2 . Long ago, poems were recited loud instead of being written down. Back when the Greeks first started the Olympics, they held poetry _________ as well as athletic competitions.

Now, poetry competitions have been revived. This year 120,000 high school students competed in the first Poetry Out Loud national recitation competition,_________ poems from memory for $100,000 in prize money.

The first competitions were held in classrooms. The winners went on to school wide contests, and then they competed in city and state competitions. _________, the 50 state champions, along with the _________ of the District of Columbia came to Washington D.C. last week for the last showdown. After the 51 champions competed _________ another, 12 went on to the _________. Then the field was narrowed to five. The final five had one last chance to “perform” a poem. The overall champ, Jackson Hille, a high school senior from Ohio,_________ a $20,000 scholarship. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation _________ Poetry Out Loud, because they realized that hearing a poem performed is a different experience from _________ it on a page.

It’s not just a matter of saying the words in the right order. It’s the tone of __________, the pauses, the gestures and the attitude of the person performing that bring the__________ to life. “Each time we hear somebody recite a poem, we understand again what we found __________ and interesting about it,” said National Public Radio Broadcaster Scott Simon, master of ceremonies for the finals. Hearing it in a new voice offers something new to the listeners.

Not only do the people hearing poems have a(n) __________ experience, but__________ and presenting poems helps the participants understand those poems in a new way. Another __________ of a competition such as Poetry Out Loud is that the participants learn public speaking skills that can help them for life.

3 . Bruno went into the kitchen and got the biggest surprise of his life. He could barely believe his eyes. “Shmuel!” he said. “What are you doing here in my kitchen?”

Shmuel looked up and his terrified face _________ a broad smile on seeing his friend. “Bruno!” he said. “They asked me to polish the glasses. They said they needed someone with tiny _________.”

He held his hand out and Bruno noticed that it was like the hand of the pretend skeleton. In reply, Bruno held his own hand out, which appeared _________ and full of life. The veins (血管) weren’t visible through the skin, the fingers weren’t little more than dying twigs (细枝). Shmuel’s hand, however, told a very _________ story.

“Shmuel! Here!” said Bruno, stepping forward and putting some slices of chicken in his friend’s hand. “Just eat them.” The boy stared at the food in his hand for a moment and then looked up at Bruno with wide and _________ but terrified eyes. He threw a _________ in the direction of the door and then thrust all the slices into his mouth in one go.

“Thank you, Bruno.” said Shmuel, giving a faint smile.

Bruno smiled back and was about to offer him more food, but just at that moment Lieutenant Kotler reappeared. Bruno stared at him, feeling the _________ grow heavy, sensing Shmuel’s shoulders sinking down.

_________ Bruno, Lieutenant Kotler marched over to Shmuel and glared at him. Shmuel looked up at Lieutenant Kotler, who frowned, leaning forward slightly as he examined the boy’s face. “You have been eating,” said Lieutenant Kotler. “Did you _________ something from that fridge?” Shmuel looked toward Bruno, his eyes pleading for __________.

“Answer me!” shouted Lieutenant Kotler.

“No, sir. He gave it to me,” said Shmuel, tears welling up in his eyes. “He’s my friend,” he added.

“Do you know this boy, Bruno?” he asked in a loud voice.

Bruno’s mouth __________ and he tried to say the word “yes”, but then he realized that he couldn’t because he was feeling just as __________ himself.

“Tell me, Bruno!” shouted Kotler, his face growing red. “I won’t ask you a third time.”

“I’ve __________ seen him before in my life,” said Bruno immediately, “I don’t know him.”

Hearing that, Shmuel wasn’t crying any more, merely staring at the floor and looking as if he was trying to __________ his soul not to live inside his tiny body any more, but to __________ away and sail to the door and rise up into the sky, gliding through the clouds until it was far away.

4 . Entering the drama room I am immediately surrounded by the familiar sights, smells and sounds. Streaks (条纹；线条) of light cast by the blinds of the tall _________ send shafts (杆状物) of light through the dusty air. I take a deep breath and the concrete and paint _________ tickle my nose. I _________ everything about this room.

Some of the best times of my life have been spent here. It’s ironic (讽刺的), but the _________ is the only place where I feel that I don’t have to _________ to be someone I’m not. Like many teenagers, I almost _________ think that people are judging me, but when I act, that feeling disappears. People only look at your acting ability, not your clothing, money, choice of friends, or any of the other ways people are usually ___________.

