April is National Poetry Month and naturally a great time to explore the powers of poetry. Reading and writing poetry engage our senses along with our emotions. Both have highly therapeutic (治疗的) effects on the mind.
The structure of a poem favors brief language yet the best poems also capture brief detail, making them powerful in getting a message across to the reader. Writing poetry requires extremely disciplined choice of words and the number of words, to create a sharp and accurate snapshot of the poet’s feeling. This combination of conciseness and detail gives the reader open access to the poet’s mind and enables the reader to truly connect with him.
Writing poetry requires us to be open and honest about our feelings so that we can voice them through pen and paper. This acknowledgement of our innermost thoughts allows us to be true to ourselves and boosts our self-respect.
The best poetry is written when we are truly in the midst of our emotions. This is when the release of emotions to pen and then paper as an outlet calms us and enables us to move forward.
Poetry’s powerful healing qualities have been documented during both world wars and the American civil war: poems were read to soldiers to help them cope with sufferings and the cruelty of war. Doctors would write poems for patients, emotionally connecting with them. A good example of this is John Keats who also trained as a doctor.
Poetry has also been used by modern-day doctors and physicians at Yale University School of Medicine and University College London School of Medicine. Yale actually has a committee that maintains a required literary reading list which includes poetry. Poetry allows both the doctor and the patient to understand the emotions that the patient might be going through.
The use of poetry continues to grow as a recognized form of therapy. More psychotherapists across the US, UK and Europe continue to use poetry therapy as part of their practice. Globally the International Federation for Poetry Therapy sets standards of excellence in the training of practitioners in the field of poetry therapy, qualifying them to practice.
1.What contributes to the highly therapeutic power of reading and writing poetry?
A.The close link in emotions between readers and poets.
B.The accurate snapshot of poets’ feeling.
C.The deliberate choice of words.
D.The brief structure of poetry.
2.According to the author, which of the following is most likely to be a best poem?
A.A poem applying effective writing techniques.
B.A poem describing the beauty of nature by imagination.
C.A poem borrowing ideas from other poets’ masterpieces.
D.A poem conveying one’s real thoughts and true feelings.
3.The author explains the use of poetry as a form of therapy in history by ______ .
A.analyzing causes B.giving examples
C.making a comparison D.presenting research findings
4.What message does the passage mainly convey?
A.Poetry is an opening to let out your emotions.
B.Poetry is a good medicine to cure a variety of diseases.
C.Poetry’s healing qualities can make a difference to a reader’s mind.
D.Poetry’s unique art form makes poems gain wide popularity in history.
Exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Studies show that it can help strengthen the body’s natural defenses against disease. But exercise does not just keep us healthy. For many people, it is part of their daily routine, making them feel better about themselves. Getting enough exercise at difficult times, such as the current coronavirus pandemic (新冠疫情), is important.
However, due to the bans on close contact between individuals, gyms and exercise studios are not open. In areas with stay-at-home orders, exercising outside may not be as simple as usual. So, people are changing the way they exercise during this pandemic.
Beth Berglin is the director of a gallery in Miami, Florida. Before the pandemic, her exercise routine involved going to camp-style classes four mornings a week. Now, the area where she trains is closed. But she is staying active through online classes. “Part of the reason we exercise is to have that mental break,” she said. “I can’t imagine getting through this without having some form of physical activity.”
Fitness companies are changing to meet the new environment. Some are helping people stay active by offering online classes, some of which are free or have reduced cost. Some are offering longer trial periods for at-home workouts. During a trial period, people can try a product or service for free. Some have completely moved their training programs online. Many of these online exercise classes are made for smaller spaces and do not require any special equipment.
Fitness companies that have been using an online model seem better prepared than others. They are using the pandemic to expand their fitness offerings and appeal to new customers. Some of those new customers include children who are now learning at home during the pandemic. Founders of one online exercise company, named Obe, said that they received requests for children’s classes from parents. So, they launched four 10-minute dance and strength workouts for children 10 years old and younger.
1.What does the word “this” in paragraph 3 probably refer to?
A.The unexpected loneliness. B.The daily exercise routine.
C.The great loss of business. D.The lasting health catastrophe.
2.According to the author, online fitness courses ______ .
A.call for less demanding places but more costs
B.face some challenges in developing new learning models
C.attract more customers by meeting their individual needs
D.are more popular compared with the usual way of exercise
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Those who keep exercising have no risk of infection.
B.Regular exercise is an effective way to keep mental health.
C.Obe’s founders are optimistic about the future of their company.
D.The widespread pandemic forces people to break the exercise routine.
A little boy always thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world because polio (小儿麻痹症) made his leg lame and his teeth uneven. He seldom played with his classmates; when the teacher asked him to answer questions, he always lowered his head without a word.
One spring, the boy’s father asked for some seeds from the neighbor. He wanted to plant them in front of the house. He told his children to plant a seed each. The father said to them, “Whose seed grows best, I will buy him or her a gift.” The boy also wanted to get his father’s gift, but seeing his brothers and sisters watering the trees joyfully, anyhow, he hit upon an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never attended to it.
