Nicola’s Love for Her Violin
Can love between partners with a 237-year age gap (差距) lead to the perfect match (绝配)? Nicola Benedetti thinks so. The 18-year-old 36 and her “partner, a 255-year-old Italian violin, 37 to China for the first time last weekend. She 38 in Beijing on September 15 and also performed in Hangzhou and Shanghai.
Nicola is from Scotland and 39 playing the violin when she was four years old. 40 , it was not something her parents 41 her do. She went with her sister to violin lessons and 42 it and improved very quickly.
“There are so many different things I am fond of about the 43 ,” she said. “I can’t really 44 it but I love giving live performances, I like the feeling of playing and communicating with the 45 . I love the feeling of the violin under my chin (下巴).”
However, playing violin six hours a day is not a/an 46 job. “I usually 47 in an upstairs bedroom when I’m at home.” she said. “But sometimes, when it’s 48 outside, it can be upset. The house is right on the 49 and I can see others having fun 50 I’m on my own.”
Although practising is sometimes lonely, Nicola 51 felt she was lucky. “You can’t have 52 . I am really lucky to do what I love doing,” she said. Her 53 paid off (终有回报). Nicola won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004 at 16.
54 her performing and recording activities, Nicola is a/an 55 of UNICEF (联合国儿童基金会). She said that she would travel to Lesotho in southern Africa at the end of this year to help poor kids there.
1.A. singer B. writer C. pianist D. violinist
2.A. came B. turned C. ran D. moved
3.A. checked B. played C. visited D. remained
4.A. stopped B. requested C. started D. ignored
5.A. So B. And C. But D. However
6.A. made B. persuaded C. wanted D. got
7.A. noticed B. concerned C. minded D. loved
8.A. lessons B. violin C. performances D. show
9.A. explain B. imagine C. determine D. refuse
10.A. foreigners B. friends C. audience D. teenagers
11.A. boring B. easy C. wonderful D. tiring
12.A. work B. rest C. stay D. practise
13.A. cool B. sunny C. windy D. cloudy
14.A. river B. hill C. farm D. beach
15.A. while B. as C. so D. for
16.A. even B. still C. ever D. almost
17.A. anything B. something C. everything D. nothing
18.A. time B. music C. efforts D. action
19.A. Because of B. Besides C. Instead of D. Thanks to
20.A. adviser B. manager C. organizer D. supporter
Have you made up your mind ________ abroad? I advise you to consider it carefully.
A. study B. to study C. studying D. studied
________ get a complete picture, more information is needed.
A. So as to B. So as not to C. In order not to D. In order to
The USA is a large country in ________ many different dialects are spoken.
A. that B. which C. where D. it
Look at this! It’s broken now! You ________ have been careful!
A. could B. must C. would D. should
It was my sister ________ first had the idea to cycle along the entire Mekong River.
A. who B. whom C. / D. which
