-Didn’t you go to the concert? -I was to go, but then . A. I didn’t decide B. I didn’t decide to C. I decided no D. I decided not to 查看更多

 

题目列表(包括答案和解析)

听力

第一节

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后,你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

W:Concert tickets are $6 for adults, half price for children.

M:OK, I’d like three adults and two children’s tickets, please.

1.How much will the man pay for the tickets?

A.$6.

B.$24.

C.$18.

W:You look sleepy.When did you go to bed last night?

M:We went to bed at 6∶30, but we had promised to wake up   2   hours later to meet your 9∶00 train.

2.What do we learn from the conversation?

A.The man woke at 8∶30.

B.The man had 9 hours to sleep.

C.The man woke at 9∶00.

W:When do you work?

M:Well, most days I work until six but on Thursdays I get off early at about 4∶30.

3.When does the man finish working on Monday?

A.At 5∶00.

B.At 6∶00.

C.At 4∶30.

M:I want to have this coat dry-cleaned.

W:Very well, sir.Your name and room numbers, please.

4.Where do you think the woman is working?

A.At a hotel.

B.At a cleaner’s.

C.On the train.

M:Now Mrs Snow, what can you remember about the attack?

W:Well, I was on my way home when a man wearing a stocking hit me on the head.

5.What is the man’s job?

A.A customer.

B.A policeman.

C.A headmaster.

第二节

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前,你将有时间阅读各个小题,每小题5秒钟;听完后,各题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料,回答第6~8题。

W:Have you traveled much?

M:Well, I’ve been around the world several times.

W:What countries have you visited then?

M:I have been to France, Italy, Japan and Ireland.

W:Why did you visit them?Was it just for vacation or work?

M:In most cases, it was for vacation.I once worked in France for two years.

W:Have you ever been to Britain on vacation?

M:Oh, yes.I’ve often been to Britain.

6.How many countries are mentioned in the dialogue?

A.Four.

B.Three.

C.Five.

7.Why did the man visit those countries?

A.For holidays.

B.For work.

C.Both A and B.

8.In what country do you think the man stayed the longest time?

A.France.

B.Japan.

C.Italy.

听第7段材料,回答第9~11题。

M:How long have you lived here?

W:Since last June...about a year.

M:Was it cold last winter?

W:Yes, it was, but not as cold as Paris.December and February were much colder than January.

M:Did you have much snow?

W:Yes.But we didn’t have as much snow as you had in Paris.

M:What about the other seasons?

W:I think autumn was the most beautiful season.The days were clear and dry, and it was sunny all the time.But November was terrible.We had a lot of rain.

M:What was last spring like?

W:It wasn’t very nice.But May was nicer than March and April.

M:What’s summer like?

W:It was wonderful.

9.What were the two people talking about?

A.The weather in China.

B.The weather in Paris.

C.The weather in some place we don’t know.

10.How did the woman like the weather in autumn there?

A.She didn’t like it at all.

B.She did like it.

C.She thought it was terrible.

11.What was the weather like in summer?

A.It wasn’t very nice.

B.It was bad.

C.It was nice.

听第8段材料,回答第12~14题。

M:Let me see now.Which train do I need to get on?

W:Excuse me.Do you need any help?

M:Yes.I want to go to Tokyo Tower, but I’m really lost.This is my first visit to Japan, so I have no idea on how to ride the trains.

W:First, you need to buy a ticket to your destination.From here, it’s a hundred and thirty yen.

M:A hundred and thirty yen.Okay.

W:Then, get on the Subway Line at platform number 4.

M:Number 4, all right.Oh, and how often do the trains come around this time of day?

W:Usually, they come about every six minutes or so.

M:All right.And where do I get off the train?

W:Get off three stops from here.The sign at the station is written in English, so you’ll be able to read it.

M:Three stops.Got it.Thanks for your help.

W:You’re welcome.Good luck.

12.Where should the man get on the train?

A.Platform number 3.

B.Platform number 4.

C.Platform number 5

13.How often do the trains come?

A.About every five minutes.

B.About every six minutes.

C.About every seven minutes.

14.Where should the man get off the train?

A.At the first stop from here.

B.At the second stop from here.

C.At the third stop from here.

听第9段材料,回答第15~17题。

M:Windy, isn’t it?

W:Yes, it is.

M:Oh...where are you going?

W:To Germany.I’m going home.

