On 12th January 2007, an experiment     1     (conduct). About a thousand morning commuters (通勤者) passing through a subway station in Washington, D.C. were treated to a free mini-concert     2     (perform) by violinist Joshua Bell, who played for about 45 minutes on his Stradivarius violin. Bell reportedly paid 3.5 million dollars for the violin. However, only 7 people stopped and stayed to listen for a while. About 27 gave him money but continued to walk at their normal pace. He collected $52.17. When he finished     3     (play) and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any     4     (recognize). No one noticed that one of the best musicians in the world had played one of the most difficult pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

When some children would stop     5     (listen), their parents would grab them and quickly take them away. The experiment was     6     (clear) disappointing but raised some     7     (interest) questions such as “In an ordinary setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty be recognized by most people?” Three days earlier, in fact, Bell had played to a full house at Boston’s Symphony Hall,     8     tickets went for over $100.

This experiment gives way to a comparison of     9     public’s awareness of art in different settings.     10     pressure, it also reminds us of the challenge of adapting to surroundings. Furthermore, it makes us aware of how our intentions and expectations can influence our perception of worth.