Elizabeth Bishop is considered one of the best American poets of the 20th century. She was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1911. Her dad died when she was just a baby and her mom never recovered from the loss. She went to live with her grandparents in Nova Scotia, Canada when she was five. Eventually Bishop attended Vassar College, where she began to write poetry.
At Vassar she discovered Marianne Moore’s poetry and met Ms. Moore and began their life-long friendship. She later met poet Robert Lowell. She wrote tons and tons of letters to both of them, which is good for us because we would otherwise know very little of her personal life. Bishop published her first book of poetry in 1946 and wrote until her death in 1979. She would spend years working on a single poem. Her poems are not the result of hasty scribbling (匆忙乱写) on paper while eating breakfast. She would look through drafts of poems again and again and improve them until they were as close to perfect as she could get them.
Reading Elizabeth Bishop is like being transported to the very place, the very moment she’s writing about. She leads us to a microscope so we can see every smallest part of the scene. It seems that she’s always asking us to notice more, and more until the poem is so clear in our minds that it’s almost painful—like a light that’s too bright.
1. What do we know about Bishop’s early life?| A．She spent her childhood mainly in Worcester. |
| B．She was mainly brought up by her grandparents. |
| C．She was always encouraged by her parents. |
| D．She started to write poems at five. |
| A．They offer much information about her life. |
| B．They have a deep influence on other poets. |
| C．They help us study Moore and Lowell’s poetry. |
| D．They prove she had friendships with famous poets. |
| A．She liked to write in the morning. |
| B．She could write poems at high speed. |
| C．She tried her best to achieve perfection. |
| D．She published hundreds of books of poetry. |
| A．Hard. | B．Romantic. | C．Humorous. | D．Exact. |
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【推荐1】Studying the DNA of 300 mice has flagged up (引起注意) genes which have been linked to hereditary (遗传的) sight loss for the first time. Researchers say because mice’s genes are so similar to humans’, their findings could lead to the treatment of more genetic diseases.
Scientists at the University of California, Davis studied information from a data bank of mice’s genetic material. They found 347 genes linked to eye problems, with just 86 of them having been studied in the past.
Only around 50 to 75 percent of hereditary eye diseases in human can be explained with present science. The researchers believe these hundreds of new genes found in mice could be a key to explaining-and therefore being able to treat the other 25~50 percent.
“This is extremely valuable for people with hereditary eye disease,” said researcher Professor Ala Moshiri. “All researchers are going to start using these data. In the past, we knew the problem was there but we didn’t know where to look. Now eye centers can call back patients and screen them for these new genes. We expected that more and more of these genetic diseases will be treatable.” Also, the fact is that more than 60 percent of eye problems at birth are ones resulting from the baby’s parents!
Thanks to data from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC), which is trying to work out what every single gene in a mouse is responsible for, with the aim of translating it to humans, scientists are moving closer to figuring out all genetic causes of blindness. To do this, scientists separate a single gene from other ones at a time and then observe what effect it has on the mouse for a long time. This has so far been done more than 7, 000 times and has achieved great success. Researchers are now working alongside eye care centers in Texas and Iowa in order to compare the mice’s genes to those of patients.
1. How did the researchers find the genes linked to eye problems?| A．By comparing the DNA of the mice with that of the humans |
| B．By studying the data of mice’s genes |
| C．By carrying out the treatment of genetic diseases |
| D．By making calculations |
| A．To show the significance of studying mice’s genes. | B．To prove mice’s genes are similar to humans’ |
| C．To warn the high risk level of suffering them. | D．To explain how common they are among people. |
| A．Compare humans’ genes with mice’s. | B．Cooperate with eye care centers. |
| C．Set apart a gene of a mouse each time. | D．Figure out each gene’s function of a mouse. |
| A．New Ways to Cure Sight Loss | B．Genes Found Behind Eye Problems |
| C．Genetic Diseases Discovered in Mice | D．Humans Genes Causing Eye Diseases |
【推荐2】Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”
1. Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?| A．To remember the birth of jazz. |
| B．To protect cultural diversity. |
| C．To encourage people to study music. |
| D．To recognize the value of jazz. |
| A．Jazz becoming more accessible. |
| B．The production of jazz growing faster. |
| C．Jazz being less popular with the young. |
| D．The jazz audience becoming larger. |
| A．It will disappear gradually. |
| B．It remains black and white. |
| C．It should keep up with the times. |
| D．It changes every 50 years. |
| A．Exploring the Future of Jazz. |
| B．The Rise and Fall of Jazz. |
| C．The Story of a Jazz Musician. |
| D．Celebrating the Jazz Day. |
【推荐3】The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges that some beach runners experience before you get ready.
