No poem should ever be discussed or “analyzed”，until it has been read aloud by someone，a teacher or a 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 can not replace the student and the 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” and “a heightening(提升)of life”．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．

    Doing well in high school prepares students for life in college and beyond, so achieving student success is important. High school students learn valuable information from class lectures and homework, and by asking for help when it is needed. Being prepared for tests and engaging in school activities can help a student to achieve success in high school.

    Complete any homework you are assigned on time. Then, if you need help understanding a concept you will have plenty of time to get help.

    Create a study area in your home. This can be a quiet bench outside or a seating area in your room. If you like to listen to music while studying, listen to classical or relaxing music. Be sure to have plenty of lighting in the area to read your textbook or notes.

    Keep a schedule. If you have extra-curricular activities like sports or school meetings, make sure to schedule your homework and study time around them. Keeping a schedule will allow you to get better grades while they are having fun in high school.

    Eat breakfast. Having breakfast each morning before school will give you energy and brain function to pay better attention in class. Eat snacks during study sessions to keep alert and focused on your work.

    Create a study group to help fellow high school students and get help if you need it. Studying with others will help reinforce concepts and information, and if you need help there will always be someone there to help you before you get behind in your studies.

    Set up after-school hours with your teacher if you need extra tutoring. Visiting a teacher for one-on-one time before a test will help you nail down those last few concepts you need help with.

    All over the world people enjoy sports, Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.

    Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when "their" player or team wins.

    Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for(参加) them. Football, for example, has spread(展开)around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! And think of people in cold countries. Think how many love to skate or ski (滑雪) in Japan, Norway or Canada.

    Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

    People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends. Sports help to train(培养,训练) a person's character(性格,品格). One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(胜不骄，败不馁).

    Snowbirds are people who leave their homes when the temperature drops and head to warmer climates. They are mostly retirees(退休人员) and business owners who can afford(付得起) to take the winter off. While the snow flies in the Northern states, they are enjoying golf, sailing and barbecues in mild temperatures in the South. Then, after winter passes, they return to their homes in the North.

    Most snowbirds are away from Canada and the Northern states between the middle of October and the end of November. They pack up and head to Florida, Alabama, Texas, California, and all of the other Southern states. Some may even go as far as Australia or Italy to escape the cold winter weather. There are special communities(社区) for snowbirds in many areas. Snowbirds are also offered special discounts(折扣) in some restaurants, hotels and area attractions. Several states even have special snowbird resorts (度假胜地). There are several online communities and local resources to help snowbirds get set in their seasonal homes.

    Some snowbirds own homes both in the South and in the North. Both homes have everything they will need for their stay, minimizing(最小化) the amount of packing necessary when moving from one to the other. Other snowbirds will rent apartments for their stay outside their home state.

    RVs(房车), are a huge part of the snowbird lifestyle. RVs allow snowbirds to move from place to place on a whim (奇想), bringing everything they need with them. They spend nights in RV parks, large parking lots or anywhere else they choose to stay. RVs have beds, bathrooms, and most other modern conveniences at home. Although the space is small, there is more than enough room for a couple to live in.

    The first organized system for sending messages began in Egypt around 1500 B.C. This system developed because the pharaohs frequently needed to send messages up and down the Nile River in order to keep their empire running smoothly. Later, the Persians developed a more efficient system for sending messages using men and horses. Messages carriers rode along the road system stretching from one end of the Persian Empire to the other. Along these roads, fresh men and horses waited at special stations to take and pass along any messages that needed to be sent. The stations where riders passed messages back and forth were built 23 kilometers apart, so the men and horses were able to travel quickly between them. The Romans later took up his idea and improved it by using a more advanced and extensive road system.

    In China, however, Kublai Khan had built up his own system for delivering messages. This system worked in the same basic way as the Roman system. The difference was that Kublai Khan kept 300,000 horses along the roads of this delivery lines. There were over 10,000 stations where a message would be passed from one rider to another with a fresh horse. In this way, Kublai Khan could receive messages from anywhere in the country in only a few days.

    It was not until the 1500s that a well-organized postal system appeared again in Europe. One family, the von Taxis family, gained the right to deliver mail for the Holy Roman Empire and parts of Spain. This family continued to carry mail, both government and private, throughout Europe for almost 300 years.

    In 1653, a Frenchman, Renouard de Velayer, established a system for delivering post in Paris. Postal charges at that time were paid by the recipient, but de Velayer's system was unique by allowing the sender to pre-pay the charges, in a similar way to the modern stamp. Unfortunately, de Velayer's system came to an end when jealous competitors put live mice in his letter boxes, ruining his business. Eventually, government-controlled postal systems took over from private postal businesses, and by the 1700s government ownership of most postal systems in Europe was an accepted fact of life.

    The thing that all these early systems had in common was that they were quite expensive for public use, and were intended for use by the government and the wealthy. However, in 1840, a British schoolteacher named Roland Hill suggested introducing postage stamps, and a postal rate based on weight. This resulted in lowering postal rates, encouraging more people to use the system to stay in touch with each other, His idea helped the British postal system begin to earn profits as early as 1850. Soon after that many other countries took up Mr. Hill's idea. And letter writing became accessible to anyone who could write. Today, the Roland Hill awards are given each year to "encourage and reward fresh ideas which help promote philately"(stamp collecting).

Show Biz Summer 2019

Location: Rosewood Center for Family arts

Important Information:

● Tuition paid on the first day of class. No tuition refunds(退款).

● DCT reserves the right to cancel any class; refunds made for cancellation(取消).

● Please accompany student to the first day of class.

● Registration begins one-half hour before class time.

How To Register:

● Mail: fill out the form in this brochure.

● Be sure to list the class and group that you want & the dates.