1 . NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS 2020 PHOTO COMPETITION!

Woo-hoo! Get your cameras and smartphones at the ready, because it’s time for this year’s NG KIDS photography competition.

What you need to know

Competition is open only to legal residents (居民) of the UK and Ireland who are between the ages of 7 and 14.

We have THREE categories (类别) in the competition — animals, people and environment (a new category started this year). You can enter as many categories as you like but just ONE photo per category, please!

All photos should be sent through our website. If you’ve not already registered, you or your parent will need to do so at natgeokids. com/uk/ photocomp — it will only take a minute to do!

You can submit (提交) ONE photo for each of the three categories. Photos should be in JPEG format, between 1MB and 5MB in size. Enter at natgeokids. com/uk/photocomp.

Before you submit your photo, make sure you rename it with your full name and the category you are entering. For example, Joe-Bloggs-Animals. jpg.

Don’t forget to tell us your full name, date of birth and the title of your photo!

The prizes

Our Star Prize is a family holiday in Morocco!

And that’s not all! Each category winner will win a number of prizes too, including an amazing Nikon COOLPIX W150 camera, which is built to go anywhere.

The closing date is 23:59 (GMT) on 21 October 2020. Winners will be notified (通知) before 18 November 2020.

1. How is this year’s competition different from that of last year?

A．It has a new category.

B．It lasts about one month longer.

C．It is open to kids from around the world.

D．It will give more than one prize to winners.

2. How many photos can be submitted at most by an applicant?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．five.

3. To successfully enter the competition, one must                .

A．be 14 years old or older

B．submit their photos on its website

C．get their parents agreement

D．Give their photos an amazing name.

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The photos can be submitted on 18 November 2020.

B．All the winners can go for a family holiday in UK.

C．It will take a long time to register.

D．One must rename the photo with full name and the category.

5. Where does this text most probably come from?

A．A research plan.	B．A science report.
C．A nature magazine.	D．A tourist guidebook.

4 . “Barefoot Mike” gets a lot of attention when he shows up at the beginning of a race. He loves to run and has been running since he was a kid. He loves to and often competes in 10K races. But That’s not the reason he gets so much attention. People notice him because when he runs, “Barefoot Mike” runs barefoot.

Running barefoot has become a huge trend in the world of running. “I didn’t set out to be a trend setter,” laughed “Barefoot Mike”, otherwise known as Mike Whitaker. “I’ve always been a runner, but until a few years ago, I always wore shoes. Then one day I was running after a rainstorm. I stepped off into the grass to avoid a puddle (水坑) on the sidewalk, and accidentally stepped into a huge muddy puddle that had been hidden in the grass. I tried to keep running, but the wet and dirty shoe made it really hard. I figured the best solution was to just get rid of the shoes.”

Mike took off his shoes and dropped them into the nearest trash can. “Then I started running. At first I went really slowly because I was watching out for rocks or other things that could hurt my feet, but there really weren’t any problems.” He started going faster. “It felt so good!” Mike said. “My knee, which always ached, didn’t ache. My foot was able to spread out so I had better balance. And my feet didn’t feel all hot and sweaty. It was awesome!”

“There are actually potential health benefits to running barefoot” said Dr. Nancy Bower, a podiatrist (足科医师).

A recent study agrees. A team of researchers recently videotaped several people running—first wearing shoes and then barefoot. In almost every case, when wearing shoes, the runners tended to land on the heel of their foot, which they call “heel-striking.” Many runners have impact injuries such as knee pain. Heel-striking may be the cause of these injuries or may make an existing injury worse. When running barefoot, the runners tended to land on the middle part of the foot. The force is spread out throughout the foot. The ankle, shin (胫部), knee and hip don’t get the shock of a hard landing with every step.

1. Why does Mike receive a lot of attention while running?

A．Because he runs very fast.	B．Because he loses his shoes.
C．Because he wears no shoes.	D．Because he wears strange clothes.

2. According to Paragraph 2, why did Mike run barefoot years ago?

A．He liked running barefoot.

B．He was advised to run barefoot.

C．His shoe became very uncomfortable.

D．His dream of becoming famous motivated him.

3. After running barefoot for a while a few years ago, Mike ________.

A．was very tired	B．was badly hurt
C．gave up running	D．felt unexpectedly great

4. According to the recent study, heel-striking ________.

A．is bad for one’s health

B．is caused by existing injuries

C．happens when one runs barefoot

D．can be avoided by wearing sports shoes

5. What is the text mainly about?

A．How to choose shoes.	B．Why people need shoes.
C．Useful tips on running barefoot.	D．The advantages of running barefoot.

5 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Seven years ago, my wife told our 6-year-old daughter about our wedding weekend. My wife had moved back home to spend the weekend with her family.

