Kyle Cassidy and three other members of the Running Group were stretching on the grounds of the University of Pennsylvania, waiting for a few slow members to start. The Penn colleagues and other community members meet three days a week for a roughly 30-minute jog and an occasional lecture. It’s not your normal exercise chatter— during some runs, one of them gives a talk. The topics range from the brain to Bit coin.
But on this day last January, it would not be their normal run. The first sign was the man who ran past them very fast. “Probably running a 7:15 pace (per mile),” Cassidy thought admiringly.
Cassidy discovered why the man was so fleet of foot when another man ran by, yelling, “Help! He took my phone!”
Hearing that, the group did what running clubs do: They ran, chasing the suspect down the streets until he quickly hid into a construction site. The runners went separate ways. Cassidy ran around to the far side of the site to cut the thief off while the others wandered the neighborhood hoping he had abandoned the stolen phone in a backyard.
No luck. Then they asked the residents(居民) whether they’d seen the guy. When they knocked on the door of one house, they were in surprise. They didn’t know the thief had already come out of the construction site and was hiding behind a bush by that very house. As the owner opened the door, the suspect suddenly rushed out from behind the bush ... and right into the arms of the campus police, who had joined the chase shortly behind the runners.
The members of this running group are not passionate runners. But they do understand the benefit of a little exercise. “Running is typically a useless sport where you turn fat cells into heat,” Cassidy said. “But occasionally it can be useful, and here was one of those opportunities.”
1. What are the normal activities of the running group? (no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined part “fleet of foot” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? (no more than 5 words)
3. What did the other runners do once they separated from Cassidy? (no more than 10 words)
4. Who caught the thief at last? (no more than 5 words)
5. What’s your opinion on exercising? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
2 . The National Association of Teachers of Singing(NATS) celebrates the art of singing through a series of competitions and programs. They are designed to showcase the talented singers and performers who are soon to be rising stars in the profession.
National Student Auditions
Students of NATS members will begin by performing during their regional auditions. Five singers from each regional category will advance lo a national online screening round, where entrants will submit a video of their performances for judgment by a group of national judges.
Entry Fee: $75 per category
Prizes: S35,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in total.
Deadline for Applications: April 13, 2021(applications by emailed invitation only; following regional auditions)
NATS Artist Awards(NATSAA)
Preliminary competitions are held at the regional level, with one winner picked out of each of the 14 NATS regions. The 14 semifinalists then gather at the site or the NATS Winter Workshop for the final two rounds of the competition.
Entry Fee: $75
Prizes: The winner is awarded $13,000; the 2nd place, $6,000.
Deadline for Applications: September 5,2021
Art Song Composition Award
The competition is open to any composer whose submined work meets the requirements. The winning composer will receive a cash award and a performance of the winning composition at the next scheduled NATS National Conference.
Entry Fee: $30
Prizes: The winner is awarded $5,000; the 2nd place, $2,500.
Deadline for Applications: December 1, 2021
National Music Theater Competition
The competition is seeking the best rising music theater soloists, those who just need one break to move their careers forward. Applicants must be between ages 20-28. Preliminary rounds of the competition are scheduled to take place in fall 2021 and about 24 singers advance to the semifinal and final rounds.
Entry Fee: $90.
Prizes: The first prize is awarded 55,000; the 2nd place, $52,000.
Deadline for Applications: May 15, 2021
1. What is the purpose of these NATS competitions?| A．To decide who can join NATS. |
| B．To celebrate important music festivals. |
| C．To test and grade NATS teachers' professional skills. |
| D．To let NATS members and their students show musical talent. |
| A．NATS Artist Awards | B．National Student Auditions |
| C．An Song Composition Award | D．National Music Theater Competition |
| A．1,7500 dollars. | B．6,000 dollars. | C．2,500 dollars. | D．2,000 dollars. |
| A．April 13,2021. | B．May 15,2021. | C．Septembers,2021. | D．December 1,2021. |
| A．The best music theater managers. | B．Senior artists who have live concert experiences. |
| C．Solo performers aged 20-28. | D．Those who are good at playing musical instruments. |
