Years ago, I appeared on stage with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir in the Town Hall. There I was, my feet in plain shoes, sweat dirtying my clean white shirt, singing my heart out in front of the big organ. I still have a tape recording of that performance somewhere, where I swear I can hear myself singing, high and thin and possibly off-key.

But life got in the way and I stopped singing. Then, in the summer of 2019, I found myself facing some gloom in my own life. It felt as if it had been a long time between songs, as if there was something unsung, some absent music in my ears. I began to fear I might be making myself ill and unable to breathe in a normal way.

Could singing help me reclaim my voice and calm my fast-beating heart? Research from the Royal Society noted that “group singing can improve physical and mental health, as well as promote social bonds”. So, rather than letting my unsung tunes strangle (扼杀) me, I decided to take on a new choral experience, one being in the Big Feminist Sing, a community choir.

“If you don’t know what to sing,” the choir director said, “find someone who looks confident and go and stand next to them.” Find a friend if you’re in trouble; take a risk; use your voice; be part of something bigger than yourself. I’ve been singing in the choir ever since, because group singing gives me a sense of safety — and each rehearsal (排练) is a lifeline, a connected thread, an intake of air working toward a collective voice. It doesn’t matter if I am a bit off-key to start with. Decades of unsung situations have changed, and I have flown.

【小题1】How did the author feel during her performance in the Town Hall?

A．Excited.

B．Relaxed.

C．Nervous.

D．Curious.

【小题2】What does the underlined phrase “some gloom in my own life” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Something unsung in the author’s life.

B．Some difficulty in the author’s life.

C．Some disease that stopped the author singing.

D．Something affecting the author’s voice.

【小题3】What does the author learn from her latest choir experience?

A．Finding a true friend is never easy.

B．The choir director’s position counts.

C．Teamwork has benefited her a lot.

D．Singing alone improves her health.

【小题4】Why did the author work on the choir?

A．To get a sense of safety out of singing.

B．To make changes from stage experiences.

C．To taste music in a choir.

D．To enjoy the amazing power of group singing.