A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was surprised to find it not only didn’t become weak, but also grew some fresh leaves, and compared with the trees of his brothers and sisters, his tree appeared greener and more vital. His father kept his promise, bought the little boy his favorite gift and said to him, “From the tree you planted, you would become an outstanding botanist (植物学家) when you grew up.”
Since then, the little boy gradually became optimistic. One day, the little boy lay on the bed but couldn’t sleep. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, he suddenly recalled what the biology teacher once said, plants generally grow at night. Why not go to see the tree? When he came to the courtyard on tiptoe, he found his father was splashing something under his tree with a large spoon. All of a sudden, he understood: his father had been secretly fertilizing his small tree! He returned to his room, tears running down his face. Even if it is just a spoon of clear water, it can make the tree of life thrive.
1.It can be learned from paragraphs 1-2 that the little boy ______ .
A.was ambitious in spite of his disability
B.was disabled and therefore less confident
C.showed no interest in plants and quit watering the tree
D.felt lonely and unlucky due to the prejudice against him
2.Why did father help the little boy in the competition?
A.He intended to offer him a gift.
B.He believed that he is gifted in botany.
C.He attempted to give him more encouragement.
D.He wanted to help him adapt to his disability.
3.Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.The Best Nutrition of Life
B.A Precious Gift from Father
C.An Unforgettable Competition in Life
D.The Most Powerful Support for the Disabled
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
Not many years ago a man rented a store in a street named Market Street. While very busy getting boxes and other things inside the store, he happened to see a boy of eleven years standing by. So the merchant （商人）called to the boy, "See here, boy, if you help me today, I'll pay you well. " The boy looked at him but made no answer. The merchant asked "Don't you want to work?" The boy made some sorts of gestures, but remained silent. “Oh! you're some lazy, I guess. Well, if you don't want to work or even speak, just pass along about your business. " The merchant thought the boy's lazy attitude and silence meant disrespect and defiance （蔑视），and soon began to feel angry about it. "A young thief, I guess, watching his chance to steal something and run," thought the merchant. Soon he approached the boy with a threatening look. To his amazement, The boy stood back, making strange gestures and expressions.
"I'll teach you how to make faces and laugh at me. You've been doing this long enough." And without further delay the merchant raised his hand. But the boy, instead of running off, fell down on the pavement. Several people hurried to the spot and inquired what was the matter. "Why! That lazy boy refused to work when I offered him pay and hung around even when I ordered him away, and finally made faces and disrespectful gestures at me. So I was going to scare him and he dropped like that. He was not hurt enough to even cry about it. " One looker-on said, "Sir, that is poor Danny, he is deaf and dumb, perfectly inoffensive when you know him. We all humor him and let him stay around as long as he pleases, for his eyes are the chief blessings he possesses, and they can't injure anything."
When they lifted Danny, they found a wound upon his forehead, and tears were slowly creeping down his cheeks. Danny was carried into a store, and one of his friends who understood how to communicate with him, explained the merchant's mistake.
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假定你是学校英语俱乐部主席李华，你校要举办一场文艺演出，需要两个英语节目。请你写一个通知，征集节目，内容包括
1.节目形式（英文歌曲或者英文短剧）；
2.提供详细计划；
3.报名方式和截止时间。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As the train picked up its speed, the passengers slowly settled down on their seats. A（n）_________lady occupied the front seat of mine. She must be in her eighties, I guessed. She smiled at me. Out of curiosity, I gave her_________. But both of us were_________.
It was 4:50 pm. So, bed time was still in a long way. I couldn’t_________myself any longer and asked, “Aunty！Where are you going?”
She_________me for a while and replied, “Army camp, dear.”
Suddenly my_________doubled to know the reason. I politely said, “Aunty, you are_________someone?”
She smiled and I continued to say: “Aunty, you must be feeling so_________to see your child and your grandchildren.”
Perhaps, this question_________her a little but she answered, “Oh, dear! You are so sweet!__________, I had only one son who joined the__________and was killed in a battle just a few days before. I had__________so many new clothes for him. So, I thought why not__________my son’s clothes to some other soldiers, so that I would control my__________and would be happy thinking that my own son has worn it. He was__________, so I don’t have any grand child.”
I was astonished at her heart breaking story! But I admired the old lady from the core of my heart.
1.A.elderly B.famous C.stubborn D.smart
2.A.response B.exploration C.research D.amazement
3.A.dynamic B.calm C.silent D.positive
4.A.resist B.forgive C.deserve D.demand
5.A.cared about B.stared at C.attended to D.watched over
6.A.anxiety B.embarrassment C.appreciation D.curiosity
7.A.visiting B.charging C.sentencing D.reminding
8.A.puzzled B.frightened C.astonished D.excited
9.A.entertained B.attracted C.hurt D.impressed
10.A.Besides B.Therefore C.Still D.Anyway
11.A.club B.league C.party D.army
12.A.shared B.counted C.bought D.buried
13.A.sold B.donate C.connect D.expand
14.A.sorrow B.shock C.sickness D.energy
15.A.unbelievable B.unbearable C.unemployed D.unmarried
