B
Most of us had no idea what to expect last Monday. Our teachers told us that it was School Poetry Week. The whole school would see a show called Poetry Play.
When we got to the hall, we saw a big box in the middle of the stage. A man was sitting on it. After everyone sat down, the man stood up. He started pulling up the sail on a ship. There was no ship. There was no rope. He didn't say anything. But we could understand exactly what he was doing. We all got very quiet and watched. Soon he was sailing on the sea. He began speaking, "If I had a ship, I'd sail my ship." He was reciting(背诵) The Island, a poem by A. A. Milne.
By then we knew that Peter Williams, the man on the stage, was going to give us a great performance. Between poems, he often lifted the lid(盖子) of the box and put his head inside. When he came out, he had changed into a different character by putting on a funny nose or a hat. First he was a silly guy with big red cheeks and a round nose. Then he turned into a very proper English gentleman. Next he was a cat. With each change he used a different voice. Williams was truly amazing. He became five different characters and recited more than twenty poems in all.
His performance of Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll was one of the best parts of the show. The poem is filled with made-up words. No one knows exactly what they mean. But when Peter Williams acted out the poem, it became an exciting experience.
Williams was often very funny. But he was serious too. He really showed how poems can fit every mood. He told us that we should read poems out loud. We should all try to learn some poems by heart. He left us with these words from a poem by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, "Keep a poem in your pocket."
If you visit our school today, you'll see that Peter Williams's words come to life. In every room you will hear people reading poems out loud. Ask anyone what his or her favourite poem is. Your friend will probably start reciting it!
Poetry Play got School Poetry Week off to a wonderful start.
(
C
) 5. Why did Peter Williams put his head inside the box between poems?
A. To be a silly guy. B. To use different voices.
C. To act different characters. D. To be a proper gentleman.
(
D
) 6. Which of the following sentences tells an opinion, not a fact?
A. The poem is filled with made-up words.
B. We saw a big box in the middle of the stage.
C. Our teachers told us that it was School Poetry Week.
D. Poetry Play got School Poetry Week off to a wonderful start.
(
A
) 7. What does the underlined phrase "come to life" in the sixth paragraph mean?
A. Make a difference. B. Drive us mad.
C. Win high praise. D. Lead to success.
(
C
) 8. What do we know about Poetry Play?
A. It helped students write poems.
B. It was a boring performance.
C. It turned out to be a big success.
D. It helped students know the made-up words.
(
B
) 9. What's the purpose of the passage?
A. To explain how to write a poem.
B. To tell about a show called Poetry Play.
C. To give information about poetry.
D. To make the readers learn how to recite poems.
