1 . As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins (企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career (职业) as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided I wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I’d find there and I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.
1. Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Try challenging things. | B．Take a degree. |
| C．Bring back lost memories. | D．Stick to a promise. |
| A．Lovely penguins. | B．Beautiful scenery. |
| C．A discount fare. | D．A friend’s invitation. |
| A．It could be a home for her. | B．It should be easily accessible. |
| C．It should be well preserved. | D．It needs to be fully introduced. |
| A．A childhood dream. | B．An unforgettable experience. |
| C．Sailing around the world. | D．Meeting animals in Antarctica. |
2 . POETRY CHALLENGE
Write a poem about how courage, determination, and strength have helped you face challenges in your life.
Prizes
3 Grand Prizes:Trip to Washington, D.C. for each of three winners, a parent and one other person of the winner’s choice. Trip includes round-trip air tickets, hotel stay for two nights, and tours of the National Air and Space Museum and the office of National Geographic World.
6 First Prizes:The book Sky Pioneer:A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart signed by author Corinne Szabo and pilot Linda Finch.
50 Honorable Mentions:Judges will choose up to 50 honorable mention winners, who will each receive a T-shirt in memory of Earhart’s final flight.
Rules
Follow all rules carefully to prevent disqualification.
■Write a poem using 100 words or fewer. Your poem can be any format, any number of lines.
■Write by hand or type on a single sheet of paper. You may use both the front and back of the paper.
■On the same sheet of paper, write or type your name, address, telephone number, and birth date.
■Mail your entry to us by October 31 this year.
1. How many people can each grand prize winner take on the free trip?| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Six. |
| A．A plane ticket. | B．A book by Corinne Szabo. |
| C．A special T-shirt. | D．A photo of Amelia Earhart. |
| A．Typing your poem out. | B．Writing a poem of 120 words. |
| C．Using both sides of the paper. | D．Mailing your entry on October 30. |
3 . I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.
My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.
As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.
I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .
Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.
As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.
1. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?| A．Cooperative. | B．Uneasy. | C．Inseparable. | D．Casual. |
| A．Pleasure from working in the library. |
| B．Joy of reading passed on in the family. |
| C．Wonderment from acting out the stories. |
| D．A closer bond developed with the readers. |
| A．Sponsor book fairs. | B．Write for social media. |
| C．Support libraries. | D．Purchase her novels. |
| A．Reading: A Source of Knowledge |
| B．My Idea about writing |
| C．Library: A Haven for the Young |
| D．My Love of the Library |
4 . Last year I decided to do some volunteer work. I began to
I was sent to the Coronado National Forest for my first 8-day
My job was to
Three days later, a beautiful stairway came into being. The
But on the last night we were
| A．calculate | B．negotiate | C．advertise | D．research |
| A．imagined | B．introduced | C．enjoyed | D．found |
| A．annoyed | B．surprised | C．scared | D．excited |
| A．arriving | B．sleeping | C．thinking | D．walking |
| A．confident | B．friendly | C．energetic | D．curious |
| A．funny | B．good | C．lucky | D．easy |
| A．tour | B．project | C．campaign | D．course |
| A．drop | B．make | C．carry | D．buy |
| A．nice | B．safe | C．long | D．quick |
| A．build | B．test | C．clean | D．guard |
| A．helped | B．ended | C．allowed | D．meant |
| A．hunted | B．trained | C．seen | D．fed |
| A．satisfaction | B．ambition | C．expectation | D．intention |
| A．work | B．memory | C．record | D．story |
| A．left | B．caught | C．attacked | D．separated |
| A．boiling | B．average | C．normal | D．freezing |
| A．tidy | B．dry | C．new | D．soft |
| A．By the way | B．Regardless of that | C．Needless to say | D．In either case |
| A．survived | B．resisted | C．escaped | D．recovered |
| A．smarter | B．stronger | C．happier | D．busier |
5 . In 1959, Handler changed how toy dolls were made when she introduced “Barbie” to the world. With her mature figure, Barbie was one of the first “grown-up” dolls to hit the retail market.
Handler wanted to create a toy that was different from the baby dolls that dominated little girls’ toy boxes. She wanted a doll that girls could project their future dreams upon and allowed for limitless clothing and career choices. Inspired by paper dolls of the time, Handler, to much disagreement, made sure Barbie had the body of a grown woman.
“My own philosophy of Barbie,” Handler wrote in her autobiography, “was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman had choices.”
