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Frederic Francois Chopin, the famous composer and pianist,was born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland, on
February 22,1810, of a French father and a Polish mother. His father, Nicholas Chopin, was a French
tutor to many noble families, later accepting a position as a French teacher at
the Warsaw Lyceum.
Although Chopin later attended the Lyceum where his father taught , his early training began at home. This included receiving piano lessons from his mother. By the age of six, Chopin was creating original
pieces, showing remarkable musical ability. His parents arranged for the young Chopin to take piano
instruction from Wojciech Zywny. When Chopin was sixteen, he attended the Warsaw Conservatory of
Music, directed by composer Joseph Elsner. Elsner, like Zywny, insisted on the traditional training
associated with classical music but allowed his students to investigate more original imaginations of the
romantic style as well.
As often happened to the young musicians of both the Classical and Romantic Periods, Chopin was
sent to Vienna,the center of music that day. He gave piano concerts and then arranged to have his pieces
published by a Viennese publishing house there. While Chopin was in Austria,Poland and Russia were in
the apparent beginnings of war.He returned to Warsaw to get his things in preparation for a more
permanent move. While there, his friends gave him a silver goblet filled with Polish soil. He kept it always, as he was never able to return to his beloved Poland.
News of the war in Poland inspired Chopin to write many sad musical pieces expressing his grief for " his" Poland. Among these was the famous " Revolutionary Etude". As the war continued in Warsaw and
then reached Paris, Chopin retired to Scotland with friends. Although he
was far beyond the reach of the revolution, his attitude of sorrow did not improve and he sank deeper
into a depression. Likewise, his health did not regain either.
Chopin died at the age of 39 and was buried in Paris. His last request was that the Polish soil in the
silver goblet be cast over his grave.
1. Why do you think Chopin's friends gave him a silver goblet of soil?
A. Because they wanted him to remember his motherland.
B. Because the silver goblet was expensive.
C. Because the soil could be used in his experiments.
D. We don' t know the reason from the passage.
2. What do you think of Chopin's last request before his death?
A. He cared too much about his friendship with friends.
B. He liked the goblet very much.
C. He loved his motherland deeply.
D. He was interested in the soil in the goblet.
3. Which of the following is true about Chopin?
A. He died and was buried in his motherland.
B. He hated his country so he left it.
C. He missed his motherland when he was abroad.
D. He enjoyed an active life.
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Chopin never retumed to Poland.
B. Poland and Russia used to fight against with each other.
C. Chopin created his original pieces at the age of six.
D. Chopin died at an early age mainly because of his character.
