Poetry: Beauty of the Past?
—— 《上海学生英文报》高中进阶
(2407期20170221) ·1版
The victory of Wu Yishu (武亦姝), a 16-year-old student from Shanghai, on the Chinese Poetry Conference (《中国诗词大会》) has sparked a storm of media attention to the topic of Chinese poetry. The girl’s extensive knowledge, fast reactions and “poetic bearing” has won her much applause and admiration. Her performance, however, also posed some thought-provoking questions: As Chinese, are we spending too little time on learning the literary gem of our nation? Will we be able to pass on this vibrant (鲜活生动的) piece of culture onto our future generations?
Some people are saying that memorizing hundreds of poems is useless in real life, and I beg to differ. No knowledge is ever useless. Often times, one may grow up and wonder, “Why did I learn that? I won’t ever use it ...” Take calculus (微积分) for example. I may never use calculus again, but it was not worthless. The process of learning calculus trains your brain to spot patterns and solve problems using logic.
The advantages of learning poetry might be a little more abstract. Just like many of the arts, poetry is seemingly less practical than subjects such as math or science. However, it is the embodiment (体现) of mankind’s appreciation for beauty. Just like “a picture is worth a thousand words,” poetry can paint a thousand pictures. In a day and age where individuals are swept up in the hustle and bustle of city life, poetry and literature provide a refuge, a little reminder to slow things down and enjoy the beauty present in everyday life.
What point is there to move forward if nothing is left behind? As many of us may know, China has labeled many heritage sites as “protected,” spending millions to preserve them. These sites are part of China’s history and culture, things that should not be forgotten or destroyed just because the country is modernizing. Poetry is just like these cultural heritage sites, except spending money doesn’t really protect it. The only way to keep it safe is to pass on the knowledge through generations. Do not think of poetry as part of schoolwork; think of it as a piece of culture, just like receiving red packets or getting together with your family every Chinese New Year—you wouldn’t want that to disappear, would you?
教案
PRE-READING
1. Did you watch the Chinese Poetry Conference? If so, do you like the program? Which competitor left you the greatest impressions? Why?
2. Do you like reading poems? Why or why not? How many ancient Chinese poems can you recite?
Class poetry conference
Let’s see who can complete more of the following lines—
1.宣父犹能畏后生，______。
2. 竹杖芒鞋轻胜马，谁怕？______。
3. 男子千年志，______。
4.洛阳亲友如相问，______。
5. 老骥伏枥，志在千里。______。
6.______，夜静春山空。
7. 咬定青山不放松，______。
8.落红不是无情物，______。
9. ______，江湖夜雨十年灯。
10.千里黄云白日曛，______。
Key:
1. 丈夫未可轻年少
2. 一蓑烟雨任平生
3. 吾生未有涯
4. 一片冰心在玉壶
5. 烈士暮年，壮心不已
6. 人闲桂花落
7. 立根原在破岩中
8. 化作春泥更护花
9. 桃李春风一杯酒
10 . 北风吹雁雪纷纷
WHILE READING
Word bank
1.The girl’s extensive knowledge, fast reactions and “poeticbearing” has won her much applause and admiration. Her performance, however, also posed some thought-provoking questions: … the literarygem of our nation?
extensive adj.广泛的，广博的
reaction n.回应，反应
poetic adj.富有诗意的
bearing n.举止，风度
applause n.鼓掌
admiration n.赞赏，钦佩
pose v.引起，产生
thought-provoking adj.引人深思的
literary adj.文学的
gem n.精品
2.The advantages of learning poetry might be a little more abstract. Just like many of the arts, poetry is seemingly less practical than ... However, it is the embodiment of mankind’s appreciation for beauty.
poetryn. 诗作
abstract adj. 抽象的
the arts 人文学科
seemingly adv. 看似，表面上
embodiment n. 体现
appreciation n. 欣赏
Vocabulary exercises
I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the box.
applause gem reaction logic preservation
1.A spokesman said the changes were not in ______to the company’s recent losses.