There’s even a Barbie for cancer patients — Brave Barbie — a partnership between Mattel and CureSearch that sends a bald (光头的) Barbie to families affected by cancer. “Gifting my daughter a Barbie who suffered from cancer was tremendous,” Michelle, a cancer survivor said, “We would play with that Barbie together and I’d heartbreakingly watch her pretend to take the doll to the hospital for chemo (化疗), or place its long wig on top of its head and tell the doll ‘It’s time to be beautiful again.’”
Bald Barbie was super brave and went on awesome adventures after chemo. Sometimes she felt sick and needed to sleep, but would feel much better after a rest. Bald Barbie always beat the cancer and went on to live a long and happy life with her family. That Barbie became so much more than a plastic doll — she was a means of communication and a coping mechanism during an extremely distressing time for little families.
1. Why did Handler create Barbie?| A．To make a hit in the retail market. | B．To appeal to girls with her diverse outfits. |
| C．To do a project on women’s career choices. | D．To inspire girls to make choices as they wish. |
| A．Sad yet comforted. | B．Envious yet proud. |
| C．Overwhelmed and ashamed. | D．Heartbroken and regretful. |
| A．A reliable emotional support. | B．A glue for broken relationships. |
| C．An effective practical treatment. | D．A secret medium of negotiation. |
| A．A medical journal. | B．A charity brochure. |
| C．A financial report. | D．A story collection. |
6 . Detective Ashley Jones works at a police department in England. He has recently made a significant
Jones got the idea after he had talked with an elderly lady who had been cheated of her
This led Jones to the conclusion that there are too many extremely
The idea is catching on
This effort is not just a(n)
The Chat Bench is a fantastic new project that
| A．choice | B．discovery | C．visit | D．promise |
| A．experienced | B．suffered | C．prevented | D．felt |
| A．solution | B．puzzle | C．excuse | D．intention |
| A．pleasure | B．prize | C．credit | D．money |
| A．eventually | B．frequently | C．previously | D．occasionally |
| A．ashamed | B．shocked | C．excited | D．amused |
| A．mind | B．forgive | C．risk | D．enjoy |
| A．active | B．lonely | C．cautious | D．stubborn |
| A．learned | B．refused | C．pretended | D．decided |
| A．forced | B．ordered | C．convinced | D．taught |
| A．put away | B．make out | C．tear apart | D．set up |
| A．read | B．claimed | C．meant | D．implied |
| A．formal | B．joyful | C．awkward | D．crazy |
| A．randomly | B．slowly | C．quickly | D．purposefully |
| A．positive | B．disappointing | C．correct | D．embarrassing |
| A．realized | B．examined | C．discussed | D．formed |
| A．break down | B．put up | C．keep off | D．take out |
| A．glance | B．attempt | C．knock | D．attack |
| A．heart-breaking | B．risk-taking | C．face-saving | D．crime-cutting |
| A．forbids | B．appoints | C．encourages | D．troubles |
7 . The United Kingdom is a land of natural beauty and history, with many of its finest attractions discovered through hiking. Now, dust off your boots, plan according to the following routes presented by a survey of senior hikers and an incredible experience will wait for you.
Wales Coastal Path
Wales is the only country in the world that has an official walking path covering its whole borders. The Wales Coastal Path is a footpath stretching 870 miles from Chester to Chepstow. Walking the whole thing might be demanding, but there are plenty of stretches that can be enjoyed over a day or two.
Southwest Coast Path
You need a fair amount of annual leave, a casual 52 days or so, to undertake this in one go. The route runs from Somerset all the way to Dorset, via rugged cliffs, cute fishing villages and surfing spots along the coastline. You can surely jump on to any point as you like, but you can't afford to miss all the pubs full of jokes and laughter on the way!
Coast to Coast Walk
This long-distance trail isn’t official, but popular in the country, taking hikers from the Irish Sea to the North Sea as it rolls into historic Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. Following local footpaths, the route takes you through three UK National Parks: the Lakes, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.
Cleveland Way
You’ll want nine days to folly complete this hike, which explores both the North York Moors and the county’s world-famous coastline. Just make sure you allow enough time to properly enjoy spots like Roseberry Topping hill and pick up a gentle afternoon walk at Whitby’s clifftop church.
