I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside. She was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try.
The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. Today Mrs. Windsor introduced her niece Pasha to teach me. With a smile, Pasha sat beside me on the piano bench, opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys. Then I frowned(皱眉) and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I had to admit I was a rather mechanical (呆板的) pianist.
After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant. “Like a story. Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”
Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys. “Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.” A happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!” The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’ horse sees her plight (困境) and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. Luckily, they make it to the bank.” Pasha said.
I played many pieces of music that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.
【小题1】By describing herself as a mechanical pianist, the author meant ________.
| A．she could remember the notes in a short time |
| B．she was playing the piano without emotion |
| C．her fingers couldn’t move freely |
| D．it had been a long time since she played last time |
【小题2】Which of the following can best describe Pasha?
| A．Creative. | B．Honest. | C．Humorous. | D．Brave. |
【小题3】Pasha’s magic of playing the piano lies in that she ________.
| A．imagined herself as a princess |
| B．knew its original background story |
| C．had a strong desire to make a friend |
| D．combined the music with a story |
【小题4】Which of the following is the best title for the text?
| A．A Friend Forever |
| B．Never Give up |
| C．A Piano Lesson |
| D．My Favorite Piece of Music |
