B2 First · Part 1: Multiple-choice cloze · Joining a local choir

Multiple-choice cloze

When my neighbour first suggested I join the local choir, I laughed. I hadn't sung in front of anyone since I was at school, and I was fairly sure I had no (1) for music. She promised that nobody would be asked to sing alone, so I agreed to go along to one rehearsal, mainly to (2) her a favour. The choir meets every Tuesday evening in a church hall, and the first thing I noticed was how (3) the atmosphere was. Nobody seemed to mind when someone sang a wrong note; (4) of being embarrassed, people just laughed and started again. The conductor, a retired music teacher, has a talent for explaining things in a way that makes (5) to complete beginners. Within a few months I had learnt to read simple music, something I had never (6) of doing. What I hadn't expected was the effect on my mood. Singing with forty other people has (7) me a sense of belonging that I hadn't felt since moving to the town. Last month we gave our first concert. I was terribly nervous beforehand, but I wouldn't have (8) it for anything.