1、 Unit 6 How to Write a Rotten Poem with Almost No Effort Key to the Exercises Text comprehension I. Decide which of the following the author is most concerned with. B II. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or false. 1. T (Refer to Paragraph 2.) 2. F (Refer to Par
2、agraph 2. Good poets and poems are lost forever simply because there is no market for them, or so few people read their poems.) 3. T (Refer to Paragraph 4.) 4. T (Refer to Paragraphs 5?.) 5. T (Refer to Paragraphs 11?2.) III. Answer the following questions. 1. Refer to Paragraphs 1?. The problem wit
3、h poetry is that people find it too difficult to write a poem, so they dont even try. And even worse, they have virtually given up reading poems. The author believes that people can be encouraged to write a poem very easily, even if the poem is really rotten. 2. Refer to Paragraph 3. The idea is to
4、make it easy for everyone to write at least one poem in his life. 3. Refer to Paragraphs 5?. That is a rule of thumb and the fashion of today. Unusual nouns and conflicting human senses can create profound images and feelings and a poetic atmosphere. 4. Refer to Paragraphs 10?1. When youve written a
5、 poem, it will be an accomplishment, so you may feel free to read the works of your fellow poets. You will perhaps find some inspiration from their poems and therefore continue writing your poems and for this purpose keep observing the emotions of yourself and others. 5. You can have a try anyway. I
6、V. Explain in your own words the following sentences. 1. Good poets have stopped writing poems, because there are fewer and fewer readers and fellow poets. They cannot depend on poetry writing for a living, and there is no more poetic society from which they can draw inspirations and stimulations. 2
7、. The point of poetry is to express and record emotions. So when you read poems, you will observe the emotions of the poet and when you write your own poem, you need to observe and organize your own. Structural analysis of the text “Once a person has written a poem, of whatever quality, he will feel
8、 comradeship with fellow poets and, hopefully, read their works. Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the quality of life worldwide. Not only that, good poets could make a living for a change. (Paragraph 3) “But at least its a poem and youve written i
9、t, which is an accomplishment that relatively few people can claim. (Paragraph 10) “Chances are, youll find their offerings stimulating and refreshing. You might even try writing some more of your own poems, now that youve broken the ice. Observe others emotions and experience your own - thats what
10、poetry is all about. (Paragraph 11) Rhetorical features of the text “The last line of your poem should deal with the future in some way.“ (Paragraph 8) “How that poem (like yours, when youre finished) is rotten.“ (Paragraph 10) Vocabulary exercises I. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in
11、your own words. 1. extremely intense 2. The practical principle 3. just like; following the example of 4. Probably; Quite likely 5. made a start despite the difficulty II. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word taken from the box in its appropriate form. 1. epic 2. squalid 3. veritable 4. po
12、unded 5. aroma 6. evolved 7. lyrics 8. claimed III. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words. 1. imponderables 2. poetic/poetical 3. accidentally 4. unsought 5. cuddliest 6. juicy 7. disorientated 8. versed IV. Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with an appropriate phrasal
13、 verb or collocation taken from the text. 1. conjures up 2. dealt with 3. seek out 4. think of 5. ended/started with 6. break . up 7. relates to 8. came up with V. Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used. 1. Synonym: unfamiliar (strange) 2. Synony
14、m: fellowship (brotherhood) 3. Antonym: lower (degrade) 4. Antonym: exceptional (excellent) 5. Synonym: caress (hug, embrace) 6. Antonym: unrealistic (impractical) 7. Synonym: skilled (expert, proficient, successful) 8. Synonym: product (composition) VI. Explain the underlined phrasal verbs in your
15、own words. 1. affects 2. catching up with 3. been involved in 4. tell exactly 5. rejected 6. make understood 7. tried to get 8. thought seriously about Grammar exercises I. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate verb forms. 1. shake 2. to do, wait, to let 3. standing 4. finding (To in
16、 the expression with a view to is a preposition.) 5. take, make, drink 6. leave (When rather than appears at the beginning of a sentence, we use bare infinitive after it.) 7. being spoken 8. be, look II. Complete the sentences using either the infinitive or the -ing form of the verbs in brackets. 1.
17、 to drink 2. turning 3. to tell 4. to give 5. getting 6. to check 7. living 8. taking 9. to lift 10. talking III. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form. 1. getting up, walking 2. making 3. carry 4. getting 5. leading 6. live 7. writing 8. stealing IV. Complete each sentence with what you t
18、hink the most appropriate of the four choices given. 1. C (We use the simple present to describe things that are always true or situations that exist now and will go on indefinitely.) 2. D 3. B 4. D 5. C 6. A (In a formal style, the verb should be singular when the subject is “either“.) 7. A 8. C V.
