The Sad Zither (锦瑟) is a famous seven-verse poem written by Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin (813-858). Due to its rich imagery, the poem is regarded as one of the     1    (hard) poems to explain and translate.

At the beginning of the poem, the poet looks at his zither and recalls the death of his beloved wife. The big number of strings, which might not be the real number,     2     (be) mentioned to show his feeling. With so many strings, his zither creates complicated tones,     3     (suggest) the sorrow and depression the poet feels. The reality is so cruel that he wishes everything     4     happened were untrue. In this part, he uses four Chinese ancient     5     (myth) and legends. Zhuangzi, a philosopher, dreams of being a butterfly and couldn’t distinguish dream     6    reality; the ancient emperor Wang becomes a cuckoo and always cries; mermaid’s tears become pearl and vapor of jade from Lantian County can be seen in the sunlight. The first three stories all create     7    sad atmosphere. Though the last legend describes a beautiful scene, it’s hard     8     (reach), implicating the hopelessness.

Actually, the four stories he chooses indicate Li’s dissatisfaction with his life.

In the end, the poet directly expresses his point. He writes about his regret toward the passing years and his     9     (capacity) to change anything, even if he     10     (give) the chance to live those years again.

2 . BBC: Top 4 Wonderful English Novels

5 . 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.

I’m writing to reply to you. In your last letter, you ask me how to learn ancient Chinese poems. Since you are such interested in poems, I’d like to share my opinions for you. First of all, reading them repeatedly. This can help you well understand that the poets want to convey. As the old Chinese saying goes, “Read a hundred times, the meaning will appear.” Besides, you should know some background informations about them, such as the author and the historical period. Finally, I suggest I recite some poems, which can make you to enjoy the beautiful rhymes and beats of the poems. I am always willingly to offer help if you have any questions.

8 . The first step in writing any poem is coming up with something to write about. To do that, you have to choose deep or attractive material. Anything can be the topic for great poems have been written about such topics as a gas station or pieces of broken glass on the beach.

It’s easiest to write a good poem about something you know well, that you have experienced firsthand, or that you have nearby so that you can observe it carefully. This is what makes the poem deep and interesting, what will be the hidden details or qualities you discover or the things that reminds you of the unique view.

In his book Poetry in the Making, the poet Ted Hughes talks about how to write a poem about an animal. “The key,” he says, “is to concentrate hard enough on the animal, to choose the words that best catch the animal you have in your mind.” You can use this approach with any poems.

In the beginning, you don’t have to worry about the “style” or writing in a “poetic” way that means being filled with rhythm and beauty. In fact, if you start to think about being poetic, it can puzzle you from what you’re actually writing about and hurt your poem. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who was trying to impress you? Then you know how boring this can be. The person is really thinking about himself or herself, not about the conversation. Similarly, if you are worrying about what impression your poem will make, then that takes your attention away from the topic of your poem.

In a word, if the poem is about you or your life, try to take the angle of a careful reporter when you write it down. You should focus on accurately communicating an aspect of your experience instead of focusing on what impression you are making when you do it.

10 . POETRY CHALLENGE

Write a poem about how courage, determination, and strength have helped you face challenges in your life.

3 Grand Prizes: Trip to Washington, D. C. for each of three winners, a parent and one other person of the winner’s choice. Trip includes round-trip air tickets, hotel stay for two nights, and tours of the National Air and Space Museum and the office of National Geographic World.

6 First Prizes: The book Sky Pioneer: A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart signed by author Corinne Szabo and pilot Linda Finch.

50 Honorable Mentions: Judges will choose up to 50 honorable mention winners, who will each receive a T-shirt in memory of Earhart’s final flight.

Follow all rules carefully to prevent disqualification (不合格).

·Write a poem using 100 words or fewer. Your poem can be any format, any number of lines.

·Write by hand or type on a single sheet of paper. You may use both the front and back of the paper.

·On the same sheet of paper, write or type your name, address, telephone number, and birth date.

·Mail your entry to us by October 31 this year.