I looked through the window of the charming little violin shop, and my heart began to race.
我透过窗子看着那家迷人的小提琴店，心开始怦怦地跳。

I’d been out to dinner that evening . Since it wasn’t dark yet after the meal, I decided to walk home from the restaurant. I had traveled that way before, yet I had never noticed that old little shop. But that night I felt drawn to the violin shop the moment I came across it.
那天晚上我出去吃了晚餐。由于天还没黑，饭后我决定步行回家。我之前走过那条路，但从来没注意到那家老旧的小店。但那天晚上，我一看到那家小提琴店就觉得被吸引。

I wiped the dirt from the window to get a better look inside. Several violins hung from the dark walls, quietly waiting to be chosen. As my eyes rested on them, I felt as though I were looking through a window into my own past.
我擦了擦窗户上的灰尘，想更仔细地看看里面。几把小提琴挂在黑暗的墙上，静静等待着被选中。当我的目光停留在它们上面时，感觉就像透过窗口看到了自己的过去。

My childhood was all about the pursuits I had attempted, most of which had been chosen by Mom. She was like, “Join the swim team. Tara. Your sister is a good swimmer;surely you will be, too.“What she refused to acknowledge, however, was that I was visibly afraid of water.
我的童年充斥着我尝试过的各种事情，大部分是由妈妈选择的。她总是说：“加入游泳队吧，塔拉。你姐姐游泳很好，你肯定也行。”但她却不愿承认，我对水可视化的恐惧。

Every Saturday I begged Mom not to make me go to the swim meet, but had little chance of success. That said, with a bang of the starting gun,I would dive into the cold water with all my strength and swim to the other side of the pool as fast as I could, only to find that the other swimmers slid pa st me. I would have given it up if I had not heard my father’s encouraging shouts to cheer me on. When at last my hand would grab the edge of the pool, he would always be there with a warm, dry towel, telling me how proud he was of my desperate efforts.
每个周六我求妈妈不要让我参加游泳比赛，但成功的机会很小。就这样，一声枪响，我就会全力跳进冰冷的水里，拼命向池子另一端游去，只能发现其他游泳者从我身边滑过。如果没有听到爸爸鼓励的呐喊声，我可能会放弃。当最终我抓住池边时，他总会在那里，给我一个温暖干燥的毛巾，告诉我他为我的拼命努力感到骄傲。

Then came a turning point in my life the day our school orchestra(管弦乐队) visited my class, and gave a demonstration. The drums annoyed me. The flutes(笛子) bored me. But the violin. ah, the violin. It made the sweetest sound I’d ever heard! My heart was dancing along with its flowing tune. For the first time in my life, I went so wild with joy.
我人生的一个转折点来了，就在我们学校乐队参观我们的课堂并进行演示的那天。鼓让我恼火，长笛让我厌烦，但小提琴，啊，小提琴。它发出了我曾经听过的最甜美的声音！我的心随着它流淌的曲调在舞蹈。我第一次感到无比的喜悦。

Tightly holding the permission slip from the orchestra director, I ran all the way home after school, and shakily handed it to my parents with a fear that they might dismiss my desire. They didn’t . Mom was thrilled to see me finally excited about something, and Dad winked(贬眼示意) at me while eagerly signing the slip.
紧紧握着乐队指导的许可证，放学后我一路狂奔回家，颤抖地把它交给了父母，担心他们可能会否定我的愿望。但他们没有。妈妈很高兴看到我终于对一件事感到兴奋，爸爸眨眼睛对我，兴奋地签字。

I began practicing the violin with great passion, and rose quickly in ability. Before long I had w on the first seat in the community orchestra…
我开始充满激情地练习小提琴，很快就提升了技能。不久我就在社区管弦乐团中拔得头筹…

1. What did the sight of the violins in that little shop bring to Tara’s mind?
   A. Her miserable past. B. An unforgettable sport event.
   C. The stories behind the violins. D. Her childhood memory.
   答案：D

2. What Dad did for Tara during the swimming competition implies that he is _.
   A. mindless and bad-tempered B. caring and supportive
   C. strict and demanding D. tolerant and sympathetic
   答案：B

3. What fascinated Tara during her school orchestra’s demonstration?
   A. The tune of the flutes. B. The beat of the drums.
   C. The sound of the violin. D. The manner of the musicians.
   答案：C

4. What enabled Tara to win the first seat in the community orchestra?
   A. The steady improvement in her taste. B. Her strong desire for success.
   C. Her natural gift for music. D. The rapid progress in her ability.
   答案：D

5. What message does Tara’s story convey?
   A. It’s never too young to learn. B. A passionate interest works wonders.
   C. Hard work will pay off in the long run. D. Like mother, like daughter.
   答案：B