Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist(打擊樂器獨(dú)奏演員) in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the 1 of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began 2 piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion(酷愛) for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my 3 . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the 4 and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never 5 me.”
“My 6 was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I 7 to ‘hear’ music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can 8 the pitch of a note(音調(diào)高低) by the vibrations(振動) I feel through my body and through my 9 . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 10 that I have.”
“I was 11 to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had 12 this before and some teachers 13 my admission. Based on my performance, I was 14 admitted and went on to 15 with the academy’s highest honors.”
“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I 16 and arranged a lot of musical compositions since 17 had been written specially for solo percussionists.”
“I have been a soloist for over ten years. 18 the doctor thought I was totally deaf; it didn’t 19 that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be 20 by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart. They will lead you to the place you want to go.”
1. A. conditions B. opinions C. actions D. recommendations
2. A. enjoying B. choosing C. taking D. giving
3. A. sight B. hearing C. touch D. taste
4. A. evidence B. result C. excuse D. cause
5. A. left B. excited C. accompanied D. disappointed
6. A. purpose B. decision C. promise D. goal
7. A. turned B. learned C. used D. ought
8. A. tell B. see C. hear D. smell
9. A. carefulness B. movement C. imagination D. experience
10. A. sense B. effort C. feeling D. idea
11. A. dissatisfied B. astonished C. determined D. discouraged
12. A. done B. accepted C. advised D. admitted
13. A. supported B. followed C. required D. opposed
14. A. usually B. finally C. possibly D. hopefully
15. A. study B. research C. graduate D. progress
16. A. wrote B. translated C. copied D. read
17. A. enough B. some C. many D. few
18. A. However B. Although C. When D. Since
19. A. mean B. seem C. conclude D. say
20. A. directed B. guided C. taught D. limited
