1 . Best International Photography Contests to Enter
RHS Photographic Competition
If you are interested in taking photos of your garden, enter this flower-photo-friendly contest, which includes categories for 11-year-olds to 17-year-olds and even kids under 11 years old. This photo competition is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society, which is intended for photographers, horticulturalists and garden lovers.
Entry Fee: Free
Prize: $6,000 for each winner of first prize
Istanbul Photo Awards
Organized by the Anadolu Agency, the international news photography contest aims to develop the news photography area and seeks to reward hard-working news photographers around the world. The categories in this contest are Photo of the Year, Single News, Story News, Single Sports and Story Sports
Entry Fee: Free
Prize: $8,000 for Photo of the Year and first prize in Single News Category. The first prize in other categories is $5,000
ZEISS Photography Award
ZEISS Photography Award is organized with the partnership of Zeiss and the World Photography Organization. The photographers are invited to submit photos whose theme is “Seeing Beyond Discoveries”. Each photographer has to submit 5 images which have not been published before. Winners will be invited to London to participate in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition opening.
Entry Fee: Free
Prize: ZEISS lenses (镜头) of your choice (worth 12,000 euros) and 3,000 euros to cover travel expenses
Mono Visions Photography Awards
Leading photography magazine Mono Visions will award creative expression in the black and white medium. This black and white photography competition is also open for amateurs, and photos taken with traditional or digital media are accepted. The two sections of the competition are Black and White Series of the Year and Black and White Photo of the Year.
Entry Fee: $20 for a single photo; $25 for a series (maximum 8 photos with a common concept)
Prize: $2,000 for the top single; $3,000 for the top series
1. If you are a garden lover, which contest should you enter?| A．ZEISS Photography Award. | B．Mono Visions Photography Awards. |
| C．RHS Photographic Competition. | D．Istanbul Photo Awards. |
| A．Pay for their entry. | B．Use digital media. |
| C．Submit unpublished images. | D．Provide means of identification. |
| A．It charges an entry fee. | B．It has an age limit. |
| C．It offers the highest prize. | D．It is jointly organized. |
2 . Despite all the training, when the day of my first track meet finally arrived, I didn't feel ready. I had been preparing for weeks, but I was still jittery. I didn't know what times I should run, and I didn't know how I was going to like competing.
Walking into the unfamiliar stadium for the meet, I immediately felt afraid. After warming up for a couple minutes, I relaxed a bit. Running has always come naturally to me, and participating in middle school track never made me nervous.
I watched as my teammates prepared for their events. As the shot of the first gun rang out, my nervous expectation was replaced by anxiety. More and more of my teammates began to compete. As they made their way around the track and passed where we were seated, we cheered them on. During this time, any chance of returning to a state of relaxation disappeared.
A half hour passed, and my mind was only filled with thoughts of failure. The terrible race was approaching. The closer I got to race time, the tighter the knots in my stomach became. The list of reasons why I didn't want to run grew. Perhaps I truly forgot what I loved most about running. The girls around me were unfamiliar, and stepping out onto the track put my tension at an alltime high. I can't do this!
The shot of the gun frightened me into running. The negative thoughts in my head disappeared. My competitive spirit wanted to show my talents. I passed one girl, then another, and another. With my secondplace medal, I won a huge victory. Most importantly, I learned that running is not always about beating the person in front of you; it is about defeating the person inside of you.
1. What's the meaning of the underlined word “jittery” in Paragraph 1?| A．Relaxed. | B．Nervous. | C．Comfortable. | D．Scared. |
| A．The writer wasn't good at running. | B．The writer was tired of running. |
| C．The writer was a confident girl. | D．The writer had a gift of running fast. |
| A．Running means beating the person in front of you. |
| B．A person should be brave enough to face the difficulty. |
| C．Defeating oneself is more important than beating others. |
| D．Only those with dreams can meet greater challenges. |
| A．My Most Unforgettable Memory | B．My Competitive Spirit |
| C．My Favorite Sport—Running | D．My First Track Meet |
3 . In sport the sexes are separate. Women and men do not run or swim in the same races. Women are less strong than men. That at least is what people say. Women are called the weaker sex, or, if men want to please them, the fair sex. But boys and girls are taught together at schools and universities. There are women who are famous Prime Ministers, scientists and writers. And women live longer than men. A European woman can expect to live until the age of 74, a man only until he is 68. Are women’s bodies really weaker?
