Lesson 9 Am azing Grace

My grandfather died more than twenty-five years ago. I was fifteen. He was kind, strong, fair, and very funny. When I was a young musician, he was my biggest fan. My grandpa used to applaud when I tuned, and I would roll my eyes and shrug off his enthusiasm as too biased^①. I played my violin for him when he visited, and he loved everything, but each time he had one request. “Could you play ‘Amazing Grace’?”he asked, full of hope and with a twinkle in his eye, because he knew my answer was always, “I don’t know that one!” We went through this routine at every major holiday, and I always figured I’d have time to learn it for him later.

About the time I entered high school and had sw itched to viola^② and started guitar, Grandpa got cancer^③. The last time I saw him alive was Thanksgiving weekend in 1985. My mom warned us when we turned onto the fam iliar street that Grandpa didn’t look the same anymore and that we should prepare ourselves. For a moment I didn’t recognize him. He looked so small among all the white sheets^④, and I had never thought of my grandpa as small in any sense. We had all gathered in Ohio for the holiday, and I’m sure we all knew we were there to say good-bye. I can see now that Grandpa held on long enough to see us each one more time. I remember how we ate in the dining room and laughed and talked while Grandpa rested in his hospital bed set up in the den. I wonder if it was sad for him to be alone with our voices and laughter. Know ing Grandpa, he was probably content.

The next morning I found my moment alone with him. I pulled out my guitar, tuned to his appreciative gaze, and finally played for him “Amazing Grace.” I had worked on it for weeks, know ing it never mattered if I actually played it well and choosing not to believe as I played that it was my last concert for my biggest fan. The cancer had stolen his smile, but I saw joy in his eyes. He held my hand afterward, and I knew I had done something important.

I argued with people all through college about my music major. I was told by strangers that music wouldn’t m ake me any money and it wasn’t useful like being a doctor. But I know firsthand^⑤ that with music I was able to give my grandpa something at a point when no one else could. Food didn’t taste good, doctors couldn’t help, and his body had betrayed him and left him helpless. But for a few minutes listening to me with my guitar, he seemed to find beauty and love and escape. At its best music is the highest expression of humanity’s^⑥ better nature, and I’m privileged^⑦ to contribute to such a profound^⑧ tradition.

So, this I believe: Love matters. Music matters. And in our best moments they are one and the same.

Notes

① biased [ˑbaɪəst] adj. 有偏见的

② viola [vɪˑəʊlə] n. 中提琴

③ cancer [ˑkænsə(r)] n. 癌症

④ sheet [ʃiːt] n. 床单；成幅的薄片；薄板

⑤ firsthand [ˑfɜ:stˑhænd] adv. & adj. 第一手地/的

⑥ humanity [hju:ˑmænɪtɪ] n. 人类；人性

⑦ privilege [ˑprɪvəlɪdʒ] vt. 给予……特权

be privileged to do sth. 荣幸地做某事

⑧ profound [prəˑfaʊnd] adj. 意义深远的

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Grasp the main idea] What is the main idea of this article?

A. The author played a long-requested song by her grandfather before he died.

B. The author’s grandfather always wanted her to be a musician.

C. The author thinks music is the only way to express love to family members.

D. The author believes that love and music both matters.

2. [Give the reason] The author had worked on the song “Amazing Grace” for weeks because___.

A. she wanted to demonstrate her musical skills and ability

B. she knew it would be the last time she would see Grandpa

C. she did not want to disappoint Grandpa for one more time

D. she believed that music can ease Grandpa’s pain when nothing else could

3. [Draw the conclusion] It can be inferred from the text that___.

A. doctors and musicians are equally attractive occupations for most people

B. being a doctor is a more profitable choice than being a musician

C. doctors could ease Grandpa’s physical pains but not emotional pains

D. the main job of being a musician is to heal other people’s souls

4. [Give the reason] Why would the author think Grandpa’s enthusiasm was too biased?

A. As a fam ily member, Grandpa appreciated her play more than others.

B. She was a very bad player indeed.

C. She thought Grandpa does not understand music professionally.

D. Grandpa was a kind person and loved everyone’s music.

5. [Find the reference] In the sentence “I remember how we ate in the dining room and laughed and talked…” (Para. 2), who are we?

A. Every family member. 　B. Grandpa and I.

C. Mom and I. 　D. Fam ily members excluding Grandpa.

6. [Give the reason] The author never thought of her Grandpa as small in any sense because___.

A. she was not prepared for Grandpa’s sickness

B. Grandpa always had a tw inkle in his eyes

C. as a child, she was under the expression that Grandpa was very strong

D. she had never met a person who was about to die

7. [Background and cultural understanding] Have you ever heard of the song “Amazing Grace”? Could this be the implied message that Grandpa is trying to? Try to explain the song title based on your understanding of the text.

8. [Draw a conclusion] Explain in your own words the last sentence “And in our best moments they are one and the same.” According to the text, what are “our best moments”? What are “they”? How are “they” the same?

Ⅱ. Read for words and exp ressions

1. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined words.

(1) …I always figured I’d have time to learn it for him later. (Para. 1)

A. drew the shape of something

B. considered something as true

C. expected something to happen

(2) …Grandpa rested in his hospital bed set up in the den. (Para. 2)

A. dirty room 　B. top room 　C. green house

(3) … and his body had betrayed him and left him helpless. (Para. 4)

A. hurt 　B. abandoned 　C. revealed

2. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined expressions.

(1) …I would roll my eyes and shrug off his enthusiasm as too biased. (Para. 1)

A. manage to recover from a severe problem

B. stopped something from happening

C. minimized the importance of

(2) I pulled out my guitar, tuned to his appreciative gaze, and finally played for him “Amazing Grace.” (Para. 3)

A. a happy smile with encouragement

B. a deep look with gratitude

C. a thoughtful nod with agreement

Ⅲ. Writing practice

This sentence is taken from the text: “I argued with people all through college about my music major.” (Para. 4)

Assum ing you were the author, retell the story as a response to people who do not support your music major in no more than 80 words. Include the time, place, and people involved.

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