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Unit 4 A garden of poems

http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/10/25 09:32 新浪教育

　　抓好限时阅读

　　无论是在高考还是在平时的英语测试中，做阅读理解题都是有时间限制的，如果没有一定量的限时阅读训练，就有可能在考试时做不完题。按照高考的要求，五篇阅读理解题应分配的时间为35分钟，阅读速度为每分钟50~60个单词。因此，有目的地进行限时阅读训练，是按时做完阅读理解题的保障。平时要养成在规定时间内完成短文的阅读、理解和答题的好习惯。在平时的训练过程中，不要将时间过多地用于对自己来说特别难的问题上，因为所有问题的分值都是相同的。只要同学们坚持不懈地努力，提高阅读速度和做题的准确率是可以达到的。

　　Passage A

　　阅读理解…………………………………………………………………

　　Whitman was one of the most original and inspiring American poets, true to his art and to his role as a poet. He devoted himself to poetry praising the native American experience①. As Americas first epic poem, Leaves of Grass ran nine editions with more than 400 poems all written in free verse (诗) form, that is, poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. The tide implies rebirth, renewal, or green life. As Whitman once said, “Leaves of Grass was the outcropping of my own emotional and other personal nature — an attempt, from first to last, to put a person, a human being freely, fully and truly on record.”

　　For Whitman, science, democracy (民主) and spirituality (灵性) were the three things that underlay the structure of modern poetry. Whitman tried to blend (混合) the world of science, the philosophy of democracy and the spiritual feeling of life into one, to incorporate (合并) these into his poetry. For Whitman, the poetic form was to be organic, not restrained (受限制的). Therefore, he threw aside the traditional ornaments (修饰) and prettiness of verse and had his own form. Both the form and content of his poems are revolutionary. With its frequent use of colloquial (通俗的) language and everyday events, his verse represents a turning point in the history of American poetry② — poetry fashioned out of specially American experience in a distinctly (清楚地) American idiom. Whitmans unique poetic creation has developed a very significant tradition in American poetry.

　　In his poems, he celebrated new America rather than regretted it. He was against slavery, idolized (崇拜的) Lincoln, supported strikes, and combined the ideal of the democratic common people and that of the ragged individual.

　　注释

　　………………………………

　　①He devoted himself to poetry praising the native American experience. 他致力于赞颂当地美国人体验的诗歌创作。

　　②With its frequent use of colloquial (通俗的) language and everyday events, his verse represents a turning point in the history of American poetry...有了他经常使用的通俗语言和日常事件，他的诗歌象征着美国诗歌史上的一个转折点……

　　根据文章内容，选择正确答案：

　　1. Whitman wrote poems mainly to ____ .

　　A. praise the rich people in the USA

　　B. call on others to turn against the government

　　C. let others know more about the native American experience

　　D. make more money and become famous

　　2. In Whitmans opinion, what were the three things that underlay the structure of modern poetry?

　　A. Education, democracy and spirituality.

　　B. Science, democracy and spirituality.

　　C. Poems, science and democracy.

　　D. Science, poems and spirituality.

　　3. The poet threw aside the traditional ornaments and prettiness of verse and had his own form because ____ .

　　A. he thought the poetic form was not restrained but organic

　　B. all the poets did so

　　C. the readers didnt like the traditional ornaments and prettiness of verse

　　D. he wanted to make his poems special

　　4. According to the passage, we know Whitman was a poet who ____ .

　　A. didnt like common people

　　B. was a selfish man

　　C. cared for common people

　　D. didnt have his own ideal

　　Passage B

　　阅读理解…………………………………………………………………

　　American poetry differs from British or English poetry chiefly because Americas culturally different traditions exerted (施加) pressure on the English language, changing its tones, diction, forms, and rhythms until something identifiable as American English appeared. American poetry is verse written in this changed form of English.

　　The term American poetry is in some ways a contradiction (矛盾)①. America represents a break with tradition and the invention of a new culture separate from the European past. Poetry, on the other hand, represents tradition itself, a long history of expression carried to America from a European past. American poetry thus embodies (收录) a clearly identifiable tension (紧张) between tradition and innovation, past and future, and old forms and new forms. American poetry remains a hybrid (混合物), a literature that tries to separate itself from the tradition of English literature even as it adds to and changes that tradition.