M:Oh, you’re German.

W:Yes, you’re English, aren’t you?

M:Yes, I am.

W:Where are you going?

M:To Portugal.

W:On holiday?

M:No, I’m going to take some photographs.

W:Photographs?

M:Yes, I work for a travel magazine.

W:Ah.

M:What do you do?

W:I’m a student.

M:What are you studying?

W:Medicine.

M:Oh, my brother is a doctor.

W:Ah, really?

M:Cold, isn’t it?Would you like a coffee?

W:Yes, I’d love one.

M:Let’s go to the restaurant then.

15.What’s the weather like?

A.It is windy and warm.

B.It is windy and cold.

C.It is sunny and cool.

16.What’s the native language of the woman?

A.German.

B.English.

C.We don’t know.

17.What is the man going to Portugal for?

A.For holidays.

B.For work.

C.To see a friend of his.

听第10段材料,回答第18~20题。

  How does television affect our lives?It can be helpful to those who carefully choose the programs that they watch and harmful to those who watch it too much.

  In China, many people worry that children and young people are watching too much television.A survey of 300 youngsters in Shanghai last year showed that, on average, they spent half of their free time watching television.And two-thirds of them spent about two and a half hours reading romance and detective stories.Another survey of school-aged children in Wuhan found that half of them said they read very little.

  During the Barcelona Olympic Games, tens of millions of Chinese viewers stayed up late to watch the opening ceremonies and other programs.

  And television is quickly taking the place of printed material as the major source of news for most Chinese.A recent survey in Beijing found that 63 percent of those surveyed got their news from television through CCTV and local TV stations.

18.What is the main topic of the passage?

A.The Barcelona Olympic Games.

B.TV programs on Chinese television.

C.Effects of television on our lives.

19.How many people watched the Barcelona Olympic Games on television in China?

A.Tens of thousands.

B.Tens of millions.

C.Ten million.

20.According to a survey(调查)in Shanghai, how much time did young people spend on television each day?

A.Two and a half hours.

B.Three hours.

C.Three and a half hours.

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听力(共两节,满分30分)

第一节(共5小题;每小题1.5分,满分7.5分)

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后,你都有10秒钟的时间回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1.What does the woman mean?

A.His brother should let them use the car.

B.The subway is fine with her.

C.A car wouldn’t be any faster.

2.What does the man have to do now?

A.Complete the research.

B.Write the research paper.

C.Finish typing the paper.

3.What do you know about the woman?

A.Perhaps she is a doctor.

B.She was seriously ill.

C.She didn’t want to see the film.

4.What does the woman mean?

A.The light isn’t bright enough.

B.The dining hall isn’t large enough.

C.She agrees with the man.

5.What does the man mean?

A.His daughter is too old for the club.

B.His daughter is too young to join the club.

C.His daughter is the eldest.

听力原文:(Text 1)

M:I’d like to drive to the concert but my brother has the car tonight.

W:Who needs a car?We can take the subway if we go a little earlier.

(Text 2)

W:How are you getting on with research paper?

M:I’ve finished all my research, but I haven’t been able to organize it, therefore I haven’t begun the paper yet.

(Text 3)

M:What a pity you missed the film last night.It was wonderful.

W:I would have gone to see it.But there was a patient seriously ill.

M:No wonder you didn’t come.

(Text 4)

M:The light in this dining hall is a little too bright, don’t you think so?

W:I’d say it’s perfect for a football stadium.

M:Quite right.

(Text 5)

W:Can I join your club, Dad?You know I’m interested in it, too.

M:You can when you get a bit older.

第二节(共15小题;每小题1.5分,满分22.5分)

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前,你将有时间阅读各个小题,每小题5秒钟;听完后,各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料,回答第6~8题。

6.What time is it now?

A.It’s 10∶10 p.m.

B.It’s 10∶30 p.m.

C.It’s 9∶50 p.m.

7.How long will it take the woman to get to the railway station?

A.Fifteen minutes or less.

B.More than fifteen minutes.

C.Less than fifty minutes.

8.Why did the man invite the woman to his house?

A.They had a tea party.

B.They had a dinner party.

C.They had a dancing party.

听力原文:(Text 6)

W:What’s the time by your watch, David?

M:Just a minute.It’s ten to ten by my watch.

W:Is it?I had no idea it was so late.I must be going now.

