1 . The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sympathetic, and _________ my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession. This was _________ in view of the family background. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years. Though much respected, he earned _________ enough to provide for his family. As a consequence of this example, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of a risky existence with _________ financial rewards. My parents _________ college instead of a music school, and to college I went-quite _________, for although I loved my violin, I had many other interests.

Before my graduation from college, the family met with severe financial reverses and felt it my _________ to leave college and take a job. Thus was I launched upon a business career-which I always think of as the _________ years. But to be frank, even now I do not mean to _________ business. My whole point is that it was not for me. I went into it for __________, and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was __________ me by.

I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, __________ enough to enable me to go abroad to study music. I __________ from my position and, feeling like a man released from __________, sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, and enjoyed every minute of it. “Enjoyed” is too __________ a word. I walked on air. I really lived and I was a free man.

2 . I bought a ukulele(尤克里里琴) so I could perform with my grandchildren. I worked on Jingle Bells and sent the music to my grandchildren, Julian and Audrey. My _______ were high! The day of the concert arrived, but we only made it through the first verse(节) before they lost _______ .

The ukulele is such a simple and cheap instrument. It is hard to _______ one up without smiling. It’s much _______ to play than a guitar and unlike the _______ required to play the piano or violin, a ukulele player can be singing and playing in no time.

Over the years, the ukulele has had varying popularity, but never has it been more _______ than during the pandemic. Sales have risen sharply. People _______ to stay at home in isolation (隔离) looked for something to do and an interest in music _______ them to the _______ ukulele.

After the performances, I joined an online ukulele group. They used to gather at the local community center but had been gathering via Zoom (视频会议软件) for almost two years. And because anyone in the world with a computer and an Internet connection could ________ , we had weekly ________ from everywhere in the world. My online group has now ________ their live Sunday concerts at the community center. It is wonderful to ________ meet these people in person, and while ________ by myself makes me a little more nervous, the volume of 40 ukuleles playing together is more exciting.

And ________ there is still ________ those who can only join online, ________ , the club is working on providing an Internet ________ , bringing in the ukulele players worldwide. Online ________ gave me and so many others a whole new way to play and sing.

4 . Where did you go yesterday? Did you hear _______ at any of those places? There is a good chance that you did. Today most stores and _______ play music. You might even hear music in an office or on a farm. Scientists believe that music _______ the way people behave.

According to some scientists, the _______ of western classical music (Mozart and Bach) makes people feel _______. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend _______ money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays _______ music, people feel poorer and spend less money. With no   _______ music, people spend even less. Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. People _______ chew (咀嚼) their food faster when the music gets faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their   ________. This gets people to eat faster and leave ________. Restaurants can make more money this way.

Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps ________ to be more alert (警觉的). It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And ________ music can help you relax.

The next time you hear music somewhere, be ________. It might change the way you   ________.

5 . The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sympathetic (同情的) and________my love for music, disapproved of it as a job. This was________in view of the family background. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years. Though much admired, he earned________enough to provide for his family. As a result of this example, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of a risky existence with________income. My parents________college instead of a music school, and I went to college________putting aside my love for violin.

Before my graduation from college, the family met with severe financial defeats and felt it my________to leave college and take a job.________I was launched upon a business career — which I always think of as the wasted years. I do not for a moment mean to________business. My whole point is that it was truly not appropriate for me. I went into it merely for________, and apart from the satisfaction of being able to support the family, money is all I got out of it. Meanwhile I felt life was________by.

I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, enough to________me to go abroad to study music. I resigned from my position and, feeling like a man released from________, and sailed for Europe where I stayed four years, and enjoyed every minute of it. “Enjoyed” is actually too________a word. To be more exact, I absolutely walked on________whenever reminded that I really lived as a free man.

6 . Music can make us happy, peaceful or sad. As an orchestra (管弦乐队) conductor, Amy Anderson brings music to life, allowing people to experience many_________that music can give.

