A musical phenomenon

浙江 江 麗

凱文·戴通過音樂從口吃的困境中找到了自己的表達方式，并成為一位杰出的年輕作曲家。

主題語境：音樂 篇幅：340詞 建議用時：6分鐘

1When Kevin Day was a child, he could hardly speak due to a speech impediment.Yet he was extraordinarily fluent in the language of music.Kevin says, “Music was sort of my way of self-expression when I couldn't communicate what I felt with words.”

2Now in his mid-20s, Mr Day is breaking age barriers in classical music.His work has already been performed at Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, and Carnegie Hall in New York.To reach these peaks, the young composer has had to overcome tough challenges.

3“He is driven, but he is so uplifted and comforted by music that I don't think it's a choice for him,” says Cynthia Johnston Turner, dean of the Music Faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.During her previous post at the University of Georgia, she selected Mr Day for a master's program.“He has a lot of resilience, but let's not ignore the fact that the systems are piled up against him,” she says.

4Mr Day's work is influenced by life experiences as much as by musical notes.When he was around 10 years old, his family's struggles deepened.Both his parents were unable to find a job.Sometimes there was no electricity or water in the house.In the end, the family lost their house and car.“I don't make a big deal out of this stuff,” Mr Day notes.“I'm always looking forward and try not to look back, not even for reflection.”

5To date, Mr Day's 200-plus pieces of music include works for concert bands and symphony orchestras.He's eager to branch out into contemporary music, including hip-hop and jazz.He is also earning his doctorate.“I have this sort of spirit of resilience that I've kind of inherited from my parents,” says Mr Day.It's given him a sense of urgency to create music that bolsters listeners going through difficult times.“My goal is to try to help others as well.”

Reading Check

1.What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A.Kevin Day's career challenges.

B.Kevin Day's career goals.

C.Kevin Day's music styles.

D.Kevin Day's music achievements.

2.What does Cynthia Johnston Turner think about Kevin Day?

A.He should choose a different career.

B.Music is a comforting and driving force for him.

C.He shows no passion for classical music.

D.He is not suitable for the master's program.

3.How does Kevin Day feel about his childhood experiences?

A.They are his source of inspiration.

B.They are already in the past.

C.They aren't unique to him.

D.They aren't easy to forget.

4.What does the underlined word “bolsters” mean in paragraph 5?

A.Defeats.B.Entertains.

C.Reminds.D.Supports.

Language Study

Ⅰ.日積月累

impedimentn.障礙

extraordinarilyadv.特別地

fluentadj.流利的

self-expressionn.自我表達

barriern.障礙

resiliencen.復原力；彈性

inheritv.繼承

branch out 拓展；涉足

look back 回頭看；回顧

Ⅱ.語法填空

As a boy, Kevin Day had trouble speaking because 1.________ a speech problem.But he had a special talent for music that let him express 2.________(he).Now 3.________ his mid-20s, Kevin is becoming well-known in classical music.He's had his music 4.________(play) in famous places like Tanglewood Music Center, Rachmaninov Hall 5.________ Carnegie Hall.However, Kevin faced many 6.________(challenge) to get to this point.Cynthia Johnston Turner, a music faculty dean, thinks music 7.________(be) essential to Kevin.She admires his strength despite difficult circumstances.As a child,Kevin and his family went through hard times, 8.________(lose) their home and living without jobs, electricity, or water.But Kevin prefers to focus on the future rather 9.________ the past.Kevin has created over 200 music pieces for bands and orchestras and is looking to make modern music styles like hip-hop and jazz.He's also working on getting his doctorate.He wants to make music that can help others 10.________ are facing tough times.