No poem should ever be discussed or "analyzed", until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end, so the sound of the poem is the last thing one hears of it.
All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling 'interpretation' of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once. Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on film, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching cannot replace the student and teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it.
I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than "analyzing" it, if there isn't time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is "a criticism of life", "a heightening of life, enjoyment with others". It is "an approach to the truth of feeling", and it "can save your life". It also deserves a place in the teaching of language and literature more central than it presently occupies.
I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don't like it should not be forced to put that dislike on anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its essential nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it.
It is made from grapes grown without pesticides (杀虫剂) and chemicals, is kind to the environment and rarely causes hangovers (宿醉). Sales of organic(有机的) wine are booming in the UK.
According to the organic food and farming group Soil Association, sales of organic beers, wines and spirits rose by 14.3% last year to reach nearly ￡6 million, driven by the demand from consumers who are increasingly seeking “natural” food.
“It seems that people are rediscovering their link with the environment through organic food. Organic wines also taste better, perhaps due to less use of man-made chemicals.” said Finn Cottle of Soil Association. As well as the benefits of producing grapes without using pesticides, organic wine also contains less sulphur dioxide (二氧化硫), which can contribute towards hangovers.
Supermarkets are increasing supplies on their shelves to meet consumer demand, while the switch to online shopping has also helped, as people are more easily able to find what they are looking for. Vintage Roots is now one of the UK's biggest online shops of organic wine, while Ocado provides more than 100 different organic wines and Daylesford, best-known for its organic vegetable boxes, has branched out into organic wine and spirits.
The discount supermarket Aldi is set to start its first collection of so-called “green” wines this week, offering eight wines with organic certificates. Aldi expects the wines to appeal to the young shoppers who are increasingly concerned about the environmental influence of the produce that they are buying and consuming.
English organic wine producer Oxney Estate's Noir Rosé recently won the Waitrose prize for the most outstanding rosé wine at the competition. A spokeswoman for Waitrose said:“Organic wine is a growing trend globally and we have seen sales increase by 16% in the last year”.
As anyone who freelances(做自由职业) knows, there are lots of advantages of working at home alone. But there are drawbacks too, like the potential loneliness. No wonder co-working spaces are becoming so popular: they permit self-employed individuals to feel like they are part of all office environment, while making them get some work done too. But renting a co-working space does cost money.
Now a Swedish project is aiming to change that by turning people's under-used homes into temporary co-working spaces, available to freelancers for free. Hoffice was started by freelancers Christofer Gradin Franzen and Johline Zandra about a year ago in Stockholm when they invited a few people into their home office to work together. It was a great success, and the project has since spread to a number of cities in Europe, North and South America, Australia, India and Japan. Anyone can sign up and offer their home space as a free co-working space, or go to find a Hoffice near them.
On a Hoffice day, everyone arrives and starts work at a certain hour. After 45 minutes, everyone gets up to take a break, stretch, do qigong or yoga for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, people can gather around again, and restate their intentions and goals for the rest of the workday, as a way to motivate each other. Meals can be eaten together at a certain hour, potluck-style(家常饭) or by bringing your own lunch.
This process creates an encouraging and supportive work environment. As some freelancers describe,“By working at Hoffice, we give ourselves and each other the gift to spend our days in a social working environment, where we are extremely productive without ignoring our other human needs. We also make sure to give us and each other what we need to feel calm, happy, inspired and creative during the working day.”
So Hoffice is not just about sharing space; it's also about a free exchange of ideas. And perhaps the best thing is that Hoffices are free to use.
Managing your time is a lot like managing money. With 24 hours a day multiplied by seven days a week, your weekly time budget is 168 hours per week.
Step 1:
Estimate(估计) the amount of time per week you spend on each activity, such as class time, athletics fitness, socializing with friends and other hobby time and so on.
Step 2: Assess your use of time.
a) Add together the total time you will use per week.
b) Now subtract(减去)the total time from 168 hours.
If the number you get is negative, you have used more time than there is in a week. You should cut back in certain area.
