Section C: Comprehension Cloze Read the passage carefully and then fill in each blank with a suitable word.

Last night, my parents and I went to the Esplanade. We went there to support my sister, Stella, who plays the (21) in the orchestra. There was a special performance. A renowned (22) , Mr Piot Radoslaw, was in town to conduct the orchestra for one night. Stella is a huge (23) of Mr Radoslaw. She was so (24) about working with him that she did not sleep at all the night before.

The performance started well. The orchestra (25) a few pieces. Then just (26) the interval, a lady went on stage to (27) Mr Radoslaw with a plaque. After that, he was asked to say a few words.

Instead of giving a (28) acceptance speech, Mr Radoslaw went on and on in his soft and soothing (29) . It sounded like the gentle whirl of a washing machine to me and I believed it could send any baby to sleep!

I was thinking about how nice his voice was when I looked at Stella and noticed, to my horror, that she was (30) off. Her head was leaning forward slowly and she (31) to keep her eyes open. This was the (32) of her not having slept the night before!

There was nothing I could do to save Stella from (33) herself. I sat among the (34) and watched on helplessly as she fell asleep in front of everyone. I thought that nothing could be (35) than this. I was wrong. The very next second, Stella dropped her violin! It clunked onto the floor loudly. Stella jumped up, shouting, “Who’s there?”

The audience burst out laughing as Mr Radoslaw turned around slowly to look at her.

Stella’s face went red.

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