1 . 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. It is an essential part of who we are today and who we will become. 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 following categories:

 Performance

 Documentary

 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.

Documentary: A visual presentation ( such as a video,slide show,or computer project) no more than 10minutes 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 words. No illustrations(图解) are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.

Important Dates

January 5 Submit a topic proposal to your history teacher. The teacher may require a second proposal if the first is off—topic or unclear.

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

7:00A.M—9:00 A.M Participants signing in at the gym

10: 00A.M. 6:00PM. Competition and judges' review

7: 00P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic

1. What's the main purpose of understanding history?

A．To preserve national traditions.

B．To prepare for a history competition.

C．To better know the present and future.

D．To further explore historical mysteries.

2. What is the theme of this year's competition?

A．Technology advances science.

B．Science interacts with technology.

C．Science has made the study of history easy.

D．Technology has improved the life of Americans.

3. What will the committee of teachers do on February 19?

A．Make comments on the materials.

B．Improve the participant's second proposal.

C．Preview performances and documentaries.

D．Collect a second proposal from the participant.

2 . Indian Army soldier Anandan Gunasekaran lost his left leg in a mine explosion in 2008. But that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dream of making it big as an athlete.

With an artificial leg, Gunasekaran made himself and the country proud by bagging three gold medals at the Military World Games in China in October 2019.

After he lost his leg in 2008, he didn’t inform his family. Then, half a year later, he landed in his hometown with an artificial leg and his family was in shock. “They said that I should quit my Army job and stay at home and take care of the farm,” he says. But he told them that he had just lost his leg, not his ambition to run faster than ever before and bring honor to his unit and the Army.

“Mind is the biggest thing in your body. You shouldn’t lose it. If you are determined, you can do anything. I am one example of that,” says Gunasekaran.

As an athlete since his teenage years, Gunasekaran says that he got a “new life” after he got the blade (刀锋) that he could run with confidence. “I started training as I used to before my leg was blown off, but I was more determined to do better as I knew that there would be many who would doubt my ability,” he says.

After the military games in China, this blade runner now is nursing bigger dreams. He wants to win medals at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020 and bring honor to his country.

He has one more hurdle to cross before he can make it to the Tokyo Paralympics. “I have to participate in the trials and win there to make it to the Paralympics,” he says. He is already training with that goal in mind. “My job is to work hard. I will do that.”

1. What was Gunasekaran’s dream after losing one leg?

A．Staying in the army.	B．Taking care of the farm.
C．Being a great athlete.	D．Having an artificial leg.

2. Why was Gunasekaran more determined to do better?

A．To prove himself.	B．To make a living.
C．To win himself honor.	D．To defeat his competitor.

3. How can Gunasekaran make it to the Tokyo Paralympics?

A．By sharpening his blade.	B．By winning the trials.
C．By tying more hurdles.	D．By training professionally.

4. What does the underlined word “hurdle” probably mean in the last paragraph?

A．Difficulty.

B．Race.

C．Jump.

D．Achievement.

3 . Many of us make it our New Year decision to get more active—but you don’t have to spend a fortune in gyms.     1     But by switching that plan for these following ideas, you can increase your activity and bank balance.

Run it. Going for a jog costs nothing and is one of the easiest ways to build up your body. If running seems like a task, why not try an app to add to pleasure? I love RockMyRun. It understands your personal pace and then matches your music’s beat to it.     2    

Follow fitness influencers. Instagram is full of fitness influencers competing for likes and followers. They often post free short videos showing how they are done.     3     It will save your fees for guidance from a personal trainer, which costs on average £ 30 to 65 an hour.

Weight to go.     4     You can use them to increase your resistance training—zero gym required. Tins   of beans or tomatoes can be used as smaller weights, while 2 litre drink bottles offer heavier resistance.

    5     It may be slightly cold, but there are hundreds of nonprofit community outdoor gyms across the country. With everything from cross-trainers to leg presses, they cater for various training workouts. Find your nearest outdoor gym at tgogc. com.

A．Free outdoor gyms.

B．Great various workouts.

C．It is free to download on Android and iOS.

D．Generally, gyms cost on average £ 40. 53 a month.

E．Heavy kitchen items can be used as hand weightlifting equipment.

F．It is necessary for most people to invest in some hand-held weights.

G．Make the most of their efforts by repeating these at home, or in the gym.

