1 . For a long time Gabriel didn’t want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look sympathetically at the music students, _________ across the campus with their heavy instrument cases, turning up at school for practice hours before   anyone else had to be there. He promised to himself to _________ music, as he hated getting to school extra early.

However, one day, in the music class that was part of his school’s standard curriculum, he was playing lazily on the piano and found it easy to pick out tunes. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he actually _________ doing it. He tried to hide his _________ pleasure from the music teacher, who had _________ over to listen. He might not have done this particularly well, but the teacher told Gabriel that he had a good ear and suggested that Gabriel go into the music store-room to see if any of the instruments there _________ him. There he decided to give the cello(大提琴) a _________.When he began practicing, he took it very casually. But he quickly found that he loved playing this instrument, and was _________ to practicing it so that within a couple of months he was playing reasonably well.

This meant, of course, that he arrived at school early in the morning, _________ his heavy instrument case across the campus to the __________ looks of the non-musicians he had left behind.

2 . Misty didn’t always feel so confident in herself. The challenges she has faced over almost 20 years of dancing have made her strong.

At the young age, Misty was a shy child and_________the spotlight(聚光灯).But she loved music and movement. When she was 13, her coach suggested that she attend a free ballet class at the Boys &Girls club. At first, Misty was afraid to join in and felt out of place in the class._________, she discovered that her body--especially her long legs and flexible muscles--was just right for ballet, which_________her up. However, at the age of 19, she suddenly gain_________ “My body changed completely over the course of several months,” she says. Misty had always been long and slim, which was considered “perfect” for a ballet dancer’s body. But now, she says, “I was being told that my proportions(比例) just weren’t right any more.” Additionally, Misty was the_________African American in a company of 80 dancers. So she sometimes felt as if she didn’t fit in. Misty says this time was “one of the_________moments of my life.”   Even though Misty felt discouraged, she didn’t break_________. She talked with others who had struggled with similar problems. With the support of these friends, things slowly_________.

Today, Misty says, “I’ve learned to embrace my appearance, skin color, and figure.” She wants to help other dancers_________themselves, too. In her own book, Firebird, Misty tells readers to go after their dreams: “No matter what that dream is,” she writes, “ you have the power to make it come true with hard work and__________.”

3 . For a long time Gabriel didn’t want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at the music students, _________ across the campus with their heavy instrument cases, _________ at school for practice hours before anyone else had to be there. He swore to himself to _________ music, as he hated getting to school extra early.

However, one day, in the music class that was part of his school’s standard curriculum, he was playing idly (随意地) on the piano and found it _________ to pick out tunes. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he actually enjoyed doing it. He tried to hide his _________ pleasure from the music teacher, who had wandered over to listen. She told Gabriel that he had a good ear and suggested that Gabriel go into the music store-room to see if any of the instruments there _________ him. There he decided to give the cello (大提琴) a chance. When he began practicing, he took it very _________.

But he quickly found that he loved playing this instrument, and was _________ to practicing it so that within a couple of months he was playing reasonably well.

This meant, of course, that he arrived at school early in the morning, _________ his heavy instrument case across the campus to the pitying looks of the non-musicians he had left __________.

4 . I was 11 when I asked my mum for piano lessons. We were in an economic crisis and she’d recently been _______ off. She said a polite “no”.

That didn’t discourage me. I drew a keyboard onto a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would _______ notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one—keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. As my mum found I was serious about it, she bought me 10 lessons with borrowed money.

I still remember the first one. I was _______ by how organic the sound of the piano was, as I had become familiar with the artificial electronic sound. The teacher was trying to explain where middle C was, but I could _______ play all the major and minor scales.

I sat my grade one after eight lessons and got distinction. By the time I started secondary school, we couldn’t _______ lessons again, so I returned to my paper keyboard. I passed grade three, then grade five, practising only on my piece of paper.

For the grades above that, there’s an expectation that you add a certain sensitivity into your playing. The music teacher at my school said I could practise on the school’s grand piano. I would wake up at 5:30 am to get there in time and play until lessons started. I’d _______ lunch and then practise after school until the caretaker kicked me out. At home, I’d have dinner, do three hours of revision, and then mental practice until 1:00 am.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. The audition (试镜) was extremely _______ , and I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement, I was offered a place.

I had been told I had started playing too late to reach conservatoire (音乐学院) level, but when I left Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize. That was the point when I realized I wasn’t behind everyone else. I am now at the Guildhall School in London, where I was offered a scholarship. I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano and I’m at one of the world’s _______ conservatoires.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano — what we call mental practice. It _______ key areas of the mind that are less readily accessed by piano playing alone. The paper piano helped stimulate my __________ about how music works.