Running on the beach can be a good thing. It’s certainly different from running on a track or a pavement. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven(不平坦的) surface. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside: It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don’t get as much use during runs on firm surfaces. For example, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because the surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.
You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.
Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot-- not wearing anything on feet. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don’t run long distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses more different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet. If you want to run barefoot and as long as you run carefully enough into it, go for it!
Running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.
1. Why is it difficult to run on the beach for starters? ________| A．The soft surface makes people fall over easily. |
| B．It’s hard to keep one’s balance on its hard surface. |
| C．People need to run carefully on its smooth surface. |
| D．Running on its uneven surface takes much effort. |
| A．Challenge. | B．Advantage. | C．Reason. | D．Character. |
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．a primary school textbook | B．a tourist guide |
| C．a sports magazine | D．a scientific report |
【推荐1】Patrick Modiano, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2014, seems less－known among general Chinese readers.
In Dong Qiang's opinion, a professor at Peking University, Modiano has been a celebrated writer in France ever since.
Born in a western Paris suburb in July 1945—two months after World War Ⅱ ended in Europe—Modiano spent most of his life in France and studied in Paris, the top preparatory school in France.Raymond Queneau, a writer, was one of his teachers there.
In the first interview Modiano gave after winning the Nobel, he explained that writing for him was a natural thing that he started quite young, “
Modiano has published about 30 works, including novels, film scripts and children's books, since his first book, La Place de l′toile, in 1968.Modiano's works focus on the occupation of France during World War Ⅱ.
Jin Longge, who has translated three books by Modiano into Chinese, says, “
| A．He had a major influence on him. |
| B．His works read like detective novels. |
| C．It was not a surprise that he won the prize. |
| D．It's something that's been part of my life. |
| E．They will be published in the coming months. |
| F．They invite the reader to seek identity through memory and history. |
| G．Many of his readers came to know of him and started to read his works. |
【推荐2】Messages in honor of Stan Lee are pouring in on social media and other online sites. Lee, the creator of famous Marvel comic book characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk, Black Panther and others, died on Monday in Los Angeles, California.
Lee was born in New York City, 1922. He began writing for comic books at 19, under the name Stan Lee. He explained that he used a false name because he wanted to write a serious and great piece of literature someday, as he did not want his link with comic books to be known when that happened. But it never did happen. As the pride in his work grew, he decided to legally change his name to Stan Lee.
Lee’s characters often had super powers, but they also had weaknesses and moral failings. They got up and went to work every morning. These super heroes usually lived in New York City and others parts of real America. They not only struggled to save the world, but also to pay their bills, make friends, and hold jobs. This made his Marvel comic book heroes stand apart from its competitor DC, the company that produced the seemingly perfect heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman.
Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, is a good example of Lee’s Marvel heroes. He is a deeply gifted inventor with serious mental health issues. Or, Peter Parker, a sensitive, brainy high-school student who has no idea how to deal with the frightening abilities he gets from the bite of a radioactive spider. Even Steve Rogers, whose Captain America was the most Superman-like of the Marvel group, had problems.