1. Who will be more interested in the routes?| A．Explorers in the UK. | B．Hiking lovers. |
| C．Nature photographers. | D．Field researchers. |
| A．Fishing villages. | B．Surfing spots. |
| C．Local pubs. | D．National parks. |
| A．They include cliffs worth visiting. | B．They are official and demanding. |
| C．They run along the coast. | D．They can be completed in a month. |
8 . My 7-year-old daughter always has her nose in a book. She even continued reading in the car on the long drive to summer camp, where she lost the book. This is the first lost
However, my daughter has more books now than I owned during my whole childhood. So it’s probably my
Feeling the need to make her feel responsible for the book, I asked her to do the chores. She agreed to clean up all the pets’ houses
Surprisingly, she was enjoying herself. I took a picture of her lovely back. So, was I winning or losing at
To my
| A．school | B．reference | C．story | D．library |
| A．powerful | B．practical | C．academic | D．employed |
| A．wasted | B．dusty | C．present | D．specific |
| A．pained | B．accompanied | C．abandoned | D．lost |
| A．work | B．reason | C．fault | D．duty |
| A．worry | B．question | C．case | D．deal |
| A．shoulder | B．power | C．refusal | D．excuse |
| A．impression | B．effort | C．effect | D．concern |
| A．respect | B．thought | C．shame | D．shock |
| A．in need of | B．in trade for | C．in terms of | D．in favor of |
| A．punishment | B．recovery | C．encouragement | D．promise |
| A．studying | B．parenting | C．arguing | D．fighting |
| A．benefit | B．method | C．commitment | D．demand |
| A．seriously | B．unwillingly | C．professionally | D．constantly |
| A．disappointment | B．relief | C．regret | D．sorrow |
9 . You look up at the sky on a clear and dark night, you’ll see more stars than your eyes can count. Most of these stars have planets, similar to our own, orbiting them. With so many celestial bodies floating out in space, you can’t help but question whether other forms of life exist in the universe. And if that’s the case, is it possible to contact them?
Science is still somewhat divided on this issue. Currently, no evidence exists to suggest that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. Yet with an estimated one trillion planets in our galaxy alone, it seems highly likely that Earthlings aren’t the only intelligent creatures out there. Some claim that life can only develop under perfect circumstances, and Earth is perhaps the only example of this. Other scientists object to this claim, and point out that even on Earth, life can find a way under the most extreme circumstances.
Some people believe that aliens have already visited our planet, but this information is being kept secret by governments. The most famous incident of this kind occurred in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. On that date, many residents reported seeing an unusual flying disc streak through the sky, before it crashed in a field. When the military heard about the crash, they quickly sealed off the area. A few hours later, the army base announced that it had recovered a flying disk. Shortly after, this statement was retracted and it was said that it was a weather balloon that crashed. However, years later one local mortician even claimed that the military had him secretly perform an autopsy on a dead alien body.
Others believe that there certainly are other life forms out there, but the distance between us is too great. Even if we could somehow create a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, it would still probably take several lifetimes to reach them. Then again, we might never have to do this if aliens reach us first.
1. Why do some scientists think there is life on other planets?| A．Because an unusual flying disc was ever witnessed. |
| B．Because life exists despite extreme conditions as those on the Earth do. |
| C．Because the government’s statement seemed suspicious. |
| D．Because there are a great number of planets in the universe. |
| A．Examined again to guarantee the correctness. | B．Emphasized again to persuade people. |
| C．Formally taken back what has been said. | D．Seriously criticized due to poor evidence |
| A．Are we alone in the universe? | B．Is it possible to contact aliens? |
| C．Intelligent life in the universe. | D．Planets floating out in space. |
| A．Objective. | B．Humorous. | C．Cautious. | D．Anxious. |
10 . The second Sunday in May is a volunteer day in my neighborhood. Last year, my neighbors and I decided to
The day before we went to the hospital, many of us were feeling quite
We arrived early at the hospital and were greeted
It was then time to start making cards—we brought crayons, glue and shiny things to
We left the hospital when it was dark. Although we were tired, we were happy to see
| A．exchange | B．volunteer | C．recover | D．live |
| A．cakes | B．cards | C．toys | D．soccers |
| A．annoyed | B．tired | C．relaxed | D．nervous |
| A．children | B．neighbors | C．friends | D．athletes |
| A．warned | B．forced | C．forbade | D．asked |
| A．quietly | B．warmly | C．equally | D．secretly |
| A．worrying | B．disappointing | C．confusing | D．encouraging |
| A．try | B．experiment | C．job | D．goal |
| A．law | B．promise | C．ice | D．record |
| A．excite | B．educate | C．touch | D．frighten |
| A．luck | B．dream | C．stress | D．joy |
| A．limited | B．traditional | C．positive | D．confident |
| A．younger | B．better | C．worse | D．cooler |
| A．believed | B．found | C．doubted | D．forgot |
| A．smiles | B．tears | C．pain | D．anxiety |