The fastest men can run a mile in under 4 minutes. The best women need 4.5 minutes. Women’s time are always slower than men’s, but some facts are a surprise. Some of the fastest women swimmers today are teenage girls. One of them swam 400 metres in 4 minutes 21.2 seconds when she was only 16. The first “Tartan” in film was an Olympic swimmer, Johnny Weissmuller. His fastest 400 metres was 4 minutes 49.1 seconds, which is 37.9 seconds slower than a girl 50 years later! This does not mean that women are catching men up. Conditions are very different now and sport is much more serious. It is so serious that some women athletes are given hormone injections. At the Olympics a doctor has to check whether the women athletes are really women or not. It seems sad that sport has such problems. Life can be very complicated when there are two separate sexes!
1. Women are called the weaker sex because_________.| A．women do as much as men | B．sport is easier for men than for women |
| C．people think women are weaker than men | D．in sport the two sexes are always together |
| A．say other things, too | B．say this but may not think so |
| C．don’t say this much | D．only think this |
| A．Some women athletes are give hormone injections. |
| B．Some women athletes are actually men. |
| C．Women and men do not run or swim in the same races. |
| D．It is difficult to check whether women athletes are really women. |
| A．women are weaker than wen, but faster |
| B．women are slower than men, but stronger |
| C．men are not always stronger and faster than women |
| D．men are faster and stronger than women |
4 . Sports play an important role in teenagers’ lives. They help teenagers keep fit and teach them teamwork. Four teenagers from different countries talk about their sports.
Li Yue, China
I do many sports, but my favourite is table tennis. I play table tennis in a club at the weekend and I’m quite good at it. On Saturday I teach some younger children to play table tennis, and that’s really fun.
Sophie, Britain
My sport is rugby. I play for the U15s, the team for players under the age of 15. My team always plays a match on Saturday or Sunday, and I usually go to practice games three times on weekdays. It’s hard work, but it’s never boring!
Ben, Canada
I love the snow and the mountains. In the holidays, I always go to the mountains with my family. I go snowboarding with my sister and other young people every day, and I’m getting really good. I want to be a famous snowboarder one day.
Laura, America
I started running when I was really young. When I was 13, I joined a club and started taking part in competitions. I have never won a race, but I’m improving all the time. That’s the most important thing for me. I’ve also made many friends since joining the club.
1. Who is good at playing table tennis?| A．Li Yue. | B．Sophie. | C．Ben. | D．Laura. |
| A．Play a match. | B．Go snowboarding. |
| C．Go to practice games. | D．Practice running in a club. |
| A．Winning races. | B．Enjoying the sport. |
| C．Making friends. | D．Improving all the time. |
5 . History Fair Competition
Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!
This Year’s Theme
All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.
Individuals or groups may enter one of the follow ing categories:
• Performance
• Documentary (纪实作品)
• Essay Writing
Category Requirements
Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.
Doc umentary: A visual presentation (such as a video, slide show, or computer project) no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.
Essay Writing : An academic paper of 2,000 to 2,500 w ords. No illustrations ( 图解)are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.
Important Dates
February 5 Submit a first draft of your essay, performance script ( 剧本), or documentary highlights.
February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.
March 9 Submit a final draft of your essay.
March 15 Performance and documentary committee preview
March 24 Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition
7:00 A.M. — 9:00 A.M. Participants signing in at the gym
10:00 A.M. — 6:00 P.M. Competition and judges’ review
7:00 P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic
1. What is the theme of this year ’s competition?| A．Technology advances science. |
| B．Science interacts w ith technology. |
| C．Science has made the study of history easy. |
| D．Technology has improved the life of Americans. |
| A．Include more information in the essay. | B．Remove the references. |
| C．Provide a cover for the essay. | D．Explain the details w ith illustrations. |
| A．Preview performances and documentaries. |
| B．Make comments on the materials. |
| C．Improve the participant’s first draft. |
| D．Collect a second proposal from the participant. |
6 . Mathea Allansmith isn’t your typical grandmother, and she’s the oldest woman in the world to have completed a marathon. She was 92 years 194 days old when she triumphantly crossed the finish line at the 2022 Honolulu Marathon, setting up the record for the oldest person to complete a marathon (female).