2. At school, Michael excelled in ______; by 17, he had defended his master’s thesis (学位论文), and three years later, he had qualified for his doctorate (博士学位).
3.The announcement drew loud ______from the audience.
4.The White House is constantly undergoing renovation and ______, not surprising for any house dating from 1800.
5. This picture is the ______of the collection.
Key:
1.reaction2.logic3. applause
4. preservation5. gem
II. Translate the following sentences into English.
1.她说她会把消息传给其他学生。(pass on)
2. 这个委员会正在评定这栋建筑物是否值得保护。(worth)
3. 日历可以作为不错的礼物，只是很多人都已经有一本了。(except)
Possible answers:
1. She said she would pass the message on to the other students.
2. The committee is assessing whether the building is worth preserving.
3. A calendar would make a good gift, except (that) a lot of people already have one.
Comprehension
I.Choose the best answer.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?
A. To express his admiration for Wu Yishu.
B. To encourage us to read and learn poetry.
C. To support such programs as the Chinese Poetry Conference.
D. To analyze why many people consider it a waste of time to learn poetry.
2. In the second paragraph, the author cited his experience of learning calculus as an example to illustrate that ____.
A. learning math can enable us to solve real-life problems using logic
B. the advantage of learning calculus is less abstract than that of learning poetry
C. calculus is less useful than poetry in real life and should not be taught in schools
D. everything we learn in school, from calculus to poetry, is worth our effort
3. According to the article, learning poetry can enable us to ____.
①do away with the hustle and bustle of city life
②slow down and appreciate the beauty around us
③preserve poetry as part of Chinese culture
④understand the abstract pictures in art exhibits
A. ①②B. ②③C. ③④D. ①④
Key:
1.B2. D3. B
II.Answer the following questions.
1. Why does Wu Yishu get so much applause and admiration lately?
A possible answer:Because on the Chinese Poetry Conference, she exhibited her extensive knowledge, fast reactions and “poetic bearing.”
2.What is the author’s purpose in comparing learning poetry with receiving red packets and getting together with our family?
A possible answer:To illustrate that poetry should be given as much attention as red packets and family reunion. Poetry is part of the Chinese culture. It is supposed to be passed on through generations, instead of being forgotten and destroyed.
LANGUAGE STUDY
Grammar tip
…; think of it as a piece of culture, just like receiving red packets or getting together with your family every Chinese New Year—you wouldn’t want that to disappear, would you?
☞英语中的反意疑问句并不总是用来表示疑问。当提问者对所提问题没有把握，希望对方回答时，反意疑问句的前一部分用降调，后一部分用升调；当提问者对所提问题有很大把握，让对方证实时，反意疑问句的前、后两部分都用降调。根据上下文，上例中的would you不表示疑问，应用降调来念。
Your turn
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 大厅里至少有1000人，难道不是吗？
2.我们相信她可以把这件事做得更好，对吧？
3.明天8点前我们必须赶到那里，对吗？
4.这个小女孩不敢一个人回家，是吗？
Key:
1. There are at least 1,000 people in the hall, aren’t there?
2.We believe she can do it better, don’t we?
3.We have to get there before eight tomorrow, don’t we?
4. The little girl doesn’t dare to go home alone, does she?
AFTER READING
Questions for furtherdiscussion:
Do you think it is necessary for poetry to be part of the school curriculum? Why or why not?
Hints:
I think it is necessary to include poetry as part of the school curriculum. Every student should be encouraged to read and memorize as many poems as possible. First, as the author mentioned in the article, poetry is part of China’s culture. We have the responsibility to protect it, to pass it on to the next generation. Second, as we can see from Wu Yishu, keeping a habit of reading and learning poems can really make us not only more knowledgeable but also more graceful. If all of us can form a habit of reading and learning poems, even the world may become more civilized.
上海学生英文报–高中进阶版12月20日 1版教案 第1页，共6页