Criticisms of the Common Core curriculum(课程) have mostly centered on its attention to keeping things new，fresh and relevant.English classrooms are now asked to focus on current events，rather than timeless works，for fear of losing students’ interest.
That’s good news for students hoping to enter fields like science，tech，and journalism but notsogood news for those interested in the arts.Even kids who aren’t longing to(渴望) write poetry might benefit from reading it，however，as it aids selfreflection and patternforming.
But classic poetry hasn’t been excluded from public school classrooms just yet.Organizations like Get Lit，a nonprofit based in LA and run by former teacher Diane Luby Lane，are keeping it alive.Founded in 2006，Get Lit began as a onewoman show performed by Lane，which developed into a curriculum she began teaching at public high schools in California.Today，her lesson plans meet Common Core standards，and are taught at over 100 public high schools in the state.
The process of the lessonplanturnedartwork is simple：participants select classic poems，then write and perform their own spokenword responses.The poems then can qualify for the organization’s Classic Slam.Some have even been selected to be included in a book，Get Lit Rising：Words Ignite.Claim Your Poem.Claim Your Life.
According to the publisher，the teens included in the book come from a variety of backgrounds—some are battling with mental illness or eating disorders，others have parents who are in prison，and still others are homeless.Lane says that classic poetry isn’t just the language of the upper classes.In an interview with LA Weekly，she said，“It makes me so angry because we decide，‘Well，if you’re going to go to classes，you’d better bring hip hop(嘻哈)here because that’s what the kids like.’”Lane believes both hip hop and the classics matter.Both Walt Whitman and Kendrick Lamar deserve to go down in history and to be taught in schools.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。Get Lit公益组织将经典诗歌引进校园，带领学生致敬经典的同时创造属于自己的经典作品。
1．What do we know about the Common Core curriculum?
A．It has been praised all the time.
B．It focuses on current events.
C．It ruins students’ interest.
D．It is homeworkcentered.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的focus on current events，rather than timeless works可知，该课程重视时事。
2．What does the author think of poetry learning?
A．Interesting. B．Beneficial.
C．Upsetting. D．Tough.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的Even kids who aren’t longing to(渴望) write poetry might benefit from reading it，however，as it aids selfreflection and patternforming.可知，作者认为学习诗歌很有益处。
3．What can we learn about Get Lit?
A．It aims to select classic poetry.
B．It puts on talk shows worldwide.
C．It is a poetry learning curriculum.
D．It is unacceptable by many students.
C 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段中的which developed into a curriculum可知，Get Lit已经演变成一种课程。
4．What is Lane’s opinion on classic poetry?
A．It is more important than hip hop.
B．It should be given more attention.
C．It is the language of upper classes.
D．It fails to attract most students’ interest.
B 解析：推理判断题。根据末段内容可推断，Lane认为经典作品值得学习，应受到更多重视。
