Our school has a music club which meets every Thursday after class, and forty students joined it this year. Some of them play an instrument, while others only sing. Our teacher, Mr. Lin, is a real (11) who played in a big band for ten years before he came to our school. (12), I was so afraid of singing in front of other people that my face turned red every time I opened my mouth. (13) He asked me to sing with two friends first, so that I could get used to the stage. Now I stand in the front row. Next month we will give a show for our parents, (14) we practice twice a week.
My cousin Kevin is a young artist. He started to draw when he was five, and now he takes an art class every Saturday morning. His teacher, (15) has painted for thirty years, always tells him to look carefully before he picks up a brush. Last month Kevin decided to paint the beach near his house, so he went there every day and watched the sea for hours. (16) Because of this, he made ten small pictures, but none of them felt right to him. (17), after three weeks of hard work, he finished a big (18) in which the water looks so real. His teacher put it near the school entrance so that everyone can view it.
Amy: Guess what? My uncle, who works at City Music Hall, gave me two tickets to Nina Chen's show. Do you want to come with me?
Ben: Yeah! She has been my favorite pop music singer for years, so I'd love to go.
Amy: Here is the ticket that my uncle gave me.
| NINA CHEN - FINAL SHOW OF THE YEAR |
|---|
| City Music Hall, East Entrance |
| Saturday, December 20 |
| Doors open 6:30 p.m. / Show starts 7:30 p.m. |
| Row 9, Seat 14 |
| $1,200 |
Ben: How do we get there if my dad can't drive us?
Amy: The bus takes forty minutes. I'd like to arrive right when the doors open, because I want to buy her new album before the line gets too long.
Ben: OK. Since food isn't allowed inside, I'll bring some snacks for the bus.
Spring Art Show
This year ninety paintings hang on the walls. Most of them were made by our students, but ten were brought from the private home of Mr. Wu, our art teacher, who has collected them for many years. Because they have great value to him, please do not touch them.
Food and drinks are not allowed in the room, although you may enjoy snacks outside the entrance. If you want to pick your favorite painting, draw a circle next to its number on the paper by the door. The name of the winner will be shown on the final day, and the winner will receive a new set of brushes.
Dear Ben,
Thank you for the comic books. My brother Sam, who is three years older than me, is a musician. He takes private lessons twice a week from a music teacher who usually teaches young children, and he plays the guitar in a band that plays pop music. Last month the band made its first record, an album with six songs, and two of them were written by Sam himself.
This Saturday the band will play at City Hall. The show starts at seven, and a ticket costs only forty dollars. We usually take the bus, but since my mother thinks it will rain, she will drive us there. Please come to my house at six, which I know is early, because I want to get seats near the stage.
See you,
Willy
Long ago, Confucius told his students that music was very important, because he believed songs could make people kind and help them get along. Today many schools in Taiwan still see the value of music and art.
At Green Hill School, every class has an art and music program on Friday afternoon, when students may learn an instrument, sing in a group, or draw pictures. In addition, the school plans to record the best songs of the students this year and send them to every family.
Some parents, who are concerned about tests, think students should spend more time on math and English. However, the teachers do not agree, because they believe that music and art play a big role in a happy school life and that happy students often learn better in every class.