Mathea, now 93, of Koloa, Hawaii, USA, stays in shape all year round by running six days a week, no matter the weather. Come rain or shine, she covered 36 miles every week, even when she’s on holiday. The retired doctor didn’t take up running until she was 46 years old. After a colleague suggested running two miles per day.
“The Honolulu Marathon is my favourite marathon partly because they don’t close the gate at a certain time which allows even the slowest runners to finish the race,” she said. “It’s one of the best-executed races. Fantastic registration, set up and management makes it a joy to participate in.
Mathea, who doesn’t allow her age to slow her down, says she is happiest when she’s on the road. She enjoys running for miles and waving and saying hello to the people she passes. To stay in shape, Mathea, who runs year around, keeps a steady training routine. “I train year-round but increase the mileage starting 18 weeks before a marathon,” she said.
Mathea says it was her career as a physician that allowed her to understand how her body and mind respond to diet and exercise. “I see the direct connection between moving and health,” she said. It is important to reduce stress rather than ignoring it without a plan on how to do so in the long run. Of course, exercise of any kind is a natural stress reducer. ”
Mathea intends to keep running marathons for as long as she can and would like to attempt the record titles for the oldest person to complete a half marathon (female) and the oldest person to complete a 10K (female) within the next year.
1. What does the underlined word “triumphantly” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Absolutely. | B．Literally. | C．Successfully. | D．Precisely. |
| A．It provides the most awards. | B．It’s easy to break a world record. |
| C．It has the strictest management. | D．It has no time limit policy. |
| A．Her profession. | B．Her hobbies. | C．Her colleagues. | D．Her family. |
| A．achievements | B．ambition | C．independence | D．adventurous life |
1. How often did the man run?
| A．Twice a week. | B．Four days a week. | C．Every day. |
| A．Short distance. | B．Middle distance. | C．Long distance. |
| A．In 3 minutes and 47 seconds. | B．Within 4 minutes. | C．In about 6 minutes. |
Many young people wants
Therefore, some of them are considering
For the above reasons, I suggest that young people be
| A．Wonderful. | B．Boring. | C．Just so-so. |
10 . Rock climbing, one of the fastest growing sports, not only builds physical strength and mental focus, but also leads you to some beautiful places. Here are some climbing spots for climbers.
Acadia National Park, Maine
This popular New England park is one of the few places where you can climb seaside rocks. The granite (花岗岩) is good for climbing. In some areas, you need to start when the sea is at its lowest level. The area has guides, instructors and climbing schools, making it particularly welcoming for beginners.
More information: nps.gov/acad
City of Rocks, Idaho
This national reserve near the Utah border is worth a trip for the scenery alone. Named by gold miners heading to California in 1849, its granite looks like skyscrapers, towering 600 feet above the ground. It’s a fascinating area from a geologic and geographic angle. Many visitors come for August’s Idaho Mountain Festival, a celebration of climbing with top athletes in attendance.
More information: nps.gov/ciro
Red River Gorge, Kentucky
This geological area in Daniel Boone National Forest is prized for its climbing routes and rock scenery. The park, located an hour’s drive southeast of Lexington, is well known in the climbing world for both beginner-friendly terrain（地形）and more challenging sections. It’s a place where you can find a lot of fellow climbers.
More information: fs.usda.gov/recarea
Earth Treks Englewood, Colorado
While you can find climbing gyms across the country, this one just south of Denver is worth a special trip. With 53,000 square feet, the massive facility has a special rock climbing area, a group of guides and even extras like childcare and yoga.
More information: earthtreksclimbing.com/englewood
1. What is special about Acadia National Park？| A．Its sea level is low. |
| B．It’s intended for beginners. |
| C．It’s located in a coastal area. |
| D．It provides a free guided trip. |
| A．Meet many gold miners. |
| B．Go to a festival in August. |
| C．Enjoy the view from a tower. |
| D．Get trained in a climbing gym. |
| A．City of Rocks. | B．Red River Gorge. |
| C．Acadia National Park. | D．Earth Treks Englewood. |
