1 . College Podcast (播客) Challenge Open for Entries
The College Podcast Challenge is back for its third year, in the fall. Entries will open on Sept. 1, 2023 and close at the end of the year on Dec. 31, 2023 to give students the entire fall academic term. And, as with last year’s, the college con test will award a $5,000 grand prize scholarship and $500 prizes to finalists.
One big change this year: the college con test will be open to students of all ages doing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, as well as those who are set to graduate in 2023. College podcasters can enter your own work, without going through your school or professor, as long as you’re 18 years or older.
For the college con test this year, our basic guidelines remain pretty much the same: students can create a podcast about any topic they wish to explore. Some themes we’ve seen over and over include questions on identity and how young people fit in. Your podcast can also be in many different formats: an interview, narrative (叙述的) story or even investigative reporting. You can do it by yourself or with your entire class.
One important rule to keep in mind is that the maximum length of your podcast is eight minutes, and longer entries will be disqualified.
For more tips, advice and the latest updates on this year’s contest, make sure to sign up for our newsletter. We can’t wait to hear your stories!
1. When can you submit your entry?| A．In January. | B．In February. | C．In August. | D．In November. |
| A．It is open to all college students. | B．Its participants under 18 are qualified. |
| C．It requires your school’s approval. | D．Its basic guidelines have changed a lot. |
| A．It should present an inspiring people. | B．It focuses on young people’s life. |
| C．It is eight minutes at most in length. | D．It is created by your entire class. |
On a bright Saturday, my peaceful lunchtime was suddenly interrupted when my dad surprised me with an unplanned idea. I couldn’t hide my annoyance as what was supposed to be a relaxing Saturday turned into a day focused on football — a sport I wasn’t very excited about.
Many of my friends loved sports, while I preferred to find comfort in the pages of a good book rather than run around on a football court. My lack of interest resulted in average performance on the team, and I often felt like I was a problem for both my coach and teammates.
Things changed last week when our coach announced a coming match against the champions scheduled for a month later. The realization that this important game would have a big audience only made me more anxious. The fear of possibly letting down the team weighed on me.
Determined to make a positive impact, I decided to practice hard every day. My motivation came from wanting to help the team and to overcome the self-doubt affecting my performance.
As the match day approached, my teammates seemed unsure about including me in the lineup (阵容). I wouldn’t have minded sitting out, but the situations were different. With one player short, they reluctantly (不情愿地) included me, and The Thunder Strikers, our team, stepped onto the field to enjoy cheers from the crowd.
The pressure was intense. The game started, and within the ten minutes, I received a warning. Before long, the referee showed me a second yellow card, forcing me to leave the field. When I got back into the game, the score was tied, and the next goal would decide the winner.
As the ball came toward me, I felt a bit scared. My teammates seemed tired, and the other team really wanted to win. With great courage, I kicked the ball. The opponents (对手), maybe not expecting much from me because of my earlier struggles, were surprised when the ball went past the goalkeeper.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The Thunder Strikers won!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After this win, football became different for me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . How to Exercise in a New Way
Get healthy with these bite-sized amounts of exercises
What should people do when they can’t find the time or desire to do a long workout?
Exercise snacks (“零食式”运动) are a popular and inventive new way for people to stay fit. Instead of requiring hours at the gym, this concept instructs you to keep it short.
Of course, the more of these brief exercises you complete in a day, the better. Just three exercise snacks a day that gets your heart pumping can be good for your health.
Another great thing about exercise snacks is that there are so many to choose from. The goal is to spend a short time doing something that raises your heart rate. Acceptable activities range from sit ups to jumping rope to running up and down some stairs.
●Exercises that are strength-based such as lifting weights will fit the bill. Since most people don’t keep weights at their office, lift full water bottles.
●Squats involve moving your hips as if to sit down while keeping your back straight. This exercise helps strengthen your lower body and improve your movement. Five to ten of these should make a good snack.
