As I entered the already crowded church, my stomach jumped. What if I ___1___ how to play my piece? What if I skipped a note? My parents gave me a look of ___2___ as I sat at my place. I kept looking over at my parents and they would smile back at me ___3___. Dad started to unpack the seen-too-often video camera. How I ___4___ that thing! He pulls it out constantly!
This is my night, I thought to myself as Mrs. Depperman introduced the ___5___. This is the night I could really ___6___ them. I had to play perfectly. I noticed that we were all seated according to our ___7___ to play. I was number fourteen and there were 1, 2, 3...twenty-two students here, which ___8___ I was about in the middle. Well, that wasn’t so bad. I couldn’t ___9___ to hear the last two performers. They were ___10___ to be the best.
I am next! I played the ___11___ of my pieces in my head. I was playing a sonatina and a contemporary piece. I knew them by ___12__, which helped. I can play them with my eyes closed. This should be ___13___, I thought, reassuring myself. It seemed as if I had gone through what seems to be permanent ___14___ this girl finished. Then it was my ___15___ ....
I stood up, walked toward the piano, and placed my fingertips on the ivory keys. By now, the keys were ___16___ from the fingers before mine. I waited a couple of seconds and ___17___ into the deep waters of my piece. With each note my confidence grew. By the end of my piece, I ___18___ myself in Symphony Hall with the crowd roaring! I was completely ___19___ myself in my second piece. When I was finished, I stood up from the bench, smiled confidently, and bowed. I felt ___20___! I was actually proud of myself. My first recital went well.
1. A. mentioned B. forgot C. remembered D. neglected
2. A. strength B. doubt C. confidence D. courage
3. A. proudly B. sadly C. wildly D. bravely
4. A. enjoy B. appreciate C. admire D. dislike
5. A. schedule B. plan C. program D. calendar
6. A. frighten B. impress C. please D. strike
7. A. ages B. grades C. order D. ability
8. A. meant B reflected C. explained D. represented
9. A. stay B. wait C. delay D. expect
10. A. arranged B. designed C. supposed D. guessed
11. A. record B. comments C. remarks D. notes
12. A. heart B. head C. hand D. mind
13. A. natural B. easy C. smooth D. comfortable
14. A. when B. after C. before D. while
15. A. turn B. circle C. command D. control
16. A. cool B. cold C. hot D. warm
17. A. fell B. dove C. dropped D. jumped
18. A. introduced B. described C. pictured D. faced
19. A. involved B. included C. confused D. puzzled
20. A. moved B. excited C. worried D. surprised