There is nothing to suggest that Evelyn Glennie is profoundly deaf. She insists that her deafness is irrelevant to her musicianship, but there is no doubt that her obvious handicap has turned a remarkable career into a miraculous one.
Glennie was eight when her hearing began to fail; by twelve she had lost it completely and feared she would have to give up the music she loved. But a doctor’s suggestion that she should become an accountant rather than follow a hopeless musical career strengthened her will to succeed.
As it turned out, music was one of the most advantageous careers she could have chosen and is one reason why her speech remains so extraordinarily correct, despite her deafness. Occasionally she listens to recordings by holding a cassette player between her knees, interpreting the vibrations and the shaking movements. Her deafness is one of the reasons for her unique style, for she cannot listen and be influenced by other performances and she has often declared that getting her hearing back would be the worst thing that could happen to her.
As a result of her devotion to her music and her determination to succeed, she has doubled the range of works available for percussion music in Europe and introduced instruments previously unheard of in the west. She has also asked composers to write more than fifty new pieces of music for these instruments, and has set up a library of three hundred works for other musicians to use.
(Adapted from Richmond FCE Practice Tests)
Question 31. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. How to be a Successful Singer B. The Disadvantages of Deafness
C. Developing Musical Skills at School D. Overcoming a Severe Disability
Question 32. The word it in paragraph 2 refers to ______.
A. hearing B. handicap C. career D. music
Question 33. The word unique in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. special B. boring C. common D. healthy
Question 34. According to paragraph 4, Glennie has ______.
A. refused to introduce new instruments to the west
B. written over fifty new pieces of music by herself
C. established a library to support other musicians
D. given up the hope to succeed in her musical career
Question 35. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. People can easily tell that Glennie is completely deaf.
B. Glennie’s deafness turns out to be an advantage to her career.
C. Glennie wishes she could hear clearly like a normal person.
D. Glennie’s doctor encouraged her to become a musician.