4 . Enter the 17th Annual Kids’ Fish Art Contest

Each fall, Ontario students are invited to enter the Kids’ Fish Art Contest．This free annual contest lets you show off your artistic talents and learn about Ontario’s native fish and their habitats．
The contest is open to all students：
●who are residents of Ontario
●currently attending elementary or secondary school(or homeschooled)
●between the grades of 4-12
Children of Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Fish and Wildlife Services Branch employees are not permitted．
Prizes
There is 1 winner for each of the 3 categories：
●grades of 4-6                    ●grades of 7-9       ●grades of 10-12
This year’s prizes include：
●a fishing trip at Brennan Harbour Resort
●a day of fishing with Canadian Sport fishing Television Show Host, Italo Labignan
●the winning designs advance to an international competition
Key dates
Opens: September 30,2019
Closes: December 6,2019
Announcement of winners: March 2020
How to enter
1.Prepare your entry：
●original artwork             ●a short essay
2.Download and complete the entry form．
3.Mail your entry, postmarked no later than December 6,2019
To: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Kids’Fish Art Contest
Peter borough ON K9J 3C7
Do：
●provide your artistic interpretation of the fish in its habitat
●submit your original, hand-done creation
Do not：
●use photographs, tracings, computer-generated artwork
●submit freehand copies of other people’s work
●put any lettering, signatures or initials on the front of the design
Essay
Write a 1-page essay about：
●your fish                    ●its habitat             ●how to protect it for future generations
Include your name and address on your essay．
1. Who can sigh up for the contest?

A．Julie, a 3 grader from Ontario	B．Ian, whose father works with the contest
C．Brian, a 6-grade homeschooler	D．Olivia, who lives outside of Ontario

2. When will the winning entries come out?

A．September 30,2019	B．December 6,2019．
C．March 2020	D．December 31,2019．

3. To enter the contest, participants must_______

A．mail the entry form to the contest holder

B．put their names on their artworks

C．ensure their entries are received by December 6,2019

D．create their artworks by hand

5 . It was the day before the Bolder (a 10­kilometer race) when I decided to take an easy run on the beautiful path by my home. At fifty­three，I'm trying to accept that slowing down is just a part of life. As I rounded the corner and started up one of the many familiar hills，a pretty girl was jogging toward me.    1    “Hi，Mom，” she said breathlessly.

My children have watched my husband and me go running most mornings of their lives. It was so predictable that when my daughter was six years old，I commented，“You know honey， not all parents go running every morning.” “    2    ” she asked.

My only daughter is my youngest child. I always thought how happy I'd be if my children started running. But my daughter never seemed to like it too much when I came in sweaty from a run and was tired. “    3    ” My sons ran the Bolder Boulder once, but after that their running shoes were left to gather dust.    4    

But meeting my daughter on the path that morning was a beautiful example of what parenting about.     5    Of course, as a psychologist I always advise my clients that good parenting should be all about modeling. We now have five pairs of running shoes, since my sons both have also recently found their way to the path. So no matter how fast I am this Memorial Day, I've already felt the joy of winning. Besides, I am reminded that doing what you love will bring a medal for the whole family.

A．Really Mommy, like who？

B．You smell unpleasant, Mom！

C．Running is beneficial to our health.

D．You are really my role model, Mom!

E．It's really so much more about what we do versus what we say.

F．Nevertheless, I kept running and racing while my children did not.

G．It was one of the nicest meetings I have had on the path in over thirty years.

6 . Here’s the list of skiers, who have won four consecutive (连续的) world championships: Nobody.

Well, nobody besides Mikaela Shiffrin, who did it last Saturday in Are, Sweden. The Colorado skier, still just 23, is the best story, really, of this sports winter in the slalom (障碍滑雪).

She pulled it off, despite an illness that challenged her breathing. Shiffrin told NBC after her win that her mother, Eileen, advised her before her second run: You don’t have to do this. But Shiffrin told herself what she had told herself many times before: “I just need 60 seconds.” So she did it, and she got it. Shiffrin is closing in on her third World Cup overall title. She’s ranked No. 1 on the planet in slalom.

In women’s skiing, the mountain is now Shiffrin’s. She’s earned it. Those two (and soon three) World Cup overalls; 56 World Cup individual victories; and, oh yeah, right, three Olympic medals, two of them gold. Shiffrin is already considered a serious threat to Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup victories, and Lindsey Vonn’s 82, though the 34-year-old surely would have collected more had she not suffered repeated injuries during her career. Of course, Shiffrin may wind up chasing someone else’s mark—Austria’s brilliant Marcel Hirscher, 29, now has 68 World Cup wins.

