Read the text on the next page.
For each question (19-24), choose the sentence (A-H) that best fits the gap.
There are two sentences that you do not need.
Mark your answer on the answer sheet.
There is an example at the beginning (0 → I).
Remember the last birthday party you attended. When the candles were lit, did you join everyone else in singing the song 'Happy Birthday'? (0) Were you too self-conscious to do more than mouth the words? Our everyday lives are full of situations where we are expected to sing: parties, religious services, and even sporting events, where the national anthem is often played. Is a decent singing voice genetic or can anyone learn to sing?
We are all born with the key ingredients of a singing voice. The early gurgling and babbling sounds babies make contain some of the key components of singing - a variety of pitches, dynamics, rhythms and phrases.
On the other hand, those who don't can make up for it with their character and work ethic.
Understanding exactly how singing works is a surprisingly complex area of research. There is a rather significant leap from singing in the shower or being part of a community choir.
The act of singing looks simple, but it actually involves highly-skilled control and coordination of muscles.
True control comes from training them. A person needs to be able to control the air pressure in their lungs and use their abdominal muscles to push air through the trachea, where it meets the vocal folds, which start to vibrate. What makes a really good singer is when vocal health, posture and alignment, and breath management are matched with imagination, self-expression and creativity.
The skills of a professional pop singer aren't innate.
It also takes determination, daily practice of warm-ups and a variety of exercises, a deep understanding of music harmony, the ability to notate and transcribe music, some degree of improvisation and stagecraft skills.
A film star is constantly learning to sing for a role, usually with vocal training support and with months of daily practice.
Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', for example, has a small, breathy voice, but it suits her role and enhances her character. Critics praised her delivery and the contribution it made to her role.
Singing is a skill that requires constant self-criticism and objectivity, too. Numerous studies have shown that those who make significant strides and improve can identify mistakes in their singing and self-correct them. It is not just how much you practise that counts, but rather how quickly you identify and correct those errors. This is what makes a middle-of-the-road singer into an expert performer. Singing practice and training also involves generating a sense of vocal freedom.
For most singers, years of practice go into developing that kind of freedom.
So, if you’ve never sung professionally but want to try singing, give it a go! Chances are that you can be taught to sing. Singing increases breathing control and lung capacity, it can improve heart health, and release the happy hormone oxytocin, elevate your mood, reduce pain, and may even increase your immunity. The very act of practising such a new behaviour can be good for the brain.
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