　　American poetry could be defined (定义) differently, however, especially if it is not limited to poetry in English②. Without that qualifying term, American poetry has its origins in the rich oral traditions of Native American cultures. Each of these cultures developed complex symbolic tales of the origins and history of its people, akin (类似的) to great poems in the European tradition. These tales were performed as part of rituals (仪式) and passed on through memorization from one generation to the next. Some of them have been translated into English. Yet these works tend to disappear from most histories of American poetry because they were part of ongoing performances based in spoken rather than written language. Moreover, their rhythms and sounds are bound to the native languages in which they developed. Similarly, there is a rich heritage of Spanishlanguage poetry written in America from the time of the earliest Spanish explorers to current Hispanic and Chicano and Chicana poetry. American poetry traditions also have thrived in many other languages, from Chinese to Yiddish, as the result of centuries of immigration to the United States.

　　注释

　　………………………………

　　① The term American poetry is in some ways a contradiction. 美国诗歌这个术语在某些方面自相矛盾。

　　②American poetry could be defined (定义) differently, however, especially if it is not limited to poetry in English. 然而，美国诗歌可以给予不同的定义，尤其它如果不被局限于英语诗歌。

　　根据文章内容，回答下列问题：

　　1. Whats the difference between American poetry and British or English poetry?

　　2. Why is American poetry a contradiction?

　　3. Where does American poetry have its origins?

　　4. Why does the symbolic tales of the origins tend to disappear from most of histories of American poetry?

　　Passage C

　　阅读理解…………………………………………………………………

　　During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the London District of Southwark was prospering (繁荣), and a very important and farreaching development was taking place at Bankside, an area situated just beside the church now known as Southwark Cathedral. The Rose Theatre, the Swan, the Hope Playhouse and Bear Garden, were set up here along with the famous Globe Theatre, in which Shakespeare acted.

　　William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright whose body of works is considered the greatest in English literature①. He is commemorated (纪念) in Southwark Cathedral today by the modern memorial window in the south aisle (通道). The window was designed by Christopher Webb in 1954, after an earlier window had been destroyed in the war, and describes characters from Shakespeares plays. Below it is a figure of Shakespeare, carved by Henry McCarthy in 1912, set against a background of seventeenthcentury Southwark in relief (浮雕), showing the Globe Theatre, Winchester Palace and the Tower of St. Saviours Church. This memorial was provided by public support and was dedicated (奉献) in 1911, and every year a birthday service, attended by many great actors and actresses, is held here in honour of Shakespeares genius. Shakespeares brother Edmund was buried here in 1607, and, although the position of Edmunds grave is unknown, he is commemorated by an inscribed (刻写的) stone②.

　　注释

　　………………………………

　　①William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright whose body of works is considered the greatest in English literature. 威廉·莎士比亚是一位英国诗人和剧作家，他的所有作品被认为是英国文学中最伟大的作品。

　　②Shakespeares brother Edmund was buried here in 1607, and, although the position of Edmunds grave is unknown, he is commemorated by an inscribed stone. 莎士比亚的弟弟Edmund于1607年埋葬于此，尽管人们不知道Edmund坟墓的位置，但还是用一块刻字石碑来纪念他。

