兒童之聲促社會變革

彭向梅

1.choir n. 唱詩班;合唱團

2.apartheid n. 種族隔離

3.multiracial adj. 多種族的

4.riot n. 暴動

Music is shown to improve a childs problem?solving skills. Its shown to improve a childs educational experience. Its shown to improve a childs overall mental health. Thats what recent research will tell you. But if you ask Josephine Lee， president and artistic director of the Chicago Childrens Choir， she has found that music can do even more. “Music can bring about social changes，” Lee told The Huffington Post. “From the Civil Rights Movement in the United States to the Anti?Apartheid Movement in South Africa， music has played a vital role in uniting people throughout history in the struggle for social justice.”

For that reason， the Chicago Childrens Choir unites thousands of students of diverse backgrounds， aging eight to eighteen， to travel the world and bridge （彌合） cultural divides simply by lifting their voices in song.

This strong social mission has actually been a part of the choir since its founding in 1956.The late Rev. Christopher Moore created the multiracial childrens choir at Hyde Parks First Unitarian Church in response to race riots. But the once 12?member choir is now the largest youth choral （合唱的） music education organization in the US， serving more than 3，500 children each year.

“By training singers to connect deeply to music， especially when they sing as a choir— as one voice composed of many—thats how we teach them to connect to the world around them in a meaningful way，” she said. Lee added that she has witnessed the power music has to inspire young people， especially when choir students see first?hand that their music surpasses cultural and social boundaries. During the choirs Bridging America tours， singers in the neighborhood choir program travel throughout the country to connect with other young musicians through workshops and performances.

“We are a civic （城市的） treasure，” Lee said. “When the Voice of Chicago travels the world， they are representing our nation， and the music reflects the diversity of our nation—country， jazz， gospel （信仰）， many of which tell stories of struggle.”

1.Whats the meaning of music， according to Josephine Lee？

A.Serving society.

B.Improving childrens health.

C.Promoting childrens education.

D.Helping children to solve the problem.

2.What does the sentence underlined in the last paragraph suggest？

A.Music has played a key place in the struggle.

B.Chicago Childrens Choir has its business value.

C.12?member choir becomes the largest education organization in the US.

D.The diversity， the struggle and the unity is spread through childrens voice.

Ⅰ.Important vocabulary in the text

1.bring about 引起

2.in response to 回應

3.compose of 由……組成

Ⅱ.Complete the following sentences.

1.歷史上，音樂在團結人民爭取社會正義的斗爭中發揮了至關重要的作用。

Music uniting people throughout history social justice.

2.這個強大的社會使命自1956年合唱團成立以來就一直是合唱團的一部分。

This strong social mission has actually been a part of the choir in 1956.

3.但是這個曾經由12人組成的唱詩班現在是美國最大的青年合唱音樂教育組織，每年為3，500多名兒童提供服務。

But the once 12?member choir is now the largest youth choral music education organization in the US， more than 3，500 children each year.