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完形填空(共20小题，每小题1分，共20分)
My quest started when I was in the New York subway, my children were whining, four trains came screaming into the station at once and I put my hands over my___16___and cowered — the noise was deafening. In cities, the ever-present dull background roar of planes, cars, machinery and voices is a___17___of life. There is no___18___ from it and I was beginning to be driven mad by it.
In an attempt to recapture some peace, I decided to go on a___19___to find the quietest place on earth; to discover whether absolute___20___exists. The one place I was most excited about visiting was the an echoic chamber at Or field Laboratories in Minnesota. This is a small room, massively insulated with layers of concrete and steel to ___21___exterior sources of noise. It is the quietest place on earth — 99.9percent sound absorbent.
Ironically, far from being peaceful, most people find its perfect quiet___22___. The presence of sound means things are working; it’s business was usual —when sound is___23___, that signals malfunction.
I had heard being in an an echoic chamber for longer than 15 minutes can cause extreme ___24___, from claustrophobia an d nause a to panic attacks. Aviolinist tried it and hammer edon the door after a few seconds, demanding to be let out because he was so___25___by the silence.
I booked a 45-minute ___26___ — no one had managed to stay in for that long before. When the heavy door shut behind me, I was plunged into darkness (lights can make a noise) . For the first few seconds, being in such a quiet place felt like nirvana, a balm for my jangled nerves. I strained to hear something___27___heard ⋯ nothing.
Then after a minute or two, I became aware of the ___28___of my breathing, so I held my breath. The dull thump of my heartbeat became apparent — nothing I could do about that. Then I ___29___obsessing about what bodily functions I could hear and began to enjoy it. I didn’t feel afraid and came out only___30___my time was up. Everyone was impressed that I’d beaten the record, but having spent so long___31___quiet, I was comfortable with the feeling of absolute stillness. ___32___I felt wonderfully rested and calm.
My___33___ for silence changed my life. I found that making space for moments of quiet in my day is the key to ___34___ — they give you a chance to think about what you want in life. If you can___35___became master of your own sound environment — from turning off the TV to moving to the country, as I did — you became a lot more accepting of the noises of everyday life.
16. A. eyes B. ears C. nose D. head
17. A. fact B. value C. choice D. matter
18. A. escape B. conclusion C. analysis D. separation
19. A. creation B. reflection C. survey D. mission
20. A. stillness B. confidence C. excitement D. loyalty
21. A. make out B. block out C. give out D. sort out
22. A. puzzling B. inspiring C. upsetting D. surprising
23. A. absent B. present C. restricted D. magnified
24. A. examples B. conditions C. symptoms D. circumstances
25. A. interrupted B. directed C. controlled D. disturbed
26. A. period B. recreation C. activity D. relaxation
27. A. so B. or C. but D. and
28. A. rhyme B. sound C. existence D. shortness
29. A. stopped B. risked C. imagined D. remembered
30. A. before B. after C. if D. because
31. A. approving of B. departing from C. leading to D. searching for
32. A. However B. Instead C. Afterwards D. Beforehand
33. A. plan B. desire C. compensation D. support
34. A. personality B. fortune C. business D. happiness
35. A. permanently B. occasionally C. to tally D. initially
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