If you have time left over, ask yourself what choices can be made.Volunteering? Friends? If your time used equals 168, great! Now take a look at any hours you may be spending in some areas that you want to start using in other ways.
Step 3: Determine a goal and plan of action for better time use.
What would you most like to do to better manage your time? You should consider using a calendar or planner(记事簿).
Some tips: Color-code your calendar or planner by the activities listed above, and once you make a schedule, do your best to stick with it.
Step
You'll want to take a look at this again at the start of each term, if you get a job, or if you notice any changes in your physical or emotional condition.
Besides, it is advisable to make a long-term goal in the first year and work towards it in the very beginning.
A. You are in trouble.
B. This is a good start.
C. Repeat, when necessary.
D. Do you have time for more sleep?
E. Figure out how you use your time each week.
F. Once you spend it, it's gone, so you have to make it all count.
G. It can help you keep track of time, projects, tasks and be more efficient.
My Hero
What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.
When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I've ever had to 1through. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I2into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).
3I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be 4, but I had to try. I joined Women's Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best 5of my life.
As the year progressed, I loved the chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy 6.
Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was 7, and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could 8him. Trying hard to 9back tears, I told him the whole story.
When I finished, he nodded and told me,“If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth 10your joy.”What Mr. Wright said really 11a chord(心弦) in my heart. He12cared about me and what was going on. I'll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has13every day of my life since. Any time I feel like giving 14, I remember Mr. Wright's words and push forward.
I'm proud to say that I 15my depression, and I'm now a senior. I'm still a 16of chorus, and now I'm also in the best choir at my school.
Mr. Wright is a hero 17everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I've known. That's 18he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the 19not just this year but every year.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an 20teacher, and I hope you realize that. You're my hero.
This weekend I was delighted to show my parents around Seville, as they (come) for a short but sweet visit. Although the weather wasn't the best, we still made best of our time together.
Being reunited with the people you love in a new place (bring)such excitement. Showing them around the new city makes you (extraordinary)happy. For example, as Seville is known for flamenco(弗拉门科舞), I took them to see a famous (perform)my friends recommended to me, which gave us such a wonderful visual feast. Furthermore, getting to show your visitors the places (appeal)to you is a pleasant feeling, because you are eager to let them know where you love to spend your time. You are letting them get involved your new life. Also you have the opportunity (show) your loved ones the new places that they may fall in love with.
So, after a two-day trip, I feel pleased to have had the time to explore those (attraction) with my parents. I am already looking forward to their next visit I can show them more of what Seville offers and what I am still yet to discover.
1）能激发学生阅读兴趣,开拓视野;
2）适合高中学生的英文水平。
注意：
1）词数80左右;
2）可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Williams,
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
Calling Latin a dead language is a matter of semantics (语义学).There are those who would suggest Latin is not dead, and that it lives on in everyday language used by billions of people worldwide. Others argue that because there're routine updates on Latin published by the Roman Catholic Church, it is still alive and developing.
However, Latin is no longer used, on a daily basis, by the vast majority of people outside of specific religious settings, where tradition influences its use. It is no longer anyone's native language. While its use is still taught, Latin is no longer considered to be a developing language to the degree of most modern languages.
The reasons for Latin dying out are numerous. Perhaps the most significant one has to do with the decline of the Roman Empire. During the Roman period, language was standardized to a greater degree. Because Rome was the most powerful political country in the Western world at the time, most of those who had any ambition to succeed had a desire to learn Latin. As a result, the language spread rapidly. However that rapid expansion would eventually begin to plateau (处于停滞状态)and finally decline.
Latin continued to be used during the medieval period. Throughout Europe, it remained the language of choice. However, with nothing to unite the continent, there was no need for a uniform language. So slowly, over a period of hundreds of years, Latin began to change as different regions developed their own dialects (方言),known as the Romance languages today, among which the most commonly spoken and recognizable are Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French.
Though not directly related to the Romance languages, Latin still has had an effect on many other languages. English, for example, which is not one of the Romance languages but a Germanic one, can trace nearly two-thirds of its words back to Latin roots.
