The Father Dennis

Most boys like to play sports with their friends after school. As a young boy, Dennis learned how to play basketball, American football, Chinese football (Soccer), and softball (American basketball for children). At school, he was also asked if he would like to play in the band. Soon, music became more important to him than sports. He could also sing, so he joined the high school choir and there he saw for the first time a piano player he could not forget. Her name was Janet.
She invited him to her house to play table tennis and the two of them became friends. They didn’t know it then, but many years later, their friendship would become very strong and they would marry.
When an American football game was played, the high school band always performed. The football players would take a rest at the half or mid-point of the game. The concert band would come onto the football field, marching and playing music. They would make different forms on the field. They always made a large alphabet letter at the end of this half time show. It was the capital letter that stood for the name of their high school. For Dennis, it was the letter R for Rogers High School.
In college, he studied music education because he wanted to become a university music professor. After college he went to a large university of 30,000 students near Chicago. It was called Indiana University. He received a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. or doctor’s degree in the philosophy of music. Now he could be a university professor.
He decided that he would like to be the conductor of the band. He also started a city orchestra where both university students and adults from the city could play.
He conducts film music such as Walt Disney’s Lion King with the band. With the orchestra he directs the operas of Mozart such as the Magic Flute or the symphonies of Beethoven. This music he directs is similar to China’s beautiful orchestra music about the legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai who became butterflies after dying together. In both China and the United States, he enjoys the music of the band and the orchestra.

Comprehension Check4.When did Dennis meet Janet, his future wife, for the first time?
A. When Janet was playing the piano.
B. When he became more interested in music than in sports.
C. When he was in high school, and was a member of the school choir.
D. When he was a young boy.

5.What would the school band usually do when the football game took a rest at half time?
A. They would come onto the football field performing.
B. They would show different kinds of pictures.
C. They would form a large alphabet letter.
D. They would send a letter to Rogers High School.

6.Where did Dennis go after college?
A. He went to a city orchestra.
B. He went to Chicago.
C. He went to see a university professor.
D. He went to Indiana University.

Words and Phrasessoftball n.垒球
choir n.合唱队，歌唱队
fall n.（美）秋季
capital a.首要的，主要的
a capital letter大写字母
philosophy n.哲学
adult n.成年人
opera n.歌剧
Magic Flute 魔笛
symphony n.交响乐
legend n.传说；传奇
butterfly n.蝴蝶