A song in his heart 心中的歌

江丽

At a clinic in Waterloo， Ontario， an elderly woman sat on the edge of a waiting room chair playing the tune My Heart Will Go On， with her arms crossed elegantly （优雅地） over her chest.

I was there with my father， who was getting a routine blood test. When the woman arrived， she settled into the seat directly across from my dad. Because she was so tiny， she was forced to sit on the edge of the chair so her feet could touch the floor. The position made it seem as though she were sitting forward to have a conversation with him. She smiled at him， and he smiled back.

I was concerned about how my dad would react. He was 77 at the time and had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years. He was a brilliant and introverted （内向的） card-carrying military man. When he was healthy， he considered it wholly bad-mannered to bring undue attention to oneself. Since Alzheimer’s disease has a tendency to cause damage to a person’s patience， Dad had experienced a few challenging encounters in the past. I couldn’t help but think that this little woman was playing with fire.

I glanced over at Dad. His smile was gone， and he was staring right at her. She was staring back. I couldn’t read his expression， but it seemed to be something like confusion. When her song ended and the waiting room became silent， the woman opened her eyes. My dad was still looking directly at her. “That was beautiful，” he said. And she smiled and said， “Thank you.”

People say that Alzheimer’s disease is a thief， that it steals the memories of your loved ones slowly， day by day. There is so much heartbreaking truth in that statement. But certain experiences with my dad have allowed me to see a side of him that I never knew existed. I will hold on to those moments when he looked at me and told me tender stories. In an unexpected way， that’s what happened to me that day in the clinic. While I hate that he’s struggled with this disease， I love the sweet man I’ve met.

Reading Check

1. Why did the woman sit on the edge of the chair？

A. To leave space for others.

B. To talk with the author’s father.

C. To ensure her feet touch the floor.

D. To draw people’s attention.

2. What did the father do according to the text？

A. He was a pianist. B. He was a singer.

C. He was a doctor. D. He was a soldier.

3. The underlined part “playing with fire” can be replaced by   ___________   .

A. testing the function of fire B. taking dangerous risks

C. trying to behave well D. giving up hope

4. Why do people see Alzheimer’s disease as a thief？

A. It can make sufferers lose their sense.

B. It can make sufferers lose their intelligence.

C. It can make sufferers lose their relatives and friends.

D. It can make sufferers lose their previous memories.

Language  Study

Complete the following sentences with proper prepositions （介詞） in the box.

1. He left the school  ___________  the age of 20.

2. She was sitting  ___________  an armchair.

3. It was on the way ___________ the station.

4. Put it down ___________ the table.

5. Can you translate this letter ___________ me？

6. The store sells everything  ___________  shoes to computers.

7. They met  ___________  chance.