Anderson fell in love with_________when she was a child. She began playing the piano at seven and started composing at nine. She bought many videos_________by the world’s great orchestras and conductors and listened to them for hours on end.

During a concert, the audience see the_________of a conductor and the arm movements he or she makes. What audiences do not see is all the work the conductor has done before the_________.

Months before a concert, Anderson studies the music by_________it on the piano. She listens to recordings, reads about the composer’s life, and reviews historical events that would have influenced the composer. Her goal is to recreate the music as the composer_________.

While conducting, Anderson uses her whole body to express how the music should sound and feel. Her movements are dramatic (激动人心的) when the music is_________and gentle when the music is peaceful. As she_________, Anderson listens for problems with balance, sound and style.

To help young musicians better__________how to play the music, Anderson might tell them to imagine a__________and leisurely walk or a ship being tossed (颠簸) by waves.

“It is music’s ability to__________people that I value most,” said Anderson. She has seen audiences at her concerts__________, clap together in rhythm, and shout “Bravo!” Regularly, audiences are moved to tears. After one concert in Serbia, audiences__________around the orchestra’s buses and cheered for the young musicians as they climbed aboard.

Anderson is happy, knowing that she and the musicians have changed lives for the better, __________spirits and brought joy to people.

7 . 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.

8 . Nine-year-old Olivia of Oklahoma dreams oftaking the stage to perform in the ballet,“The Nutcracker (《胡桃夹子》)”.However, her Friedreich ataxia (脊髓共济失调症) seems to move that dream out of _______. The neurological disease makes it difficult for her to _______, and she is dependent on a wheelchair.

Hoping to lift her daughter’s spirits and _______her that in life,anything is possible,Olivia’s mother encouraged her to _______for “The Nutcracker” this year in Oklahoma City Ballet. Not knowing if there was any way they’d consider including her,Oliver didn’t _______much. However, hearing about Olivia’s situation, the Ballet School director Rachael wasn’t _______about including Olivia in the ballet. He created a role _______for Olivia,who could play on stage in a wheelchair. When she _______a part in “the Nutcracker”, Olivia cried tears of joy. She found a family in the players,who were _______of her dream.

When it’s Olivia’s ________to dance, everyone was moved to see her on stage. It was________and eye-opening for all the audience. When Olivia came off stage, the audience were all on their ________ in wild applause.

Having Olivia in this ballet has been a ________for everyone involved. Acceptance is at the heart of every crew.We ________this company for having Olivia in their show, and hope they keep the role ________for other children who dream of fairies and mice kings!

10 . The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin, suffering from early Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默症), was losing his memory.

As a keen lover of the piano, he was truly _______ to play music, _______ he had never performed outside the family.

Melissa, his daughter, insisted it’s _______ worthwhile to save his music. Steve _______, tears in eyes. _______, Naomi, Melissa’s best friend and a talented pianist, came and met Steve for the first time, showing willingness to help.

She told Steve she’d love to hear him play the _______. Steve moved and sat at the bench, hands _______ as he gently placed his fingers on the keys. Naomi put a small _______ near the piano. In great difficulty, Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a _______.

“It was amazingly ________, worth saving.” Naomi said after listening to the recording.

They met every other week. He’d move his fingers ________ on the piano due to the disease, and then she’d take his place. He ________ to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, his eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.

Steve and Naomi spoke in music. He heard it, all of it, but just couldn’t play it.

However, working with Naomi did ________ for Steve. It had completely excited within him the faith ________ he could write one last song. Steve called it “Melancholy Flower”.

Naomi managed to ________ 16 of Steve’s favorite, and most personal songs. The Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve’s songs. They thought that would be the end. But it wasn’t.

In the months ________ the Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: “Melancholy Flower”. She believed that Steve’s music was beautiful and professional and needed to be shared to the ________. They were soon ________ to add it to the playing list. Steve considered it an honor, too.

By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of his friends. He arrived and was________ in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His ________.