M:Can’t you stay a bit longer?

W:I’m afraid not.I must catch the ten-thirty train back.

M:You’ve got plenty of time yet.The railway station’s very near.It won’t take you more than fifteen minutes to get there.

W:Well, I hate to rush at the last minute.

M:OK, drop in whenever you like.

W:Yes, I’ll do that.Thank you for asking me to dinner.It was a nice dinner party and I’ve enjoyed your cooking.

M:I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.Good night.

W:Good night.

听第7段材料,回答第9~11题。

9.Why does the man want to have a word with the waitress?

A.Because he has been kept waiting for a long time.

B.Because he wants to complain about the food.

C.Because he wants to pay the bill.

10.What do we learn about the restaurant?

A.It must be a new one.

B.They don’t know how to serve the people.

C.They need more waiters.

11.If the head waitress had known about his situation, what would

have happened?

A.She would have served him much earlier.

B.She would have brought another drink.

C.She would have turned to her boss for help.

听力原文:(Text 7)

M:Head waitress! I want to have a word with you.

W:Yes, sir.I’ll be with you in a minute.Is there anything else you’d like to have, sir?

M:Anything else?We have been kept waiting here for almost an hour for the meal!

W:I’m terribly sorry about that, sir.There might be something wrong.You see, we’re short of help today.I’ll see to it at once.Would you like to have a drink while waiting?

M:Well, another martini.

W:Yes, sir.One moment.Here you are.I’ll be back in a minute.Here are the dishes you ordered, sir.

M:Thank you.

W:I’m very sorry to have kept you waiting.I wish I could have known earlier.

M:That’s all right.

W:Thank you for your understanding.I assure you it won’t happen again.

听第8段材料,回答第12~14题。

12.Who is Mary?

A.A student.

B.A worker.

C.A teacher.

13.What can we infer about Washington’s birthday from the conversation?

A.Maybe there was a national holiday near that day.

B.It was fine that day and nobody wanted to stay in.

C.It is perhaps a national holiday.

14.How did Mary go to the mountain on Washington’s birthday?

A.By bus.

B.By car.

C.By train.

听力原文:(Text 8)

M:Hey, Mary!You have really been gone a long time.Why is that?

W:Hi!Well, I talked with my teachers before I left about the work I would miss.Besides, my aunt in Denver made me study a lot there.

M:I thought she was your rich aunt.

W:Not very.But she didn’t have any children to raise, so she does have some money, even though she was a teacher.

M:How was the holiday?

W:Cold...at least three of the days while I was there.And I saw so many people on the mountain on Washington’s birthday.

M:The beaches were full on Washington’s birthday, too.It really was warm here, so lots of people went swimming.

W:Well, we should have stayed home that day.There were so many people.We took the train over to the mountain, so that at least we didn’t have to drive.It was a good thing we did-there were so many cars and buses, and no place to park anywhere.

M:Just like the beaches here.

听第9段材料,回答第15~17题。

15.When will the man come back from the trip?

A.December 22.

B.January 3.

C.January 13.

16.Which flights is the man going to take for his round trip?

A.Flight 220 and Flight 476.

B.Flight 476 and Flight 220.

C.Flight 220 and Flight 414.

17.How much will the man probably pay for the tickets?

A.About $952.

B.About $414.

C.About $476.

听力原文:(Text 9)

W:United Airlines.May I help you?

M:Yes.I’d like to book some tickets on your Flight 220, departing for Honolulu on December 22 at 7:30 in the evening.

W:Your name, please.

M:Mr.Wang Lin and Mrs.Li Fang.

W:Do you want to fly first or economy class?

M:Economy, please.

W:Yes, we still have room on that flight.Will this be a one-way trip?

M:No, round trip back to Chicago-on January 3.By the way, do you have any direct flights coming back?

W:Yes, we do.Flight 414, leaving Honolulu at 3∶00 p.m.flies non-stop back to Chicago.

M:That’s perfect.What’s the exact air fare?

W:Economy fare round trip from Chicago to Honolulu is $476 during busy season.

M:I see,…then our tickets are confirmed.

W:Yes, your seats are confirmed on those two flights.Please be at the airport at least one hour before departure.

听第10段材料,回答第18~20题。

18.How long does Mr.Hill have to work every day?

A.6 hours.

B.7 hours.

C.8 hours.

19.What’s the worst thing that can happen to a postman?