19、 Complete the following sentences with the appropriate forms of the verbs given. 1. has been ringing 2. had been made up 3. will be giving 4. comes 5. would have 6. was getting 7. started (We use the past tense in the clauses after its time, would rather, wish.) 8. had been 9. will improve/improves
20、(The verb hope can be followed by a present tense with a future meaning, especially in the first person.) 10. says (The simple present is often used in introducing quotations.) VI. Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping the italicized parts in your sentences. 1. e.g. The
21、 course you are going to take will not be exciting. It wont even be interesting. But you will find it helpful in the long run. 2. e.g. Now that you have written your first poem, you should not find it difficult to compose a second one. Translation exercises I. Translate the following sentences into
22、Chinese. 1. 这一天你过得很糟糕，或是有了个绝妙的想法，又或者遭遇车祸，再或情场失意，你想把它永久记录下来。 2. 优秀诗人和诗歌永远消失了，就是因为没有市场 没人写诗，也没人想从别的诗人那里汲取灵感。 3. 理想的状态是，名副其实的诗人公民社会发展起来了，全世界范围内的生活质量得以提升。 4. 这种展望未来的结尾给人一种希望的意味，不过也不必弄到太过乐观的地步。 II. Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and phrases given in brackets. 1. Sometimes
23、, we have to make a choice because there is no middle ground. 2. He often conjured up visions of the past when he was free from the pressures of life. 3. He often refreshed himself with a cup of strong black coffee when he felt fatigued. 4. He thrust past a throng of drunken men and bargaining women
24、 and walked on through the flaring streets. 5. Experienced translators, though lacking in theory, can render one language into another by rule of thumb. 6. It was generally believed that the major purpose of the foreign ministers trip was to break the ice with regards to the relations between the tw
25、o countries. 7. Reading good books and making friends with good people can elevate the mind. 8. The flowers and the colorful lights lent a festive atmosphere to this ancient small town. III. Translate the following passage into Chinese. 诗歌像语言一样无处不在，并且几乎和语言一样古老。在某些方面，读诗很像读小说：我们注意细节和语言，搞清上下文的关系并作出推断，最
26、后得出结论。然而，读诗又与平常的阅读有所不同。与小说比较，诗歌则是一种浓缩和含蓄的艺术。 读诗一遍是不够的，因为一首好诗，读一遍是不能读尽其意的。 读诗的最佳方法与读报的最佳方法正好相反。读报是迅速浏览，读诗则是慢慢咀嚼。我们为什么要读诗呢？我们认为读诗可以得到快乐。比如：通过读诗，我们可以发现并享受斯宾塞的梦幻、弥尔顿的壮丽、华兹华斯的自然简洁、济慈的优美旋律以及拜伦的叙事魅力。另 外，读诗使人明智灵秀，那是培根在论学习中告诉我们的。 Exercises for integrated skills I. Dictation script Poetry as an art form may h
27、ave predated literacy./ Some of the earliest poetry/ is believed to have been orally recited or sung./ Following the development of writing,/ poetry has since developed into increasingly structured forms,/ though much poetry since the late 20th century/ has moved away from traditional forms/ towards
28、 the more vaguely defined free verse/ and prose poem formats. Poetry is often closely related to musical traditions,/ and much of it can be attributed to religious movements./ Many of the poems surviving from the ancient world/ are a form of recorded cultural information/ about the people of the pas
29、t,/ and their poems are prayers or stories/ about religious subject matter,/ histories about their politics and wars,/ and the important organizing myths of their societies. II. Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE word you think appropriate. (1) questions (2) will (3) ones (4) accounts
30、(5) apply (6) as (7) need (8) at (9) wish (10) feel (11) music (12) case Cultural Background About Poetry 1. History of Poetry Some of the earliest poetry is believed to have been orally recited or sung, closely related to musical traditions, and much of it can be attributed to religious movements:
31、rhythm, rhyme, compression, intensity of feeling, the use of refrains. Following the development of writing, poetry has since developed into increasingly structured forms. Written composition meant poets began to compose for an absent reader. Much poetry since the late 20th century has moved away fr
32、om traditional forms towards the more vaguely defined free verse and prose poem formats. 2. Classification Three major genres: Epic poetry: a long story about brave actions and exciting events; Lyric poetry: more personal, shorter poems intended to be sung; Dramatic poetry: comedy and tragedy as sub
33、genres. Text I How to Write a Rotten Poem with Almost No Effort Richard Howey Global Reading I. Text Analysis Modern life is more about material and tangible goods than about spirit pursuit. We set clear targets for our future, neglecting that we are gradually losing one joy that human kind usually
34、have: the fun of spontaneity. The writer of this essay reminds us that poetry, especially creating poems, can provide us such pleasure. Though the writer of this essay writes in a half-mocking tone, and the method he introduces will not ensure us to create a wonderful, or even presentable poem, his
35、real purpose is to make the creation of a poem less difficult than we may imagine and to induce amateurs to set their first steps on their journey to a more aesthetic life. II. Structural Analysis 1. In terms of organization, the article clearly falls into three main parts: The first part (Paragraph
36、s 1-3) introduces the problem with poetry and the significance of the writers solution. The second part (Paragraphs 4-9) introduces in detail how people can create a poem of their own. The third part (Paragraphs10-12) serves as the ending of the essay. In this part, the writer reiterates his intenti
37、on and make s kit clear he is just joking by presenting such a method of creating a poem. 2. The mocking tone of the author is mingled with some fairly emotional statements which reveal his real love of poetry, e.g. “Once a person has written a poem, of whatever quality, he will feel comradeship wit
38、h fellow poets and, hopefully, read their works. Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the quality of life worldwide. Not only that, good poets could make a living for a change.” (Paragraph 3) “But at least its a poem and youve written it, which is an
39、accomplishment that relatively few people can claim.” (Paragraph 10) “Chances are, youll find their offerings stimulating and refreshing. You might even try writing some more of your own poems, now that youve broken the ice. Observe others emotions and experience your own thats what poetry is all about. (Paragraph 11)