When I’m on stage, everything else vanishes (消失). All the worries and   _________ of the outside world are put on hold. Nervousness is still present, but it’s the excited and tingly kind, not the queasy (不稳定的) ___________ of being different and alone.

I __________ love to work backstage and on lighting. I __________ you could find another girl who would work on a ladder __________ her elbows in cables and dust and love every second of it. It makes me unique and gives me a sense of __________ to know that I succeed in an area where few others — and virtually (事实上) no girls — do.

High school is a difficult atmosphere, to put it __________. Like others, I’m often insecure (不安的), not __________ who I am or where I’m going in life. Wherever that may be, I will always have the confidence I get from theater.

5 . Recently while driving, I heard poet Robert Pinsky on the radio. He talked about poetry and said something that _____ the way I had always thought about the subject. The idea is so _____ that I am almost embarrassed to admit it. It is something similar to this: when we look at a painting, we don’t expect ourselves to _____ its deep meaning, or any meaning at all, right away. We enjoy _____ because we like it, but we don’t know why. We generally _____ this as aesthetics(美学), a word that _____ the most inartistic recognize and willingly accept.

However, when words on a page come into view, our brains _____, and we start trying to understand word structure. If we can’t understand the meaning within the first few _____, then our brains, trained since childhood in the task of “reading comprehension”, may start to panic about our _____. The information becomes difficult, maybe even unknowable and therefore ______. This can happen to even a great ______ or a lover of literature—for poetry is a different animal.

However, as Pinsky ______ that day, if we can recognize this, let it go, and ______ ourselves to read poetry as we would look at a painting, with no ______ of “translation”. Instead we should decide in our guts (直觉) if we like it — or maybe even ______ it. Once we fall in love with poetry, a true passion is awakened.

9 . Fictional British detective Sheriock Holmes is probably one of the most popular detectives in literary history. Known for his brilliant analytical skills and ability to decipher (破译) complicated clues, the consulting detective has been depicted on screen 254 times and even holds the Guinness World Record for the most _______ literary human character in film & TV. Hence, it is not surprising to hear that the Royal Mint, responsible for producing coins in the United Kingdom, has _______ the iconic detective with a commemorative coin.

Released on May 22, 2019, in honor of creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 160th birthday, the 50 pence (75 cent) coin features a silhouette (剪影) of Holmes, _______ with the detective’s famous deerstalker hat and pipe, on one side and Queen Elizabeth II on the other. Surrounding Holmes’ image are some of his most popular _______ including, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Sign of the Four, The Valley of Fear, as well as the detective’s debut novel—The Study of Scarlet.

The tiny lettering of the _______, which require a moagnifying glass to read, may seem like a mistake caused by the attempt to cram in too much in a small space. However, the coin’s designer, Steve Raw, says he deliberately put them all there to _______ the “inner detective” in fans. He explains, “Naturally, the only way to solve ‘the mystery of the text’ is by using that essential piece of equipment always carried by the brave detective:a magnifying glass.”

The Royal Mint plans to put the 50p coin in general _______ later this year. _______, fans hoping to add a sparkly new piece to their Sherlock Holmes memorabilia (收藏品), can purchase an uncirculated version for £10 ($13) from the Royal Mint’s website. Also _______ are 600 limited edition silver proof coins for £55 ($70) each and 400 limited edition gold proof coins for £795 ($1,000) each.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 22, 1859, Doyle was a trained doctor running a clinic, before discovering his passion for writing. Holmes’ character was based on Dr. Joseph Bell, a renowned forensic (法医的) scientist at Edinburgh University, whom Doyle________ under. Following the tremendous success of A Study in Scarlet, the imaginative author ________ four novels and 56 short stories, the last in 1927, ________ the detective and his sidekick (助手), Dr. Watson. In addition to the screen adaptations, Holmes, whose stories continue to entertain and ________ fans young and old, has been featured on radio dramas, live stage, and even computer games.

The United Kingdom’s fun tradition of featuring fictional characters on ________ began in 2016, when the Royal Mint celebrated Beatrix Potter’s 150th birthday with limited edition coins featuring characters from the author’s iconic children’s story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. In 2018, to ________ his 60th birthday, the adorable Paddington Bear appeared on a set of commemorative coins for purchase on the government agency’s website. We wonder who will be next!