A.Having too many items to deal with a day.

B.Going to work late in the morning.

C.Delivering letters to people from abroad.

20.How does Mr.Hill feel about his work?

A.Boring.

B.Dangerous.

C.Satisfactory.

听力原文:(Text 10)

  I’m Harley Hill.I was chosen as a postman of the year 1975.I have been a postman for 23 years.I love my work very much and it’s a fine life for me.Every week I work forty hours.I work from six o’clock in the morning to about two o’clock in the afternoon.The worst thing is being late in the morning.We handle 50 000 to 60 000 items a day.I deliver to probably 278 addresses.Some of them are from abroad.

  I’m happy to see the smile on their faces when I give them a letter from home.I think if there is anything I don’t like about the job, it’s the snow and ice and especially dogs.I’ve been bitten about half a dozen times.I have got 3 years before I retire.I’m going to miss the job when I retire.

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听力(共两节,满分30分)

第一节(共5小题;每小题1.5分,满分7.5分)

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一道小题,从每题给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后,你将有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话你将听一遍。

W:David, so you are taller than Smith.

M:That’s right.

But I’m shorter than Tom.

1.Who is the shortest of the three?

A.Tom.

B.David.

C.Smith.

M:Pop music is really boring to all people.

W:I can’t agree with you.Most of the young people enjoy it.

M:Simply because they are too young.

2.Who is the man?

A.He is a young man.

B.Maybe he is an old man.

C.He is a pop music lover.

M:Mary, have you found a job at the market?

W:No, I wish I were a boy.

3.What does the woman imply?

A.A boy is stronger than a girl.

B.A boy can find a job more easily than a girl.

C.She doesn’t like to be a girl.

W:How many eggs did you buy from the supermarket this morning?

M:A dozen.But four were broken on my way home.

4.How many eggs does the man have now?

A.12.

B.4.

C.8.

W:What do you think of the football game we watched last night?

M:It is no better than the one we are watching now.

5.What can we learn from the conversation?

A.Neither of the football games is good.

B.Both of the football games are good.

C.The football game they are watching is better than the one they watched last night.

第二节(共15小题;每小题1.5分,满分22.5分)

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几道小题,从每题所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前,你将有5秒钟时间阅读每小题。听完后,每小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白你将听两遍。

听第6段材料,回答第6~7题。

M:The American pop star Jackson is in our city.

W:That’s great.

M:I’m very fond of Jackson, so are my parents and my sister.

W:Are you going to the Jackson’s concert?

M:Yes.My family will go there.I’m going to buy tickets for tonight’s concert.

W:Why not buy a ticket for me?I’m busy now, I have to type two letters for my boss, David.

M:With pleasure.

W:100 yuan, please.

M:Oh, your change, twenty yuan, here you are.

6.How many tickets will the man possibly buy for tonight’s Jackson’s concert?

A.One.

B.Two.

C.Five.

7.What job does the woman probably do?

A.Doctor.

B.Secretary.

C.Manager.

听第7段材料,回答第8~9题。

M:Sit down, please, take it easy.What is your name, please?

W:Alice.

M:What is the matter?Madam?

W:My house was broken into last night.

M:Can you describe what happened last night?

W:Yes.At six o’clock, my husband and I left home to attend a friend’s birthday’s party.We didn’t get home until mid-night.When I opened the door, we found that someone had entered our house by the window.

M:Have you got anything stolen?

W:Yes.My diamond necklace is gone, so are my computer and two valuable vases.

M:Can you tell me anything more?

W:Oh, the man living opposite our house said he had heard a sound of glass being broken at about eleven.After a while, he saw a tall man with long hair came out of my house.

M:Well, we will look into the case right away.If we have any news, we will let you know.

8.What in the man in the conversation?

A.A policeman.

B.Alice’s husband.

C.Alice’s neighbor.

9.When was the woman’s house broken into?

A.At twelve last night.

B.At around 11 last night.

C.At seven yesterday evening.

听第8段材料,回答第10~12题。

M:Susan, is your cousin beautiful?

W:No, she is not as good-looking as you thought.She is an ordinary girl.But she is very tall.You are taller than I, but she is even taller than you.

M:Does she use any make-up?

W:No, she doesn’t like to.She is very natural.

M:Does she have a good figure?

W:I don’t think so.But she looks very healthy.She is also very lively and very lovely.