Actor Chris Evans who played that character Captain America, posted a tribute (悼念) to Captain America’s creator on Twitter Monday. “There will never be another Stan Lee,” he wrote. Actor, writer and funny man Seth Rogen never played one of Lee’s characters but he remembered him with thanks in a tweet. “Thank you Stan Lee for making people who feel different realize they are special,” he wrote.
1. Stan Lee wrote comic books under a false name because _________.| A．he wanted to be famous for the false name |
| B．he didn’t want to be known as a comic book writer |
| C．he wanted his name to be linked with his comic books |
| D．he didn’t want to be known as a serious literature writer |
| A．They are good at making people feel special. |
| B．They are moral figures without weak points. |
| C．They are more balanced characters than DC heroes. |
| D．They are seemingly perfect heroes with super powers. |
| A．To remember a great cartoonist. | B．To introduce Marvel comic heroes. |
| C．To encourage studies on comics. | D．To promote products of Marvel. |
【推荐3】Born in 1898 to middle-class parents in Bavaria, Bertolt Brecht grew up in a comfortable environment. In elementary school, he met Caspar Nehar, who became a life-long friend and designed sets for many of Brecht's plays. As a student at Munich University during World War I, the dramatist studied theater and became interested in German cabaret performances (a form of entertainment with singing and dancing that was performed in restaurants or clubs).
Brecht began writing works for the stage around this time, which won some words of praise. He also spent time studying the work of political theorist Karl Marx and socialism. He began to form his theory of “epic theater.” This theater, different from the traditional aims of drama as described by Aristotle, was not meant to be an imitation of reality or a way to entertain people.
Epic theater is meant to present an argument and invite the audience to make judgments on it. Traditional conventions, like not looking directly at the audience, are ignored, Brecht tried to prevent audiences from sympathizing with his characters, and wanted them to care about the issues being discussed.
In 1927, Bertolt Brecht began working with a composer named Kurt Weill. Together they wrote several plays, the most famous of which being The Three penny Opera. The play opened in 1928 and starred Wil's wife, Lotte Lenya. Although this musical adaptation of an 18th century opera by John Gay initially was attacked by critics, it grew in popularity and was performed over 400 times over the next two years.
As a Marxist, Bertolt Brecht fled Germany in 1933 because of the Nazi terror and moved around Europe. Still under the shadow of Adolf Hitler, Brecht left Europe for America in 1941. During this time, he wrote several plays protesting the rule of Hitler, including Moher Courage and Her Children, The Good Peron of Sezuan, Caucasian Chalk Circle, and The Misery of the Third Reich In 1949 Brecht moved to East Berlin. Seven years later he died from a heart attack.
1. What did Brecht do around World War I?| A．He met Caspar Nehar. | B．He started to create plays. |
| C．He became a famous actor. | D．He created German cabaret. |
| A．forbids actors to look directly at the audience. |
| B．stresses the importance of reflecting reality. |
| C．differs greatly from Aristotle's theories. |
| D．tries to make people pity the characters. |
| A．It was based on John Gay's work. | B．Brecht played a leading role in it. |
| C．Brecht competed it in two years. | D．It won much praise immediately. |
| A．Brecht's theater theories. | B．Brecht's important influence. |
| C．Brecht's unique writing style. | D．Brecht's life and achievements. |
 Robert Frost (1874-1963) was one of America’s most famous poets. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry four times and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his works. His poetry has been praised for its natural themes, mostly set in the rural areas of New England where Frost lived most of his life, and for his colloquial approach to American language. His poetry generally has a regular rhythm and rhyme, and is easy to read aloud and remember. He often used simple settings in his poems to explore complex personal and social themes. Among Frost’s best-known poems are The Road NotTaken, Fire and lce, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Birches. |
2. Have you read any poems written by Robert Frost? Share one with the class.
【推荐2】When people sit together at night and enjoy the glorious moon, an ancient poem, Prelude to Water Melody, is often read for this occasion. Critics say it's probably the best poem about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Let's just focus on its most famous five lines to make some analysis.
