Question

Why do we read poetry? First obvious one: because we enjoy it. 1.But that's not why this is here.

Many of us read poetry simply because we often feel depressed and hopelessly lost, and in poetry we see how beautiful and strange everything is. 2.

There are many different kinds of poems. They are not all calming. Some poems make me anxious, angry, scared, and sad, which is why I value them.3.I want the sweet and the bitter. Often, I read poetry when I'm already relaxed. In fact, I read more when I'm not stressed out.

Here are the main reasons I respond to poetry, as far as I can tell. 4.Usually, this is done by setting up a rhythm and then violating it or almost violating it. And then returning to it again. This satisfies my desire for order and also my desire for testing boundaries.

Poetry plays with language. It often slams words together in surprising ways, which is thrilling the way food can be when the chef has paired ingredients you never thought would taste good together but somehow do.

5.Words mean two or three things at once and lots of suggestions are packed between the lines. This is intellectually inspiring and it allows me to read the same poem over and over, always finding new things in it.

And, of course, there's the subject matter. It interests me just as it would if the same subject was explored in a story or essay. Not all poems interest me in this way, but then not all stories and essays do, either.

A. Many poems are dense.

B. So in that way poetry calms our anxiety.

C. As a reader, I want a full meal, not just dessert.

D. Another reason is to appreciate the suggestions offered.

E. The only other reason seems to be for academic purposes.

F. The best part about poetry is that they are flexible in length.

G. Metrical(格律的) poems are about setting up rules and then bending them.

Answer

1. E

2. B

3. C

4. G

5. A

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了很多人喜欢读诗的原因——很多人读诗是因为感到沮丧和绝望，诗则能让缓解人们的焦虑，就作者自己而言，诗歌就像一顿丰盛的晚餐，他喜欢读各种类型的诗，并且重点介绍了格律诗的特点，作者还认为诗歌很深奥，字里行间都有很多建议。

1.根据本空前的“Why do we read poetry? First obvious one: because we enjoy it.”可知，我们读诗最明显的原因是我们喜欢它，此处承接上文，说的还是读诗的原因，故E项（唯一的另一个原因是出于学术目的）符合语境。

2.根据本空前的“Many of us read poetry simply because we often feel depressed and hopelessly lost, and in poetry we see how beautiful and strange everything is.”可知，很多人读诗是因为感到沮丧和绝望，诗则能让人发现生活中美好的东西，此处承接上文，讲的还是诗对情绪的好处，故B项（所以诗歌以这种方式缓解了我们的焦虑）符合语境。

3.根据本空后的“I want the sweet and the bitter.”可知，甜的和苦的我都想要，此处讲的还是我的看法，故C项（作为一个读者，我想要的是一顿丰盛的晚餐，而不只是甜点）符合语境。

4.根据本空后的“Usually, this is done by setting up a rhythm and then violating it or almost violating it.”可知，通常这是通过建立一个格律，然后再违反它或几乎违反它来完成的，此处应该会提到关于格律方面的内容，故G项（格律诗是建立规则，然后弯曲规则）符合语境。

5.根据本空后的“Words mean two or three things at once and lots of suggestions are packed between the lines.”可知，诗歌的词语同时意味两三件事，字里行间有很多建议，故A项（很多诗很深奥）符合语境。