M:Do you like her because of that?

W:That’s not the main reason.I like her because she is gentle and understanding.

M:Oh, everyone likes such a girl.

W:Yes.And she always wears a sweet smile.

M:I see.No wonder you’re always talking about her.

10.What did the man used to think of Susan’s cousin?

A.Very beautiful.

B.Common.

C.Gentle.

11.Who is the shortest of the three people?

A.Susan.

B.The man.

C.Susan’s cousin.

12.What is the main reason for Susan’s liking her cousin?

A.Because Susan’s cousin is very tall.

B.Because Susan’s cousin is very healthy.

C.Because Susan’s cousin is gentle and understanding.

听第9段材料,回答第13~16题。

M:Mrs Speneer, what time is Mr Black’s flight expected to arrive at Boston Airport?

W:Around 2 p.m.sir.Will you go with the company car to meet him?

M:Yes.So I’d better leave here no later than now.How about the hotel for Mr Black and his party?

W:I made the reservations for them last week and checked again yesterday, to be sure everything is ready.

M:Including the welcome room for tonight’s reception.

W:That’s right.The manager promised me that everything would be exactly as we have requested.

M:Excellent.I want everything to be the very best.

W:I’m sure it will be.That manager has never let us down yet.

M:We want to make a good impression.Not just to be sure that this business deal is a success, but pay back the wonderful treatment we received from them in Tokyo last year.

13.What is the man going to do?

A.Take a flight for Japan.

B.Drive the woman to the hotel.

C.Meet a guest at the airport.

14.Where will Mr Black stay after his arrival?

A.At a hotel.

B.At the man’s house.

C.At the woman’s house.

15.What will take place that evening?

A.Mr Black’s arrival.

B.A hotel reception.

C.A business meeting.

16.Why does the man want to make a good impression?

A.To repay Mr Black’s kindness.

B.To get invited back to Tokyo.

C.To increase the hotels business.

听第10段材料,回答第17~20题。

Bill, Ed and Arnold are three musicians who are discussing ways in which they will perform together on stage in front of an audience.Bill says, “Here’s what I have in mind, when the curtain goes up, I’ll come out and play the violin.Then the curtain goes the piano.Then the curtain goes down.Then the curtain goes up...”

“Wait a minute, ”interrupt the other two.“What are we supposed to do?”Bill says.“The curtain doesn’t go up and down by itself.”

17.What instrument do Ed and Arnold play?

A.The violin.

B.The piano.

C.Unknown.

18.According to Bill, who will be performing on the stage?

A.Ed and Arnold.

B.Bill, Arnold and Ed.

C.Bill.

19.Who asked the question, “What are we supposed to do?”

A.Bill and Ed.

B.Ed and Arnold.

C.Bill, Ed and Arnold.

20.According to Bill, what will Ed do?

A.Pull the curtain up and down.

B.Play he instruments with the other two.

C.Play an instrument by himself.