As I was tucking our daughter in (把女儿的被子掖好) later that night, she asked if she could “come home like mommy did” when she got married one day. (Hopefully, one day far off into the future...) I told her our house would always be open to her. She gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She was extremely happy.

After a few seconds, I could see her mind churning (思绪翻腾) — the happiness dissipated. She pushed her finger into my belly and told me in low spirits, “Your belly is too big and you are too fat. I don’t know if you are going to make it.”

I was shocked. It was true that my health had fallen into a huge decline in the previous five years as I was building Contegix. I had not thought of it as destroying a future with my family. A 6-year-old girl saw what I missed.

I decided to run a mile the next morning. I couldn’t make it 1/4 mile. I didn’t give up and went out the next morning.

Seven years later, I have lost 60 pounds and regularly run ultra marathons. I attempted my first 100 miles last August, but I missed the terminal point at mile 87 after running on a torn hamstring (腿筋撕裂) for the previous 79 miles.

Yet, the most important distance I will ever go will be walking her down the aisle (结婚) one day. I would not make it if it hadn’t been for the honesty and innocence of a 6-year-old.

1. Why was the author’s daughter happy? (no more than 15 words)
2. What does the underlined word “dissipated” in Paragraph 3 mean? (one word)
3. What happened to the author as he was building Contegix? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the author regularly do seven years later? (no more than 5 words)
5. What do you think of the author? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)

6 . Children used to be able to play freely, exploring and interacting with the natural world with little or no supervision(监督) by adults. They were free to invent games of their own. Nowadays, however, we control the lives of our children much more, giving them fewer chances for free play. Many children in England used to spend hours playing on their bikes, having all sorts of adventures, but this is now considered too dangerous. Some working families can't care for their children after school, so the children have to stay indoors or attend supervised after-school activities.

The result is that some children have little time for play any more and when they do it's often spent in front of the television or computer. In the past, children in Brazil played a game which involves spinning (旋转) a large seed with a hole in it to create a scream-like noise. They rarely play this game nowadays.

Studies show that outdoor environments help all people by reducing stress and creating a general feeling of well-being. When children play in the open air, they are more likely to have positive feelings about each other.

Outdoor environments are also important for children's development of independence. When playing outside, children can gradually increase the distance from adults. Adults are then more willing to trust their children, an important element in confidence-building which improves the relationship between child and parent.

Outdoors, children have more chances to use all their senses. They have greater freedom not only to run and shout, but also to interact with the environment. Activities which may not be allowed indoors are perfectly acceptable outdoors; children are free to play messy games out in the open air that just wouldn't be permitted in the home.

Children experience the natural environment differently from adults. Adults typically see nature as background to what they are doing, while for children it is a hands-on experience. The expensive toys and indoor educational games cannot substitute for the experience of direct interaction with nature. They cannot replace the sensation where a child's attention is suddenly caught by the sunlight through leaves or the gentle noise of water flowing by.

1. The author mentions a Brazilian game to show that _______.

A．it was common for children to invent games in the past

B．TV and computer are more popular than outdoor games

C．Brazilian children used to play outdoor games

D．children seldom play outdoors nowadays

2. How do adults react when their children become more independent?

A．They don't control the lives of their children anymore.

B．They have more confidence in their children.

C．They want their children to stay indoors.

D．They experience less stress.

3. The underlined part “substitute for” in the last paragraph can be replaced by _______.

A．take the place of	B．be based on
C．be used as	D．get through

4. The author's purpose in writing the text is to _______.

A．introduce some outdoor games

B．present a study on outdoor play

C．encourage people to interact more with nature

D．advise parents to let children play outdoors more

7 .         Beach volleyball (沙滩排球) is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch. It’s really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.

Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people in each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible for covering and the more time they will have to recover between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get a lot of running for the ball after each volley (截球). If you are looking for a relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.

Beach volleyball is similar to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard surface, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a court. When an athlete trains for beach volleyball, he will focus on building lower body strength (力量) as well as upper body strength. Strengthening his legs is extremely important. This improves the player’s ability to move quickly and accurately on sand despite the resistance. The ability to jump high and land without injury is necessary for beach volleyball players.

Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be extremely exciting and fun. You may start out with friends and may soon fall in love with the sport.

1. When playing beach volleyball, in which of the following situation will you feel most relaxed?

A．Playing in a 2-person team.

B．Playing in a 4-person team.

C．Playing in a 6-person team.

D．Playing in an 11-person team.