　　根据文章内容，选择正确答案：

　　1. In Shakespeares lifetime, Bankside in Southwark was wellknown for ____ .

　　A. the style of its buildings

　　B. Shakespeares performances at the Globe Theater

　　C. its influence on public taste

　　D. the number of plays produced there

　　2. The original memorial window to Shakespeare in Southwark Cathedral was ____ .

　　A. designed in 1954

　　B. destroyed by enemy action

　　C. replaced during World War II

　　D. carved in 1912

　　3. Under the window there is a ____ .

　　A. painting of seventeenthcentury Southwalk

　　B. wooden picture

　　C. carved figure

　　D. grave of Shakespeare brother

　　4. In Southwark Cathedral, on the anniversary (周年) of Shakespeare's birth, there is ____ .

　　A. a commemoration service

　　B. a drama festival

　　C. a special service for actors

　　D. a theatrical presentation

　　5. This information would most likely be found on ____ .

　　A. an advertisement

　　B. a historical stone

　　C. a tourist guide

　　D. a news bulletin (简报)

　　Passage D

　　完形填空…………………………………………………………………

　　When I was about twelve, I suddenly developed a great passion 1 poetry. I gave up all my other hobbies, 2 collecting stamps, and spent all my spare time reading poetry and writing it①. This habit of writing poetry on every 3 occasion soon got me into trouble at school. If a lesson did not interest me, I 4 take out my notebook and start writing poems in class. Of course I did this very cautiously, but it was not long 5 I got caught. One day while I was busy 6 a poem during a geography lesson. I looked up to find the teacher standing over me, fuming(发怒) with anger because I was not paying attention. He tore the poem up, with a warning 7 time in his class. All the same I was convinced that I had written a good poem, so that evening I wrote it out again from memory②. Not long after, I read about a poetry contest and I decide to send 8 my poem. Weeks later, long after I had given up hope, I got a letter 9 me I had won the first prize. Everyone at school was very impressed, 10 the geography teacher, who watched me more carefully than ever. He was quite determined that I was not going to write poetry in his lesson!

　　注释

　　………………………………

　　①...and spent all my spare time reading poetry and writing it. ……把业余时间都用来看诗写诗了。

　　②All the same I was convinced that I had written a good poem, so that evening I wrote it out again from memory. 我仍然深信我写了一首好诗，因此那天晚上我又把它默写出来。

　　根据文章内容，选择正确答案：

　　1. A. for writingB. to writeC. to writingD. of writing

　　2. A. suchB. asC. so asD. such as

　　3. A. possiblyB. possibleC. probablyD. probable

　　4. A. couldB. shouldC. wouldD. used to

　　5. A. untilB. beforeC. tillD. after

　　6. A. wroteB. to writeC. for writingD. writing

　　7. A. not to wasteB. not wasteC. not wastingD. to not waste

　　8. A. inB. offC. outD. away

　　9. A. convincingB. reformingC. rewardingD. informing

　　10. A. besidesB. except toC. exceptD. except for

　　Passage A

　　本文介绍了美国诗人惠特曼的诗歌特点以及诗人的一些情况。

　　1.C本题为推理判断题。由第一段的第二句“He devoted himself to poetry praising the native American experience.”可得出答案C。

　　2.B本题为细节考查题。第二段“ For Whitman, science, democracy and spirituality were the three things that underlay the structure of modern poetry.”告诉我们惠特曼的诗歌主要特点就是科学、民主和灵性。

　　3.A本题为细节考查题。由第二段第三句“For Whitman, the poetic form was to be organic, not restrained (受限制的).”可知惠特曼的诗歌是接近自然、不受拘束的。

　　4.C推理判断题。由文章第三段最后一句“...combined the ideal of the democratic common people and that of the ragged individual.”可知惠特曼是关心平常人的生活和疾苦的一个诗人。

　　Passage B

　　本文主要向读者介绍了美国诗歌的发展及其主要特点。

　　1.They are different in tones, diction, forms, and rhythms.

　　由文章的第一段第一句“...changing its tones, diction, forms, and rhythms until something identifiable as American English appeared.”可以得出答案。

　　2.Because on the one hand, America represents a break with tradition and the invention of a new culture separate from the European past. Poetry, on the other hand, represents tradition itself.

　　由第二段第二句和第三句“America represents a break with tradition and the invention of a new culture separate from the European past. Poetry, on the other hand, represents tradition itself, a long history of expression carried to America from a European past.”很容易得出答案。

　　3.American poetry has its origin in the rich oral traditions of Native American cultures.

　　短文第三段第二句“Without that qualifying term, American poetry has its origins in the rich oral traditions of Native American cultures.”告诉读者该问题的答案了。

　　4.Because they were part of ongoing performances based in spoken rather than written language and their rhythms and sounds are bound to the native languages in which they developed.