At the same time, Shiffrin loathes all the talk about the numbers and records. “People see the records and statistics. They are asking for more, more, more…it looks easy, but it isn’t. Nowhere close,” Shiffrin wrote. “What I see is training, sleepless nights, pain, doubt, delayed lights, canceled flights, lost luggage, expense, adventure, and some races mixed in there.”

That’s what happens when you’re as good as she is. But nobody’s been as good as she is. In a sense, Shiffrin is just getting started. It’s very possible she will be at her peak powers when the Winter Olympics arrive in Beijing in 2022.

1. What do we know about Mikaela Shiffrin in her recent slalom race?

A．She was not in her best physical condition.

B．She pulled out of the race in the second run.

C．She followed her mother’s advice and succeeded.

D．She told herself a one-minute story before the race.

2. Whose record of World Cup victories is Mikaela Shiffrin getting close to?

A．Eileen Shiffrin’s.	B．Ingemar Stenmark’s.
C．Lindsey Vonn’s.	D．Marcel Hirscher’s.

3. Which of the following best explains “loathes” underlined in paragraph 5?

A．Summarizes.

B．Gives away.

C．Dislikes.

D．Focuses on.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Shiffrin Is Moving Mountains	B．Shiffrin Is At Her Peak
C．The Rise And Fall Of A Colorado Skier	D．The Most Popular Winter Sports

7 . The term “Iron Man” has many connotations(内涵), including references to a song, a comic book icon, even a movie. Yet only one definition of the term truly lives up to its name: the Ironman triathlon held annually in Hawaii, a picturesque(独特的)setting for a challenging race, which demands amazing physical prowess and the ability to swim, bike, and run a marathon, all in less than 12 hours with no break. Very few individuals are up to the task.

However, Gordon Haller is a notable exception. Growing up in the 1950s, Haller developed an interest in many sports categorized as endurance(耐性)athletics and welcomed their physical demands. As he pursued a degree in physics he drove a taxi to pay the bills, but competitive training proved his passion. So when he heard about the race in 1978, the first year it was held, he immediately signed up.

The race originated in a somewhat amusing way. The members of the two popular sports clubs, the Mid-Pacific Road Runners of Honolulu and the Waikiki Swim Club of Oahu, had a long-standing and good-natured debate going over who made better athletes: runners or swimmers. However, some local bikes thought both clubs were wrong, claiming that they, in fact, deserved the title. Wanting to settle the dispute (争论)once and for all, they decided to combine three separate races already held annually on the island into one massive test of endurance. Thus, the Waikiki Roughwater Swim of 2.4 miles, the Around-Oahu Bike race of 112 miles, and the Honolulu Marathon of 26.2 miles were all put together to form the Ironman Triathlon.

Haller was one of only fifteen competitors to show up that February morning to start the race. He quickly scanned the few pages of rules and instructions, and on the last page he discovered a sentence that would become the race’s famous slogan: “Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag(吹牛)for the rest of your life!” Haller took that to heart, and at the end of the day, he became the first Ironman champion in history. Haller’s physical strength enabled him to do what no one else in the past had accomplished.

In the approximately thirty years since that very first race, the Ironman has become a tradition in Hawaii and now boasts approximately 1500 entrants every year. The competitors who complete the race don’t have to be the first across the finish line to claim success: just finishing is a victory onto itself.

1. The “Iron Man”in the passage above refers to ____________.

A．a folk song	B．a movie character
C．a triathlon athlete	D．a sports event

2. What do we know about Gordon Haller from the passage?

A．He had a great interest in all kinds of sports.

B．He was a member of the Waikiki Swim Club of Oahu.

C．He became a taxi driver after he graduated from school.

D．He was the champion in the first Ironman Triathlon.

3. What does the underlined word “prowess” in the first paragraph mean?

A．muscles

B．skills

C．balance

D．reaction

4. The Ironman race was born due to the fact that__________.

A．The two clubs fought over who made better athletes.

B．Gordon Haller wanted to show his great endurance.

C．The combined race can help choose the most athletic.

D．Club members wanted to improve their physical abilities.

5. What can we infer from the passage about the first Ironman Triathlon?

A．Participants had to choose two from the three races in the first Ironman Triathlon.

B．Haller may not have known the rules of it before he showed up for the event.

C．No other competitors other than Haller finished the races in the end.

D．Sixteen competitors in total participated in it on February morning.

6. What does the last paragraph try to tell us?

A．It is the participation rather than victory that counts.

B．The current Ironman Triathlon is different from the original one.

C．The victors respond excitedly when crossing the finish line.

D．The event attracts many people because it creates good fortune.

8 . There are a lot of benefits to staying physically fit. You’ll have more energy, you’ll look great, and you’ll notice improvements in your health.     1     However, if you focus on exercise, you can make a lot of healthy physical changes.