●For those who don’t like traditional exercises, simply turn up the music. Pick a lively song and start dancing; it’ll make for a fun workout.
| A．It doesn’t take up too much your time. |
| B．They should break that “large meal” into exercise “snacks.” |
| C．And there are plenty of other benefits beyond improved fitness. |
| D．These exercises can last anywhere from 20 seconds to two minutes. |
| E．Consider giving exercise snacks a try, and see if they are to your taste. |
| F．They should constantly remind themselves of the importance of exercises. |
| G．But for those who don’t know where to start, here are some helpful exercise options. |
Mike was a big fan of football. When he was ten years old, he was admitted to join his first football team. As soon as he got home that day, he put on his uniform and admired himself in front of the mirror.
“I’m a real football player!” He said to himself and pretended to practise football.
“What are you doing, silly boy?” asked his older sister.
“I’m practising football,” said Mike.
“When people practise football, they usually use a ball,” his sister laughed.
Mike then found a football in the basement and hurried back to his room, posing with the ball in front of the mirror, again.
The next day, Mike met his teammates on the playground. The coach taught them how to kick and run after the ball. He taught them how to throw the ball in from the sidelines, using two hands while keeping both feet on the ground. Finally, they had a practice game.
It turned out that playing football was a lot harder than it looked. Every time Mike was about to kick the ball, someone else kicked it away from him. When Mike threw the ball in from the sideline, he forgot to keep both feet on the ground. The only thing that Mike was good at was cheering. Whoever scored, he would jump up and cheer for them.
On the weekend, Mike’s team was invited to take part in its first real competition with the Sun. Mike’s family all came to watch. Mike chased the ball up and down, with excitement. It came as no surprise that their team lost the match. Even so, he kept cheering for anyone who scored.
After the game, his sister came over and reminded Mike that he needed to be a real football player, not just a cheerleader. Meanwhile, his coach told Mike that if he tried to do more practice and cooperate with his teammates, he could be a better football player, too.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Motivated by their words, Mike started to take the training more seriously.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the day for the match between his team and the Sun came.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I had spent the long winter months waking up each morning with the sun and birds. Each day began like the previous one: sneakers (运动鞋), headphones and stretching. The fresh air filled my lungs as I ran out the front door, greeted by the empty streets and sidewalks. The world became my own training ground. As I ran, I found peace in the rising sun. This boring time quickly became my favorite time of the day.
I was born into a “running family”. I lost count of how many marathons my dad had participated in, and I was pretty sure my mom traveled on foot more than she did by vehicle. My brother, Mike, followed in their footsteps by running when he could, and competed in at least 4 races throughout the year. Unlike him, I didn’t naturally fall into the running life.
“Running is the best thing for you. I don’t know how people can dislike it,” my dad questioned during many dinner conversations in grade school.
“You would be a fool not to join the track team, Colleen,” my mom suggested in her serious voice.
“Of course I will,” I replied while rolling my eyes. “What could be funner than running?”
After hundreds of practices and a handful of track meets later, I found myself agreeing with my parents and laughing at the idea that I once disagreed with them. The time had come when my dad finally asked the big question, which I had been nervous about for a while.
“So, the marathon is in November. What are we thinking?”
I felt my heart sink and speed up at the same time. Oh no, was I ready for this? The words suddenly came out before I could even fully process the question.
“Yeah, let’s do it!”
I couldn’t let him down. He had been waiting years for this experience. Finally, we spent hours training and bonding together until the big day came.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
It was at mile marker 20 when my legs began to lose feeling.
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The finish line was finally in view.
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In the Artinno Town in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a group of talented designers have turned up as a result of the recent Asian Games. The designers, all
All of those in charge of the designs are professors of the China Academy of Art,
Zhang Junjie, who led the design team for the medals,
“Looking out of our office window, you can see a pond
1. What do we know about the woman?
| A．She’s never skied before. | B．She was waiting for a man. | C．She made a mistake while skiing. |
| A．Her skis were broken. | B．She got her gloves stolen. | C．A skier drove her into the trees. |
| A．Take a photo of him. | B．Forgive him. | C．Say sorry to him. |
It is hard not to desire victory in all your efforts when the world seems so competitive and especially if you’re a boy growing up with those values. A boy grew up in a similar environment where winning was all that was valued and he longed to succeed. The boy was good at running, so he called everyone in the nearby villages for a race. A large group of people came to see this exciting event!
