It was in the afternoon before the end of the Second World War that Antonio Black, who was twelve, caught sight of a beautiful brooch (胸针) in a shop window. The brooch is so beautiful that he was unwilling to leave the store until he had purchased it. But it was too expensive — $5. His family was very poor and his parents struggled to make ends meet. Five dollars would buy almost a week’s food for his family.

Antonio couldn’t ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to his mother, Susan. Slim and beautiful, his mother was the center of the home and the glue that held it together. The housework was never-ending, and she struggled to feed and clothe their five children, but she was happy as her family and their well-being were all she cared about.

Nevertheless, he opened the shop’s door and went inside. Standing proudly and straight in his flour-sack (面粉袋改做的) shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “But I don’t have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”

“I’ll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “People around here don’t usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”

Antonio respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody, for he thought Mum would be surprised when she saw that brooch. On hearing the sound of hammering (锤打) from a side street, Antonio suddenly had an idea that he could raise money by selling the used nail bags. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails bought in bags from a local factory. Sometimes the used bags were thrown away at the construction site, and Antonio knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece. That day he sold two nail bags and hid the money in a rusty soda tin.

Every day after school, Antonio started his plan.

The day finally came!

“What will we be singing for the contest this year?” a student from my high school choir, a singing team, asked eagerly.

I hesitated this moment. “I was thinking,” I said, “maybe we’ll skip the contest and just work hard on the concerts this year.”

“NO!” the kids protested.

“We’ve got to go to contest!”

“In Class A.”

“It’s tradition!”

This was true. Awards lined the front wall of the music room from the past successes of large, talented classes. But a change in educational policies, with an emphasis on academics, had reduced my choir to a mere thirty-two students. My section leaders had graduated or been forced to drop music classes, leaving me with young, inexperienced kids who couldn’t read music, couldn’t hold their parts, and could sing only a simple melody or song.

“Maybe we could enter Class B this year,” I suggested, knowing even that would be a near-impossible mission.

“No!” the kids screamed. “Class A!”

I shook my head, “Class A is extremely difficult.”

“We can do it!” they shouted. “We can do it!”

“I’ll have to think about it,” I said, hoping their enthusiasm would die off in a couple of weeks.

But that didn’t happen. If anything, the class became more fixed. Every day they begged and begged and they insisted. Because I had to protect their self-pride I couldn’t tell them they weren’t good enough. My efforts to prevent their eagerness, by showing them a difficult piece of music from the contest list, simply ended with, “It’s okay, Mrs. Pliszka, we’ll get it.”

I struggled to make a decision. If I destroyed their hope, would I destroy their spirit? On the other hand, if we entered Class A, would they be humiliated by the judges’ comments? Finally one morning I walked into class. “Kids!” I demanded. “We are entering the contest in Class A…” The rest of my sentence was lost in screams of delight and applause. As the weeks progressed, each morning the kids practised singing, worked on reading music, learned musical terms, practiced rhythm and marked changes, prepared concert music, and went over and over the three contest numbers.

When the contest day finally arrived, the kids felt ready to take on the world!

There was a girl named Emily. Although her singing was pleasant to hear, lacking of courage, she never sings in front of strangers.

One summer, the neighborhood would hold a singing competition. Her best friend, Lucy, came to invite her to participate in the competition, but Emily said, “I’m afraid to take part in it.” Her mother said, “It’s okay; just do it bravely.” Emily followed her mom’s ad vice and decided to have a try. The day came. Emily and Lucy went to the competition site. But she was too timid (胆小的) to walk onto the stage. She had been waiting until others finished singing. She shakily forced herself to stand on the stage. She started to sing, but her voice was so low. What’s worse, she was so nervous that she forgot the lyrics (歌词) after singing a few words. Being laughed at by others, embarrassed and shy, she ran away from the stage.

Some boys ran after her and said, “Emily, coward (胆小鬼)! Emily, coward!” Emily didn’t argue with them. What she wanted was to go back home as quickly as she could. Finally, she rushed into the house, hugged her mom and cried sadly.

“Well, my poor girl, don’t cry. Tell me what happened to you,” asked her mom. Emily told her mother what she had experienced.

Listening to her, her mom cupped her face and said, “It doesn’t matter, girl. As long as you practice singing more in front of strangers, you will become braver little by little. So, my girl, don’t be beaten by a failure. You can go out to practice singing every day. No matter who is listening to you, go on singing and never stop. I believe there will be a harvest for you.”

Emily listened to her mother carefully and followed her mom’s suggestion.

Going on singing, she walked into the park.

Many people believe that classical music is not relevant to young people today. However, this issue（问题）frequently causes heated debate.

Some people say that classical music is associated only with old people. For example, if you look at the audience at a classical concert, the majority is over the age of fifty.

Others say it is more popular than we first imagine. Many young people listen to classical music without realizing it. It is often used in films and advertisements. For example, a famous piece of classical music was used as the theme music for the 1990 World Cup. Not many people could have given its name, but millions enjoyed it.

Also, some people point out that young people produce new music based on classical ideas：for example, it is said that rap（说唱）music was invented by a classical musician in 1912, but it is now used by young people in pop music.

However, young people point to the fact that classical music has been outstripped（超越）by technology. To play a classical instrument, such as a violin, you need to study hard and practise for hours. Nowadays, you don't need to get aching arms from practising. A teenager can write and make music using a computer program in the comfort of their own bedroom.

A final point to bear in mind is that the term "classical music" is used to refer to a great variety of music, from jazz to pieces for large orchestras（管弦乐队）. This makes it even more difficult to say whether classical music is relevant to young people.

So, it may be only a minority of young people who play classical instruments, but when it comes to enjoying classical music, it depends on the piece of music. It may be more relevant to young people in the modern world than they realize!