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My Way to Success

From the day I signed up for the Naumburg Competition, everything changed. I had made a decision to start again, to save my life, and that meant a 360-degree turnaround.
I kept on practicing. An enormous amount of work had to be done in two months. I went from not practicing at all to thirteen hours a day.
I spent two weeks just playing scales. If I thought I sounded bad before, now I sounded worse than awful.
At the time I lived on 72nd Street, close to West End Avenue. I had an apartment with a window the size of a shoebox. I didn't do mylaundry. I left my apartment only to walk to Juilliard─and not onBroadway like everyone else. I walked up Amsterdam Avenue because I didn't want to see anybody, didn't want to run into anybody, didn't want anyone to ask what I was doing.
I stopped going to classes and became a hermit. I even talked Miss DeLay into giving my lesson at night.
My eating habits were awful. I lived on fried sausages, a pint of peanut butter/chocolate ice cream, and a gallon of Coca-Cola every day. That's all I ate for eight weeks.
I was nuts. I was completely obsessed with getting back into shape, with doing well in this competition. If I could, people would know I was still on earth. Not to count me out; to stop asking, “Whatever happened to Nadja?”
The last week before the Naumburg auditions, I couldn't touch the violin. I had worked and worked and worked and worked and then I just couldn't work anymore.
I certainly could have used it. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been. But I simply had to say, “Nadja, you've dedicated yourself to this thing. Ready or not, do your best.”
Fifty violinists from around the world auditioned for the competition on May 25, 26, and 27, 1981. Those that made it past thepreliminaries would go on to the semifinals. Those that passed that stage would go to the finals. In years past, one violinist was chosen as winner and two received second and third place.
On May 26, the day of my audition, I went to the Merkin Concert Hall at 67th Street and Broadway. I waited, played for twenty minutes, and went home. I couldn't tell whether the preliminary judges were impressed or not. I'd find out the next evening.
Maybe subconsciously I was trying to keep busy; that night, when I fried the sausages, I accidentally set my apartment on fire. I grabbed my cat and my violin, and ran out the door. The fire was put out, but everything in my place was wrecked.
Fortunately, the phone was okay and on the evening of May 27, I had the news from Lucy Rowan Mann of Naumburg. Thirteen of us had made it.
Talk about mixed emotions. I was thrilled to be among the thirteen; a group that included established violinists, some of whom had already made records. But it also meant I had to play the next day in the semifinals of the competition.
Everyone entering the competition had been given two lists of concertos. One was a list of standard repertory pieces. The other list was twentieth-century repertory. For our big competition piece, we were to choose from each list and play a movement from one in the semifinals, and a movement from the other in the finals─if we made it that far.
From the standard repertory list, I chose the Tchaikovsky Concerto. I had been playing the Tchaik for three years, so it was a good piece for me.
From the twentieth-century list, I chose the Prokofiev G minor Concerto. I had never played it onstage before.
My goal had been just passing the auditions, but now my thought pattern began to change. If I wanted a sliver of a chance of advancing again, my brain said, “Play your strong piece first.”
Logically, I should play the Tchaikovsky in the semifinals just to make it to the next stage. Who cared if that left me with a piece I probably wouldn't play as well in the finals of the competition? It'd be a miracle to get that far.
There wouldn't be more than seven violinists chosen for the final round, and if I were in the top seven of an international group, that was plenty good enough.
The semifinals were held on May 28 in Merkin Concert Hall. You were to play for thirty minutes: your big piece first, then the judges would ask to hear another.
There was a panel of eight judges. They had a piece of paper with my choices of the Tchaikovsky and the Prokofiev in front of them. “Which would you like to play?” they asked.
I said meekly, “Prokofiev.”
My brain and all the logic in the world had said, “Play your strong piece.” My heart said, “Go for it all. Play your weak piece now, save Tchaikovsky for the finals.”
Maybe I don't listen to logic so easily after all.
My good friend, the pianist Sandra Rivers, had been chosen as accompanist for the competition. She knew I was nervous. There had been a very short time to prepare; I was sure there'd be memory slips, that I'd blank out in the middle and the judges would throw me out. My hands were like ice.
The first eight measures of the Prokofiev don't have accompaniment. The violin starts the piece alone. So I started playing.
I got through the first movement and Sandra said later my face was as white as snow. She said I was so tense, I was beyond shaking. Just a solid brick.
It was the best I'd ever played it. No memory slips at all. Technically, musically, it was there.
I finished it thinking, “Have I sold my soul for this? Is the devil going to visit me at midnight? How come it went so well?”
I didn't know why, but often I do my best under the worst of circumstances. I don't know if it's guts or a determination not to disappoint people. Who knows what it is, but it came through for me, and I thank God for that.
As the first movement ended, the judges said, “Thank you.” Then they asked for the Carmen Fantasy.
I turned and asked Sandy for an A, to retune, and later she said the blood was just rushing back into my face.
I whispered, “Sandy, I made it. I did it.”
“Yeah,” she whispered back, kiddingly, “too bad you didn't screw up. Maybe next time.”
