2024届高考英语阅读理解五步法专项带练(25)讲义

（素材来源：2024届福建省七地市高中毕业班第一次质检英语试题） ①My plan to lean to play the cello ( 大 提 琴 ) was a healthy choice.So I took the next innocent step.of going to a shop that sells and rents string instruments,especially violins,violas, and cellos.The place was a hole-in-the-wall,up a steep flight of stairs.Instruments left a narrow path to the counter where a woman with gray hair and warm eyes greeted me.Since I couldn't form a question about what I wanted,I just stood there exploring the scene,which felt immensely pleasurable. ②I rented a cello,a bow,and a case to hold them.What attracted me to the cello was its enormous size and its soft,smooth,and memorable sounds.It's an instrument made of beautifully polished wood that I could wrap my arms around and feel its powerful vibrations when the strings were played.That was a good starting point for me.The only problem was that I didn't know how to play it. ③There's a popular belief that the cello is a particularly difficult instrument to learn.Another is the admonition,"Don't bother if you are a beginner over age 10!"Well, I was 70, and what others thought no longer influenced me.And besides,I thought of the words of Dr.Cohen,who suggested that learning causes physical changes in the brain. ④So I found a teacher who had respect for older adult beginners and I practiced diligently,daily for years,and sometimes disheartened,but I kept up.I'm happy to report that now,more than a decade later,I can hold my own in a string trio and two quartets (two violins,a viola,and me,the female cello)and even a senior community band.Of course,Ill never sound like Yo-Yo Ma but you could recognize a Mozart piece if you heard me play it.And,more importantly,I don’t need to please anyone but myself. ⑤Whether it's a pleasurable pastime or a new career, the starting point is the same:wonder, curiosity,determination,and the desire to keep your brain sharp. 24.How did the writer feel in the shop? A.Amused by the shop assistant. B.Anxious for a live performa