難詞探意

1.professionally /pr?'fe??n?li/ adv.在職業(yè)上

2.encourage /?n'k?r?d?/ v.激勵(lì)；鼓勵(lì)

3.nonprofit /,n?n'pr?f?t/ adj.非營利的

4.surround /s?'ra?nd/ v.包圍；圍繞

When Freddie Fuller arrived to perform in the hospital room in Temple, Texas, Pam Golightly worried it was already too late because the nurse told her that her stepfather's time was near.“You're probably wasting your time,” Golightly told Fuller.

Fuller, age 68 and a full-time musician, is knownprofessionallyas the Singing Cowboy.With two albums, the country and folk musician has performed all over the United States.

Growing up in Salado, Texas, Fuller heard gospel music（福音音樂） all the time from his mother.She even sang as she hung clothes on the line.And sheencouragedher young son's musical talent.When she was dying of cancer, in 1987, he put their love of song to its greatest use.He would crawl into her hospital bed with his guitar and sing her favorite songs.His mother seemed to relax, a peaceful look crossing her face.

So when he heard about anonprofitorganization called Swan Songs, he gave them a call.Since 2005, Swan Songs has arranged more than 800 free musical last wishes at hospitals, hospices, and private homes.Fuller signed up on the spot.

Since then, he has performed dozens of musical vigils （守夜祈禱）.Sometimes they're almost festive, with terminally ill people surrounded by family, including one patient who sang along and danced slowly with her walker.Other times, they're quieter, as Fuller's experience with his mom was.And sometimes they feel a bit like a miracle.

That was the case with Golightly's stepfather.He enjoyed country music, and Swan Songs sent Fuller.When Fuller arrived, Strobel seemed ready to say goodbye.Golightly and her sister, watched their stepfather's every breath, each holding one of his hands.Fuller played some songs.After 45 min-utes, Golightly asked for just one more song.Fuller chose Love, Me.“I played the last song, sang the last note, and hit the last guitar chord, and then he took his last breath,” Fuller says.“She, her sister,and I looked at one another, saying, ‘Oh my gosh, we just experienced one of the most magical moments in our lives.’”

“It was a gift for us all,” Golightly says of Fuller's singing.“At a really sad time,it was beautiful.”

Reading Check

1.Why did Golightly say Fuller was probably wasting his time?

A.Her stepfather was dying.

B.It was late in the evening.

C.Fuller didn't come on time.

D.Her stepfather didn't like music.

2.What do we know about Fuller?

A.He is well known as a cowboy.

B.He performs all over the world.

C.He is playing music for people who are dying.

D.He has a good relationship with his stepfather.

3.What can we infer from the third paragraph?

A.Fuller's mother was fond of music.

B.Fuller's mother was a professional singer.

C.Fuller's mother made him play gospel music.

D.Fuller's mother used to enjoy popular music.

4.What can be the main idea of the passage?

A.Love's last refrain（副歌）.

B.Performance of a great musician.

C.Love for the amazing stepfather.

D.A dying man's love for music.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Sometimes they're almost festive, with terminally ill people surrounded by family, including one patient who sang along and danced slowly with her walker.

【信息提取】本句是一個(gè)簡單句。 they're almost festive是主系表結(jié)構(gòu)，including...her walker是介詞短語作伴隨狀語， 其中who引導(dǎo)的是限制性定語從句，with terminally ill people surrounded by family是“with+賓語+賓語補(bǔ)足語”結(jié)構(gòu)，由于surround和people有邏輯上的動(dòng)賓關(guān)系，所以用V-ed形式作賓補(bǔ)。

【句式仿寫】所有的工作都提前完成了，我能輕松愉快地享受假期了。