3．Long ago，poems were recited out loud instead of being written down．Back when the Greeks first started the Olympics，they held poetry contests as well as athletic competitions．
Now，poetry competitions have been revived．This year 120，000 high school students competed in the first Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest，performing poems from memory for $100，000 in prizes．
The first competitions were held in classrooms．The winners went on to schoolwide contests，and then they competed in city and state competitions，and then the 50 state champions，along with the District of Columbia champion came to Washington，D．C．，last week for the last showdown（对决）．After the 51 champions competed against one another，12 went on to the finals．Then the field was narrowed to five．The final five had one last chance to"perform"a poem．The overall champ，Jackson Hille，a high school senior from Ohio，won a $20，000 scholarship．
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation started Poetry Out Loud because they realized that hearing a poem performed is a different experience from reading it on the page．
It's not just a matter of saying the words in the right order．It's the tone of voice，the pauses，the gestures，and the attitude of the person performing that bring the words to life．"Each time we hear somebody recite a poem，we understand again what we found fresh and interesting about it，"says National Public Radio broadcaster Scott Simon，master of ceremonies for the finals．Hearing it in a new voice offers something new to the listener．
Not only do the people hearing poems have a new experience，memorizing and presenting poems helps the participants understand those poems in a new way．Another benefit of a competition such as Poetry Out Loud is that the participants learn public-speaking skills that can help them for life．
41．From the first paragraph，we can knowC．
A．the Greeks were the first to write poems
B．the Olympics used to start with poem reciting
C．poems were spread orally in the past
D．athletes were asked to recite poems before competing
42．How many rounds of competitions did the champions take before they went to Washington，D．C．？
B
A．Three． B．Four C．Five． D．Six．
43．According to the passage，hearing a poem recited in a new canD．
A．bring a new life to listeners
B．help listeners find their interest
C．make listeners learn the words
D．offer something new to listeners
44．One benefit the participants get from a competition such as Poetry Out Loud is that they canA．
A．become confident while speaking in public
B．write good poems themselves
C．change their attitudes towards life
D．make friends with many great poets
45．What's the best title for the passage？C
A．Reciting poems improves your memory．
B．Remembering a lot of poems is fun．
C．Poetry rocks the microphone．
D．Poets have a great time．
分析 举办诗歌大赛不仅可以传承诗歌，还可以让参赛者活动演讲能力，对于听众来说也是一次全新体验的过程．
解答 41-45 CBDAC
41．C 细节题．根据第一句话Long ago，poems were recited out loud instead of being written down可得知，很久以前，诗歌是靠大声背诵传递而不是靠书写，故选C．
42．B 推理题．根据The winners went on to schoolwide contests，and then they competed in city and state competitions，and then the 50 state champions，along with the District of Columbia champion came to Washington，D．C．last week for the last showdown（对决）．参赛人员一共经历四次比赛，schoolwide contests、in city and state competitions，and then the 50 state champions，故选B．
43．D 细节题．根据because they realized that hearing a poem performed is a different experience from reading it on a page．以及Hearing it in a new voice offers something new to the listener．可知，听诗歌被诵读是一次 别样的经历，故选D．
44．A 细节题．根据最后一句话 the participants learn public-speaking skills that can help them for life．推出参赛者通过比赛学到公开演讲的能力，故选A．
45．C 主旨 大意题．通过全文的内容可知，举办诗歌大赛不仅可以传承诗歌，还可以让参赛者活动演讲能力，对于听众来说也是一次全新体验的过程，故选C，诗歌震撼麦克风可以作为标题．
点评 本文是社会文化类阅读理解．做这类题材阅读理解时要求考生对文章通读一遍，做题时结合原文和题目有针对性的找出相关语句进行仔细分析，结合选项选出正确答案．推理判断题也是要在抓住关键句子的基础上合理的分析才能得出正确答案，切忌胡乱猜测，一定要做到有理有据