6 . Inspiration

“Mama, when I grow up, I’m going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my _______ took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training. As I grew older and was exposed to more, my interests in the world of dance _______ varied but that little girl’s dream of someday becoming a dancer in the company never left me. In the summer of 2005 when I was 18, I received the phone call which made that dream a reality: I became a member of the company dating back to 1925.

As I look back on that day now, it surely _______ any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief _______ I was halfway through rehearsals (排练) on my first day. I never actually _______ to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely _______. I remember shaking with excitement.

Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of challenges. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to _______ up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme attention to detail and stress on practice that set us apart. To then follow those high-energy rehearsals with a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new meaning of the words “hard work”. What I thought were my physical _______ were pushed much further than I thought possible. I learned to make each performance better than the last.

Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great _______ of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a ________ that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow—and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

7 . A Welcome Gift

Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them _______ side by side at the piano, playing jazz music to celebrate their new home happily.

However, their happiness disappeared the next morning. Someone had left a _______ under their door during the night. One of their neighbors complained about the sound of the piano. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their _______ and apologize.

“Maybe we could go and _______ everyone in person.” his mother said. “What if we invited them to come here for a party instead? Dario asked. They both loved the _______. Then they started to prepare for it.

Finally, the day of the party arrived. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, _______ Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I _______ that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note I hope you don't think I disliked the playing.”

Dario's mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “We should apologize to you.” she said. “I didn't _______ how late it was when we were playing.”

“You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert pointed to the book she had given them and said, “These songs are not such _______ music.”

“These songs are beautiful music. And we won't play so loud or late!” Dario said. The big smile on his mother's face gave him a feeling of ________ and made him feel that they were home at last.

8 . It was a rainy morning and the children, mainly boys with various learning difficulties, refused to settle for the start of the lesson. As an inexperienced teacher, I tried every means to get them to be_____________________, but in vain. My panic was rising and I could feel my heart beating wildly. This was the_____________of my job as a music teacher, I thought—teaching was not for me. Then I had an idea. Hoping that no one would notice that I was_____________inside, I threw my voice as far as it would reach: “Put your heads on the desks and close your eyes! We are going on a journey.”

_________, the children fell silent. “Now what should I do?” I thought to myself. Reaching over to my collection of CDs, I blindly_______, put it in the machine and played it. Obediently (顺从地) , my class lay their heads on their desks, closed their eyes and___________. When the music started, the room was filled with the most beautiful tones and musical colors I could have ever imagined. All the children were_____________. When the music finished, I asked them all to raise their_____________slowly so that we could share our musical journeys.

At this point, when all the children were willing to share their experiences, I began to learn how to teach. The music allowed me to learn that teaching is about sharing and respect, tears and smiles, the knowing and the_____________and, most of all, an understanding of each other. This was the power that______________in the classroom could have.

9 . For a long time Gabriel didn’t want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at the music students,_______across the campus with their heavy instrument cases,_______at school for practice hours before       anyone else had to be there. He swore to himself to_______music, as he hated getting to school extra early.

_______, one day, in the music class that was _______of his school’s standard curriculum, he was playing idly(随意地) on the piano and found it easy to pick out tunes. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he actually_______doing it. He tried to hide his_______pleasure from the music teacher, who had wandered over to listen. He might not have done this particularly well, _______the teacher told Gabriel that he had a good _______and suggested that Gabriel go into the music store-room to see if any of the instruments there ________him. There he decided to give the cello(大提琴) a ________. When he began practicing, he took it very casually. But he quickly found that he loved playing this instrument, and was committed to practicing it so that within a couple of months he was playing reasonably well.

This ________, of course, that he arrived at school early in the morning, ________his heavy instrument case across the campus to the ________looks of the non-musicians he had left________.

10 . Beethoven is one of the greatest composers in the history of music. In his twenties, he lost his hearing. But he didn't give up._______by his struggles with deafness, he produced hundreds of musical works.

At 54 years of age, he lived at a small house in Vienna,_________he completed his last work, Symphony No 9. Before the performance, Beethoven nervously imagined how people would _______. The backstage atmosphere at the theatre was tense. During the performance, Michael Umlauf and Beethoven took _______of the concert as directors together. For more than an hour, Beethoven jumped about in front of the orchestra,_______ his arms wildly in the air, and madly turning the pages of his score while Umlauf stood quietly by his side, skillfully guiding the orchestra. As the final joyous note signaled the end of the symphony, the audience _______ to their feet clapping, cheering and waving their hats. The performance was a great _______.

Beethoven was surprised at the audiences response. _______shocked the audience as well was that the person who didn't hear the symphony was the very man who composed it! Beethoven is a real musical genius.