无私的钢琴家
——哈莉特·斯塔布斯

江苏 雷利平

主题语境：音乐 篇幅：294词 建议用时：5分钟

1The Queen's Birthday Honors mark the extraordinary contributions and service of people across the UK.Every year,a list of honorees are published on the Queen's official birthday in June.Harriet Stubbs,a concert pianist from the UK,was recognized for services to the community in West London during COVID-19,as she performed 250 daily free concerts in London's W8 during 2020 and 2021.

2Whenthecoronavirusbegantospread,Stubbs returned to London from New York City,intending to stay a week—which turned into a year and a half.She was planning to record an album that mixed David Bowie's songs with classical pieces.While locked down in London,she practiced and people would stop outside her window to listen.

3“I thought,what about if I just do it at the same time every day and leave my window open intentionally,because we've all lost routine?And what if it is just something that happens at the same time every day?”she told ABC News.

4So,she began playing every day at 5 pm with her window open.She advertised the informal concerts locally.As restrictions were lifted,the crowd grew larger and larger,with her occasionally coming out to serve drinks and meet her fans.Stubbs ended up performing 100 concerts in 100 days before taking a break.Then she returned and did another 100 concerts in 100 days.According to her website,she performed 250 total shows.

5“People stood outside in the middle of December,with masks on,in the rain,to listen to music through a window,which was distorted(失真的)with a busy intersection of traffic—if that doesn't tell us how much we need music as human beings,I don't know what does,”Stubbs said.

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Detail 1.Why was Stubbs recognized on the Queen's Birthday Honors List?

A.She donated many items.

B.She had great piano skills.

C.She gave free performances.

D.She published amazing books.

Detail 2.What inspired Stubbs to play the piano with her window open?

A.Being locked down.

B.Losing all her routine.

C.Seeing people stop to listen.

D.Planning to record an album.

Gist 3.What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A.The experiences Stubbs had.

B.The contributions Stubbs made.

C.Stubbs'process of being famous.

D.Stubbs'commitment to piano career.

Inference 4.Which of the following can best describe Stubbs?

A.Talented and energetic.

B.Adaptable and modest.

C.Ambitious and elegant.

D.Devoted and responsible.

Language

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Difficult sentences

1.When the coronavirus began to spread,Stubbs returned to London from New York City,intending to stay a week—which turned into a year and a half.当新型冠状病毒开始传播时，斯塔布斯从纽约回到伦敦，打算待一周，结果却待了一年半。

【点石成金】该句的主干为Stubbs returned to London from New York City；When coronavirus began to spread为时间状语从句；intending to stay a week为现在分词结构作状语；which turned into a year and a half为定语从句，修饰a week。

2.While locked down in London,she practiced and people would stop outside her window to listen.在伦敦被封锁时，她练习，人们会在她的窗外驻足聆听。

【点石成金】该句的主干为she practiced and people would stop outside her window，是由and连接的两个并列句；to listen为不定式作目的状语；While locked down in London为时间状语从句的省略，省略了she was。