Задание №32470 ЕГЭ Английскому языку

It was a hard winter for Mother. She sometimes pleaded with Father but no one could ever tell Father anything. He continued to stand like a rock against stopping my music lessons.

To 30 ______ the truth, Father had certain natural gifts for debate. In the first place his voice was powerful and stormy, and he 31 ______ to let it out at full strength. As a second gift, he was convinced at all times that his opponents were wrong. Hence, even if they won a point or two, it 32 ______ them no good, for he dragged the issue to some other ground then, where he and Truth could prevail. When Mother said it surely was plain enough that I had no ear for music, what was his reply? Why, he said that the violin was the noblest instrument 33 ______ by man. Having silenced her with this solid premise he declared no boy should expect to learn it immediately. It required persistence. Everything, he had found out, required persistence. His motto was, “Never give            34 ______ .”

He said that Mother should be stricter with me, if necessary, and make me try harder. He also said that none of us realized what he had had to go 35 ______ . Mother started to cry and said, “But you’re downtown, you don’t have to hear it”.

Father was outraged. His final argument, I remember, was that my violin had cost twenty-five dollars, if I didn’t learn it, the money would be wasted, and he couldn’t afford it. But it was put to him that my younger brother Julian could learn it instead. Father was defeated, though he didn’t 36 ______ it, and I was set free.