OnDecember232008NiuNiuheldapianoconcertatthenationalGrandTheater(国家大剧院).Asaneleven-year-oldboyhebecametheyoungestpianistevertoperformaconcertatthetheater.NevertooyoungtolearnNiuNiuwasborni

Question

On December 23 2008 Niu Niu held a piano concert at the national Grand Theater (国家大剧院). As an eleven-year-old boy he became the youngest pianist ever to perform a concert at the theater.
Never too young to learn
Niu Niu was born into a musical family in Xiamen. His father Zhang was a piano teacher. Niu Niu grew up listening to his father’s students playing the piano. At just three years old Niu Niu asked his father to teach him to play too.
“I gave Niu Niu some sheet music and helped him find the eight notes when he first played the piano. To my surprise he played nearly 80 percent correct ” said the father. He used to think that three years old is too young an age to learn piano but Niu Niu changed his mind. He continued to allow Niu Niu to watch his teaching of other students and gave him more sheet music to play.
Playing for fun
Zhang started teaching Niu Niu standard piano lessons when he was four. Unlike many other piano teachers Zhang didn’t insist that Niu Niu play strictly with the correct finger positioning (位置). He said that the strict finger positioning would rob some kids of fun of playing. So Niu Niu could play in his own way. He could play the tone successfully. But Niu Niu was required to play the music without looking at the sheet music. Now he can remember about 80 pages.
Rising to fame
In 2003 at the age of 6 Niu Niu successfully held a sole concert in his hometown Xiamen. At the age of 8 he gave a performance at the International Piano Festival in France. At the age of 10 Niu Niu played in London and his performance was praised by Prince Charles. Last year this young pianist published his first album “Niu Niu Plays Mozart” and over 10 000 copies have been sold in the world.
We are very glad to see a young Chinese pianist rising in the music world.

1. 1.
   How old was Niu Niu when he performed a concert at the National Grand Theater?
2. 2.
   What was Niu Niu’s father?
3. 3.
   What did Niu Niu’s father feel when Niu Niu played nearly 80 percent of the sheet music correct?
4. 4.
   What did Niu Niu’s father say about the strict finger positioning?
5. 5.
   What do you think of Zhang’s way of teaching his son Niu Niu? （请自拟一句话作答）

Answer 1

1. (He was) 11 years old./ He was 112. (He was) A piano teacher3. He felt surprised./ Surprised4. (He said that) The strict finger positioning would rob some kids of fun of playing5. It (His way) was good/ wonderful/ successful/ effective./ It was a proper way/ …根据课文内容来填写相关单词。注意单词的时态和人称。