2. We can infer from Paragraph 3 that ______.

A．experienced volleyball players know clearly it is hard to run and jump on sand

B．lower body strength is more important than upper body strength

C．a person must have strong legs if he wants to run and jump quickly on sand

D．the rules of beach volleyball are the same as those of regular volleyball

3. Why is playing beach volleyball much slower than playing regular volleyball?

A．Because it is not easy to move on sand.

B．Because beach volleyball has a larger court.

C．Because the teams of beach volleyball are larger.

D．Because beach volleyball players are not experienced.

4. What does the author think of beach volleyball?

A．It’s a difficult sport.

B．It’s an exciting and interesting sport.

C．It’s a sport which only a few people love.

D．It’s a sport which needs few skills.

5. The passage mainly tell us ______.

A．the game of beach volleyball

B．how to become a good beach volleyball player

C．why beach volleyball is one of the exciting sports

D．what should be paid attention to when playing beach volleyball

8 . 阅读表达

It’s becoming more and more common for people to live to 100 or longer. In fact, researchers say that more than a third of all babies now born in wealthy nations are likely to reach their 100^th birthdays, thanks to advanced medical technology and treatment. Here are some of the best strategies for becoming a centenarian.

Eat vegetables and nuts. A study found that those who ate mainly vegetables gained an extra year and a half over meat-eaters; those who ate nuts regularly lived two years longer.

Make friends. Another study found that people with strong social networks were 50 percent less likely to die over a certain period. If you don’t have many friends or relatives in your local community, you can join in the voluntary activities or take part in a hobby group. You will stay happy and healthy through building the connections.

Don’t smoke. This is important: With occasional exceptions, smokers die younger than non-smokers. Even if you have had the habit for decades, quitting will help with your health greatly. It’s important to get your loved ones to stop it, too. People who breathed in secondhand smoke were 26 percent more likely to get heart disease than those who rarely stayed with smokers.

Improve your lifestyle. Along with healthy eating, you should focus on stress management, regular exercise, and building healthy relationships. When you eat more healthily, manage stress, exercise and love more, your brain actually gets more blood flow and more oxygen.

Have a sense of purpose. A study found that the common feature in communities with many people who are 100 or older was that older people still took part in daily life, through tasks such as cooking, cleaning and gardening. They feel the motivation(动机) to stay active, to get out of bed in the morning and live for a purpose.

1. What does the text mainly talk about? (No more than 8 words.)
2. Please explain the underlined word “centenarian” in English? (No more than 8 words.)
3. Why is secondhand smoke harmful to people according to the passage? (15 words.)
4. How can we make friends if we don’t have many friends or relatives nearby in the author’s opinion? (No more than 10 words)
5. If you want to live longer, which of the strategies do you think is the best and why?(No more than 25 words.)

9 .
SYDNEY: As they sat sharing sweets beside a swimming pool in 1999, Shane Gould and Jessicah Schipper were simply getting along well, chatting about sport, life and anything else that came up.
Yet in Sydney next month, they will meet again by the pool, and for a short time the friends will race against each other in the 50-meter butterfly in the Australian championships at Homebu Bay.
Gould, now a 47-year-old mother of four, has announced she will be making a return to elite competition (顶级赛事) to swim the one event, having set a qualifying (合格的) time of 30. 32 seconds in winning gold at last year’s United States Masters championships. Her comeback comes 32 years after she won three golds at the Munich Olympics.
Schipper, now a 17-year-old girl from Brisbane with a bright future of going to Athens for her first Olympics, yesterday recalled (回忆) her time with Gould five years ago. “I was at a national youth camp on the Gold Coast and Shane had come along to talk to us and watch us train.” Schipper explained. “It seemed as if we had long been good friends. I don’t know why. We just started talking and it went from there.”
“She had a lot to share with all of us at that camp. She told us stories about what it was like at big meets like Olympics and what it was like to be on an Australian team. It was really interesting.”
Next time, things will be more serious: “I will still be swimming in the 50m butterfly at the nationals, so there is a chance that I could actually be competing against Shane Gould.” said Schipper, who burst onto the scene at last year’s national championships with second places in the 100 m and 200 butterfly.
1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Stories happening in swimming competitions.

B．Two women swimmers winning Olympic golds.

C．Lessons learned from international swimming championships.

D．Friendship and competition between two swimmers.

2. Gould and Schipper are going to ________.

A．talk about sport and life	B．go back to elite competition
C．set a qualifying time and win gold	D．take part in the same sports event

3. Gould won her three Olympic golds when she was ________.

A．15

B．17

C．22

D．30

4. The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph probably refers to ________.

A．the Olympics	B．the youth camp
C．the friendship	D．the Australian team

5. What Spper said showed that she ________.

A．was no longer Gould’s friend	B．had learned a lot from Gould
C．was not interested in Gould’s stories	D．would not like to compete against Gould