At that point I didn't care if I did make the finals because I had played the Prokofiev so well. I was so proud of myself for coming through.
I needed a shot in the arm; that afternoon I got evicted. While I was at Merkin, my moped had blown up. For my landlord, that was the last straw.
What good news. I was completely broke and didn't have the next month's rent anyway. The landlord wanted me out that day. I said, “Please, can I have two days. I might get into the finals, can I please go through this first?”
I talked him into it, and got back to my place in time for the phone call. “Congratulations, Nadja,”“they said. “You have made the finals.”
I had achieved the ridiculously unlikely, and I had saved my best piece. Yet part of me was sorry. I wanted it to be over already. In the three days from the preliminaries to the semifinals, I lost eight pounds. I was so tired of the pressure.
There was a fellow who advanced to the finals with me, an old, good friend since Pre-College. Competition against friends is inevitable in music, but I never saw competition push a friendship out the window so quickly. By the day of the finals, I hated him and he hated me. Pressure was that intense.
The finals were held on May 29 at Carnegie Hall and open to the public. I was the fourth violinist of the morning, then there was a lunch break, and three more violinists in the afternoon.
I played my Tchaikovsky, Saint-Sa‘ns’s Havanaise, and Ravel's Tzigane for the judges: managers, famous violinists, teachers, and critics. I went on stage at five past eleven and finished at noon. Those fifty-five minutes seemed like three days.
I was so relieved when I finished playing; I was finished! It's impossible to say how happy I was to see the dressing room. I went out for lunch with my friends. It was like coming back from the grave. We laughed and joked and watched TV.
As I returned to Carnegie Hall to hear the other violinists, I realized I'd made a big mistake: they might ask for recalls. A recall is when they can't decide between two people and they want you to play again. It's been done; it's done all the time in competitions. No way was I in shape to go onstage and play again.
In the late afternoon, the competition was over. Everybody had finished playing. Quite luckily─no recalls.
The judges deliberated for an hour. The tension in the air was unbelievable. All the violinists were sitting with their little circle of friends. I had my few friends around me, but no one was saying much now.
Finally, the Naumburg Foundation president Robert Mann came on stage.
“It's always so difficult to choose ...” he began.
“Every year we hold this competition,” Robert Mann said. “And in the past, we've awarded three prizes. This year we've elected to only have one prize, the first prize.”
My heart sank. Nothing for me. Not even Miss Congeniality.
“We have found,” Mann went on, “that second place usually brings great dismay to the artist because they feel like a loser. We don't want anyone here to feel like a loser. Every finalist will receive five hundred dollars except the winner, who will receive three thousand dollars.”
And then he repeated how difficult it was to choose, how well everyone had played ...dah, dah, dah.
I was looking down at the floor.  
“The winner is ...”
And he said my name.
A friend next to me said, “Nadja, I think you won!”
I went numb. My friends pulled me up and pointed me toward the stage. It was a long walk because I had slipped into a seat in the back. Sitting up in front was my old friend. I would have to walk right past him and I was dreading it, but before I could, he got up and stopped me.
He threw his arms around me and I threw my arms around him. I kept telling him how sorry I was. I was holding him and started to cry, saying, “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.” I didn't want to lose, but I really didn't want him to lose either. And he was holding me and saying, “Don't be sorry. I'm so proud of you.” It was over, and we would be friends again.
I took my bow, then ran to Juilliard. Ten blocks uptown, one block west, to give Miss DeLay the news. She could be proud of me now, too.
Suddenly, everything was clear. Playing the violin is what I'd do with my life. Heaven handed me a prize: “You've been through a lot, kid. Here's an international competition.”
Everything had changed when I prepared for the Naumburg, and now everything changed again. I made my first recording. Between September 1981 and May 1982, I played a hundred concerts in America, made one trip to Europe, then two months of summer festivals. And people asked me back.
There was a great deal of anxiety playing in Europe for the first time. But I was able to rely on my self-confidence to pull me through.
Self-confidence onstage doesn't mean a lack of nerves backstage. The stakes had increased. This wasn't practice anymore, this was my life. I'd stare into a dressing-room mirror and say, “Nadja, people have bought tickets, hired baby-sitters, you've got to calm down; go out there and prove yourself.”
Every night I'd prove myself again. My life work had truly begun

  1. 1.

    In a gesture to prepare for the competition, Nadja did all the following except _________

    1. A.
      preoccupying herself in practice
    2. B.
      trying to carry out her deeds secretly
    3. C.
      abandoning going to school for classes
    4. D.
      consuming the best food to get enough energy
  2. 2.

    How many violinists does the passage mention advanced to the finals?

    1. A.
      Four
    2. B.
      Five
    3. C.
      Six
    4. D.
      Seven
  3. 3.

    After Nadja finished playing at the finals, she went out for a while and when she came back to hear the other violinists she realized she had made a mistake because _________

    1. A.
      she forgot that there was going to be a recall
    2. B.
      she didn’t get hold of the permission to leave
    3. C.
      chances were that she had to replay and she was off guard
    4. D.
      there was another play she had to take part in in the afternoon

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