In the first two lines of the five, the writer is comparing the life of a man with the changing face of the moon. In Chinese culture the moon is always considered to be a perfect carrier of emotions like nostalgia（怀旧）ad longing for family reunion. A full moon symbolizes perfection and unity, while a gloomy night may remind people of their fortunes. When the moon is round and fair but people are separated from their loved ones, such moments can be even more heartbreaking.
Before the comparison, the poet actually complains about the seemingly "ruthless（无情的）"moon and asks her: You should have no spite（怨恨）against man, but why, when people part, are you often full and bright? However, he soon realizes that no one has an easy ride, just like the moon may not always be bright. The imperfections have been going one since the beginning of time. That’s why he says "There has been nothing perfect since the olden days."
But should we get bogged down（陷入）by the suffering of things with which we can't change? The poet gives his answer: Change your attitude and stay positive. So we have his everlasting line, "________." The poet hopes that people appreciate the fact that no matter where they are, as long as the ones they love and miss are healthy and happy, they can all admire the same moon high in the sky.
To this day, people still use this verse to express their good will and wishes for family members and friends who can't be with them, especially during major festivals.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．How we can appreciate Chinese poetry about the Mid-Autumn Day. |
| B．When we must recite the best Chinese poetry about the Mid-Autumn Day. |
| C．What made a poet write the best ever Mid-Autumn Day Chinese poem. |
| D．Why a poem is the peak of Chinese poetry about the Mid-Autumn Day. |
| A．He doesn't understand why the moon hates humans. |
| B．He knows eventually the moon will become full again. |
| C．He realizes life is always accompanied by imperfections. |
| D．He understands life is too ruthless and has lost his interest in it. |
| A．How long will the full moon appear? Wine cup in hand I ask the sky. |
| B．Looking up,I find the moon bright; bowing, in homesickness I'm drowned. |
| C．In spring the river rises as high as the sea; with the river's tide uprises the moon bright. |
| D．May we all be blessed with a long life; miles apart, we’ll share the beauty, of the moon together. |
| A．is a very optimistic poet. |
| B．likes the first two lines of the five most. |
| C．appreciates the poet's optimism in the poem. |
| D．believes a positive state of mind is a must to a good poet. |
认真阅读短文，在表格的空中填入恰当的单词，每空仅限一词，注意正确形式。
When a thought has found words
Poetry is the forgotten child of literature. Few people read it for pleasure. In Western high schools, poetry is seldom taught because it is considered to be out of date and have little to do with the life of today’s students.
However, compared with the situation in the West, poetry is still an important part of the curriculum (课程) in China. Recently, the Ministry of Education has increased the number of ancient Chinese poems for students to memorize and recite, from 14 to 72. Why is it important to learn poems?
First of all, poetry is a necessary part of learning traditional Chinese culture. It is a path to understanding your history and your society. It is also the key to understanding the thoughts and feelings that are common to everyone but that we may be unable to express, the joy of Li Bai dancing with the moon, for example. Everyone has feelings of joy, love, loneliness, sadness and even anger, and a good poem can put those feelings into words and bring us self-understanding.
Poems can also express beauty. In a few short lines, even something common can become beautiful. Here is a poem called Fog by Carl Sandberg: The fog comes/on silent haunches (弓腰) /and then moves on. Yes, a fog does move smoothly, silently and like a cat, and Sandberg catches that feeling and image, and makes it beautiful.
Of course, to really enjoy poetry, it has to be read aloud. After all, a poem is really just a song without music. Most ancient poems, like Homer’s Epics (《荷马史诗》) and China’s Book of Songs, were spoken for hundreds of years before they were written.
The American poet Robert Frost said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” You are lucky that you now have seventy-two poems to learn!
Title: When a thought has found words | |
| Outline | Detailed information |
In the West, poetry is considered to be | |
In China, poetry remains an important part of the curriculum. | |
| ◇Poems help you ◇Poems help express your personal thoughts and feelings. ◇Poems can express beauty of common things with very few lines. | |
| A | |