The boy had been training hard for this race. He ran among the strongest boys from around the villages and it looked like heat on a finish line, but the young boy came out victorious! The crowd went wild with delight as they cheerfully waved banners(横幅) praising him. The boy loved the attention. It made him feel happy.
There were several types of races, sprint, long distances, relays etc. The boy was unbeatable in all the races he competed in. The crowd loved him even more after each victory; they clapped with excitement. The boy felt very proud of his accomplishments.
But among the crowd was a wise older man who did not seem as impressed with the boy’s victory as the rest. Just as the boy thought all the races for the day were over. The old man shouted from the crowd, “there is one more race left—the most important one.” The boy was surprised by the additional race, but he was confident he could win any race.
The old man brought two new competitors for the boy, a blind man and a weak old lady. “What type of race is this? I can easily win them.” the boy exclaimed. “The most important one,” said the old man. So, the boy ran the race as he knew he would win this time too. When the boy crossed the finish line, the blind man was still at the start and the old lady had just started to move. The boy raised his hands after his victory, waiting for the familiar cheering.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To his disbelief, the crowd was silent.
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The boy raced again.
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The International Public Speaking Competition, the largest of its kind in the world, takes place in London in May each year. This year, two Chinese students took part in the competition and
When
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10 . When it comes to being fit and healthy, we’re often reminded to aim to walk 10,000 steps every day. This can make many unhappy because it is a task difficult to achieve, especially when we’re busy with work and other businesses — and yet where did this number actually come from?
The 10,000 steps a day target sens to have come about from a trade name pedometer (计步器) sold in 1965 by Yamasa Clock in Japan. The device was called “Manpo-kei”, which translates to “10,000 steps meter”. This was a marketing tool for the device and has seemed to have stuck across the world as the daily step target. It’s even included in daily activity targets by popular smart watches,such as Fitbit.
Research has since investigated the 10,000 steps a day target. But while some research has shown health benefits at 10,000 steps, recent research from Harvard Medical School has shown that,on average, around 4,400 steps a day is enough to clearly lower the risk of death in women. This was when compared to only walking around 2,700 steps daily. The more steps people walked, the lower their risk of dying was, before leveling off at around 7,500 steps a day. No additional benefits were seen with more steps. Although it’s uncertain whether similar results would be seen in men, it’s one example of how moving a little bit more daily can improve health and lower risk of death.
Recent research at the University of Texas has also shown that if you’re walking fewer than 5,000 steps a day, your body is less able to metabolize (新陈代谢) fat the following day. A buildup of fat in the body can also increase a person’s likelihood of developing heart disease and diabetes. This is further supported by earlier research which showed people who walked less than 4,000 steps a day could not change this decreased fat metabolism.
If you want to increase how many steps you get daily, or simply want to move more, one easy way includes walking to work if possible, or taking part of an online exercise program if you’re working from home. Meeting with friends for a walk — rather than in a cafe or pub — can also be useful.
1. What does the author think of the 10,000 steps every day?| A．It is hard to achieve for many people. |
| B．It is likely to go out of style quickly. |
| C．It is obviously good for women only. |
| D．It is helpful to slow fat metabolism. |
| A．It matters as much as 7,500 steps a day. |
| B．The more steps, the lower risk of death. |
| C．A bit more than the target can improve health. |
| D．About half that target appears to be enough. |
| A．Absence of earlier research. |
| B．Recent findings of fat buildup. |
| C．Problems of less daily walking. |
| D．Possible causes of physical challenges. |
| A．Working at home. | B．Treating friends in a cafe or pub. |
| C．Driving to work. | D．Signing up for online exercise programs. |