　　由短文第三段第六句和第七句“Yet these works tend to disappear from most histories of American poetry because they were part of ongoing performances based in spoken rather than written language. Moreover, their rhythms and sounds are bound to the native languages in which they developed.”可以找到答案。

　　Passage C

　　本文主要讲述了Bankside这个地方的旅游景点Southwark Cathedral，该地方之所以出名，是因为它紧靠着莎士比亚曾经演出过的剧院。

　　1.B本题为推理判断题。由第一段最后一句“The Rose Theatre, the Swan, the Hope Playhouse and Bear Garden, were set up here along with the famous Globe Theatre, in which Shakespeare acted.”莎士比亚曾经演出过的著名的Globe Theatre就在Bankside，从而得出答案B。

　　2.B本题为推理判断题。由第二段第三句可知，以前建造的窗子毁在战争中，即答案B。

　　3.C本题为细节考查题。由第二段第四句“Below it is a figure of Shakespeare, carved by Henry McCarthy in 1912,...”可得出答案C。

　　4.A本题为细节考查题。第二段第五句中的“...and every year a birthday service, attended by many great actors and actresses, is held here in honour of Shakespeares genius.”可知每年为了纪念莎士比亚，许多演员都来参加他的生日仪式，从而得出答案A。

　　5.C本题为推理判断题。因为本文主要介绍了莎士比亚曾经演出过的剧院，所以本文应属于旅游指南。

　　Passage D

　　本文是一篇记叙文，讲了作者上学时因为喜欢诗，所以经常在上课偷偷写诗，结果在地理课上被老师抓个正着。但作者在地理课写的这首诗却在诗歌比赛中获奖了，不过地理老师并没有因此对他放松。

　　1.A名词passion多与介词for连用。如：He has a passion for music. 他酷爱音乐。

　　2.D词组such as意思是“例如”，表列举。

　　3.B因为空后是名词occasion，所以不能用副词修饰，可把A和C排除；由下文看作者并非总在可能性大的场合看诗和写诗，地理课上写就是一个例子。因此用possible，意思是作者利用一切可能的场合来看诗和写诗。

　　4.C“would+原形动词”可以表示过去总是做某事。

　　5.B此句意思为“但是，没多久我就被抓住了。”句型“It is/was not long before +that clause”表示“没多久……”。

　　6.D词组be busy doing sth. 意思是“忙于做某事”。

　　7.A不定式的否定式应把not放在to的前面，即not to do sth.。

　　8.A词组send in意思是“送去(参加展出)”，send off虽然有“寄出”之意，但指把作品送去参赛时，应用send in。send out意思是“发送，派遣，放出”，send away意为“发送，激遣，驱逐，解雇”。

　　9.D单词inform意思是“通知”，其他词与上文意思不一致。

　　10.C根据下文“...who watched me more carefully than ever.”可以知道地理老师对他看得更紧了，因此可以推断出这位老师对作者获奖这件事不以为然。

　　1. He devoted himself to poetry praising the native American experience.

　　他致力于赞颂当地美国人体验的诗歌创作。(Passage A, Para. 1, Sentence 2)

　　devote是一个及物动词，意思是“将(某人的时间、精力或自己)完全奉献给某项特别的活动、事业、目标或某个人”，与介词to连用。

　　He devoted himself to education. 他献身于教育。

　　We should devote all our efforts to task. 我们应该全力以赴地工作。

　　注意：to为介词，后接名词、代词、动名词等。

　　另外，devoted是形容词，作“热爱的；全心全意的”。如：

　　In my opinion, Tom is a devoted friend. 在我看来，汤姆是一个忠实的朋友。

　　His mother thinks he is a devoted son. 他妈妈认为他是个孝子。

　　2. Of course I did this very cautiously, but it was not long before I got caught. 当然我非常谨慎地做这件事，但不久还是被抓住了。(Passage D, Sentence 5)

　　动词get常与过去分词连用，此时get相当于一个系动词。

　　That girl got married last year. 去年那个女孩结婚了。

　　Its so hot that you may get burnt outside. 天太热了，在外面你可能会被晒黑的。

　　We get paid by the week. 我们按周领工资。

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