His only equipment two hands and two feet
The city’s his court: each structure, each street
There’s no grass and no net–just a sea of concrete
It’s all about motion; all about flow
His feet do the thinking
They always say go
The playground’s deserted. He flips over swings,
bounds over buildings like his ankles have springs
He’s quick as a river. You’d swear he has wings
It’s all about motion; all about flow
His feet do the thinking
They always say go
Up drainpipes and stairs till he stands at the summit–
Horns sound when bystanders think he’s reached his limit,
but he bridges the rooftop, climbs safely down from it
It’s all about motion; all about flow
His feet do the thinking
They always say go
He leaps over planters and jumps the bike rack
Half instinct, half art–he was born with the knack
for creating a route without trail, without track
Parkour’s so demanding, but he’s got the chops
for making all structures his free-running props
And it’s not until he gets home that he stops
Parkour is a sport that involves running, climbing, and jumping across structures quickly and smoothly.
1. The poet most likely uses a repetitive structure in the poem in order to –
A. show the height of the jumps
B. reveal a contrast between ideas
C. stress a pattern of actions
D. present the athlete as childlike
2. What is the most likely reason the poet includes a photograph with the poem “Adventure in the City”?
A. To emphasize the importance of the setting for parkour
B. To indicate how popular parkour is
C. To stress the need for a proper landing in the sport of parkour
D. To show what type of movements are used for parkour
3. Read this sentence from line 9 of the poem “Adventure in the City.”
He’s quick as a river.
What is the most likely reason the poet uses a simile in this line?
A. To evoke sudden, choppy movement
B. To evoke rapid, smooth movement
C. To suggest the athlete’s strength as he moves
D. To suggest the onlookers’ excitement
..............
1. C. stress a pattern of actions
2. A. To emphasize the importance of the setting for parkour
3. B. To evoke rapid, smooth movement
1. C. stress a pattern of actions
The repetitive structure of the poem, with the repeated lines "It's all about motion; all about flow" and "His feet do the thinking, They always say go," emphasizes the pattern of actions involved in parkour, highlighting the constant movement and flow.
2. A. To emphasize the importance of the setting for parkour
Including a photograph with the poem "Adventure in the City" would likely serve to emphasize the importance of the urban setting for parkour. The cityscape is where the athlete engages in parkour, using the structures as their playground. The photograph would help illustrate this aspect of the sport.
3. B. To evoke rapid, smooth movement
The simile "He's quick as a river" suggests that the athlete moves swiftly and smoothly, just like the flow of a river. The comparison emphasizes the agility and speed of the athlete as they navigate through the urban environment.
To answer question 1, the poet most likely uses a repetitive structure in the poem in order to stress a pattern of actions. The lines "It's all about motion; all about flow, His feet do the thinking, They always say go" are repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the consistent and rhythmic movements of the parkour athlete.
To answer question 2, the most likely reason the poet includes a photograph with the poem "Adventure in the City" is to emphasize the importance of the setting for parkour. The photograph helps readers visualize the urban environment where the parkour athlete performs their skills, highlighting how structures and concrete create the playground for their sport.
To answer question 3, the poet uses a simile in the line "He's quick as a river" to evoke rapid, smooth movement. The comparison to a river suggests the athlete's agility and speed as they navigate through the city, flowing effortlessly like water.