Question

    In China, poetry is an important part of the curriculum and, with recent changes announced by the Ministry of Education, the number of poems students will have to memorize and recite is being increased from fourteen to seventy-two. Now, before you gasp in horror, let’s think about the reasons why studying so many poems, especially ancient poems, is important.

First of all, poetry is an essential part of traditional Chinese culture. 1.It is also the key to understanding the thoughts and emotions that are common to everyone but which 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. 2. .3.In a few short lines, even something commonplace can become beautiful. Here is a poem called “Fog” by Carl Sandberg: The fog comes / on silent haunches (弓腰蹲着) / and then moves on. Yes, fog does move smoothly, silently and mysteriously like a cat, and Sandberg captures that feeling and image, and makes it beautiful.

4. After all, a poem is really just a song without music. Most ancient poetry, especially Western poetry, was actually spoken before it was written. Take Homer’s Iliad, for example. The story was apparently told for hundreds of years in palaces and on street corners before Homer wrote it down.

The American poet Robert Frost said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” And poems are very concise—there is not a wasted word. 5.

A.Few people read it for pleasure.

B.Poems can also express beauty.

C.Poetry is difficult to recite.

D.Of course, to really appreciate poetry, it has to be read aloud.

E.You are lucky that you now have seventy-two poems to learn!

F.It is a pathway to understanding your history and your society.

G.A good poem can put those emotions into words and bring us self-understanding.

Answer

1.F

2.G

3.B

4.D

5.E

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了学习中国诗歌特别是中国古典诗歌重要性的原因。

1.设空句的下一句是It is also the key to understanding the thoughts and emotions…这也是理解思想和情感的关键，其中的also提示上句与此句语义属于同类，句中的understanding是关键词，选项F中具有同样的关键词，且语义“这是了解你们的历史和社会的途径。”与下句属同类排比，选项F切题，故选F。

2.设空句上一句为Everyone has feelings of joy, love, loneliness, sadness and even anger. 每个人都有喜悦、爱、孤独、悲伤甚至愤怒的感情。句中feelings是关键词，选项G中的emotions是它的近义词，且选项G语义：一首好诗能把这些情感变成文字，带给我们对自我的认知。能够承接上文，符合语境，选项G切题，故选G。

3.设空句为段首句，总领全段，是这段的主旨大意句。根据后文可知，这段中心意思是诗歌赋予了平常事物美丽的意境。选项B诗歌也可以表达美。能够概括本段大意，切题，故选B。

4.设空句为段首句，总领全段，要能概括本段中心大意。根据后文可知，本段中心大意是诗歌就像是没有曲子的歌，先有了口口相传，才有了文字展现。既然是歌当然要通过声音来欣赏，选项D当然，要真正欣赏诗歌，必须大声朗读。符合这段中心大意，切题，故选D。

5.设空句为文章的末句，要总结全文。在文章第一段有：学生必须记忆和背诵的诗歌数量从十四首增加到七十二首。文章在介绍了学习诗歌为什么重要后，告诉读者，学习诗歌多多益善。选项E中的seventy-two poems呼应文章开头，其语义：你很幸运，你现在有七十二首诗要学！总结全文，切题，故选E。