Find the time. Exercise is one of the most important aspects in staying (or becoming) fit and healthy.     2     Try scheduling your exercise the same way that you schedule other appointments and work. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if it’s on the calendar (日历).

    3     You will see the most benefits from exercise if you do it regularly. One good way to make you stick to it is to pick a form of exercise that you enjoy. For example, if you like swimming, make it a point to swim twice a week.

Go outdoors. It is really good to work out at a gym—without air conditioning and televisions. But scientists report that exercising outdoors, at least part of the time, can have more benefits.     4    

Be social. If you join other people in your exercise routine, you’ll see a positive influence in your results.     5     If you schedule an activity with a friend, you are less likely to cancel than if you were only cancelling on yourself.

A．Make it a habit.

B．Enjoy your exercise.

C．Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to stay in great shape.

D．In a word, it is absolutely good for you to stay physically fit.

E．Finding a workout partner can help you to stick to your exercise.

F．The road or sidewalk challenges your body in ways that gyms can’t do.

G．Experts recommend that you should be active for at least 30 minutes per day.

9 . Environmental groups and rock climbers are always at loggerheads because of the effect of rock climbing on the environment. There have been many examples, wherein rock climbers are accused of going into natural reserves and treating the animals, plants and rocks there badly. However, with the changing times, rock climbers are conscious and carry out minimal climbing.

Rock climbers hammer bolts (螺栓) on climbing routes and in the process damage the nature of rocks. In addition, climbing activities also have an effect on the animals and plants situated near the climbing area. The plants growing near the base of rocks are trampled (踩踏), and the animals living in the climbing area are forced out of their places, whenever humans are around. For example, during the summer climbing season, pregnant females of an endangered species of snake live in open areas like roadsides, exposed walls or rocks, where there is less canopy closure (树冠郁闭) compared to areas occupied by non-pregnant females and males. According to climbers, these open areas are very ft for climbing during summer.

Many rock climbers have understood the significance of wildlife plant and animal preservation and related issues, and therefore take measures to reduce effects on climbing areas. Considering the effect of climbing activities on natural reserves, various national parks and wildlife agencies have put forth certain regulations on climbers. There are seasonal closures of climbing areas to avoid illegal entrance of uninformed rock climbers.

Climbers are always expected to support wilderness preservation. Many environmental organizations have been formed to protect the environment and in the process draw up certain guidelines for rock climbers. Both sides have come to a common understanding of the effect of rock climbers on protected areas.

1. What does the underlined part “at loggerheads” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．In support.	B．In difficulty.
C．In disagreement.	D．In communication.

2. Why is the example of snakes mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．To show how special their living habits are.	B．To show rock climbing affects their lives.
C．To show climbers are exposed to great danger.	D．To show how to avoid wild animals in summer.

3. What do environmental organizations do to preserve wilderness?

A．Give guidelines to rock climbers.	B．Accuse climbers of their climbing.
C．Close some secured natural reserves.	D．Encourage climbers to choose open areas.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Efforts made to protect rock climbers.	B．The recent popularity of rock climbing.
C．Environmental issues of rock climbing.	D．Rock climbers’ environmental awareness.

10 . Water skiing is an exciting water sport that can be a ton of fun. You will get to have a thrilling adventure every time you go out on the water.     1     However, once you do, water skiing is a sport you can enjoy whenever you have a boat and enough flat water.

    2    Every water skier needs water skis — these are different from snow skis and they also differ depending on the size of the skier and the experience level of the skier. Of course, no one can water ski alone, so you will need to find at least two people to go with you on your water skiing adventure. You and everyone you go with will have more fun if the friends you go with also want to water ski.     3     After you have the boat, the people, and the skis, you will also need a water skiing cable and a life jacket.

For your first time water skiing, you may want to either take a lesson from an expert or find a friend that has experience and is willing to teach you.    4    The observer rides in the boat, but watches the water skier for any signals and helps the driver know when to start and stop.

Once you get going and are able to water ski with ease, you will discover that there are many different types of water skiing. Most people just enjoy regular water skiing, but you may want to check out some of these more specialized types of water skiing.     5    

A．You need a boat, naturally.

B．It takes a little patience to learn.

C．The idea is to ski on the surface of the water.

D．Your ski tips should be pointing out of the water.

E．Before you start water skiing, there are a few supplies you' 11 need.

F．Of your two helpers, you need one to drive the boat and one to observe.

G．In trick skiing, the water skier attempts gymnastic-like tricks while water skiing.