Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.
Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my 1 was more manageable , I 2 ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. 3 that was years ago and times have changed. 4 I live with mother on a country farm
Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to 5 my disability pension (残疾抚恤金). 6 I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my 7 . I decided that I would consider 8 to singing in restaurants.
My family are all musicians, so I was 9 when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of 10 to get started. And 11 you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can 12 use.
When I told the owner of the shop about my 13 ; he gave me a long thoughtful 14 . “This means a lot to you, doesn’ t it?” he said. “Come with me.”
He led me 15 the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand 16 on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your 17 and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”
I 18 . Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose 19 that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.
His 20 still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.
1. A. loneliness B. sadness C. tiredness D. sickness
2. A. set B. enjoyed C. kept D. shared
3. A. Gladly B. Eventually C. Unfortunately D. Surprisingly
4. A. Now B. Then C. Sometime D. Meanwhile
5. A. add up to B. make up for C. get rid of D. take advantage of
6. A. If B. As C. Though D. Before
7. A. movement B. condition C. choices D. positions
8. A. reaching out B. living up C. getting on D. going back
9. A. recognized B. interviewed C. found D. invited
10. A. money B. time C. energy D. knowledge
11. A. thus B. once C. seldom D. often
12. A. actually B. hardly C. nearly D. formerly
13. A. job B. family C. idea D. offer
14. A. face B. view C. look D. sight
15. A. over B. along C. towards D. through
16. A. unhappily B. lovingly C. pitifully D. gratefully
17. A. pick B. turn C. role D. step
18. A. had to cry B. ought to cry C. should have cried D. could have cried
19. A. more B. the ones C. few D. the rest
20. A. courage B. devotion C. kindness D. trust
