A. Every coin has two sides. B. Make the fence before it rains.

C. Hard work and determination pays off. D. A straight foot never fears a crooked shoe.

Complete the passage with phrases from the box in proper forms. One phrase is extra.

Look at this picture. A 63-year-old master carpenter 1.____________his woodwork. His name is Wang Dewen.2.____________people from all over the world, he has become an international Internet sensation. Already, his masterpieces 3.__________both in China and abroad.

Each time I see the picture where he is doing his work with traditional Chinese techniques, I feel as if I am 4.__________because of his amazing works and devotion to our traditional culture, which tugs at the heartstrings. His effort, along with his patience to inherit our culture makes me 5._____________that our traditional culture cannot be well preserved. Instead, we can inherit it in many ways. And we are fans of it.