1 . A Cappella Competition
Do you love to sing?
Come and show off your talents at the Chilton Youth A Cappella Competition
October 20th, 11:00-17:00
Edward Greatcoat Theater, Sealey Road, Chilton
Rules
Please remember that this is a cappella (清唱) competition!
No instruments or recorded music will be allowed.
Competitors may sing published or original songs in any style.
Competitors must be between 8 and 15 years old.
There are four categories (类)：
Solo (8 — 11 years old)
Solo (12 — 15 years old)
Group (8 — 11 years old)
Group (12 — 15 years old)
Competitors under 2 years old must stay with a parent or other adult at all times.
Each competitor must pay an entry fee of $10.
Winners will receive $500 and a course of 20 lessons with famous voice teacher Vickie Leonard.
Winners will be decided by three judges from the Chilton School of Music. Their decision is final.
Additional information
Please arrive at the Edward Greatcoat Theater between 9:00 and 10:00 to register, as the competition will start at 11:00. The parking lot has limited spaces so you are advised to come as early as possible.
Shared dressing rooms with showers will be provided for all competitors.
Tickets for the competition are available at the theater from October 1st. There is no charge for these, but again, spaces are limited.
1. What is the purpose of this text?| A．To invite people to a concert. |
| B．To attract more visitors to the theater. |
| C．To offer free singing lessons. |
| D．To tell about a singing competition. |
| A．Showers. |
| B．Tickets. |
| C．Instruments. |
| D．Music lessons |
| A．Competitors shouldn’t be more than 15 years old. |
| B．Competitors can’t park their car at the theater. |
| C．Competitors shouldn’t go into the theater dressing rooms. |
| D．Competitors can’t sing a song written by themselves. |
2 . As a photographer, have you thought about entering photo competitions? Which photo competition should you enter? If you’ve found yourself asking the questions, you’re in the right place. This article will introduce some of the most famous photo competitions to you.
World Press Photo AwardsIf you want to test your photojournalism (摄影新闻报道) skills against others in more than one competition, consider joining the World Press Photo Awards. The competition has been hosted each year since 1955 and there are regional and overall winners.
Deadline: JanuaryEntry Fee: Free
Prizes: Regional winners: €1,000. Global winners: €6,000.
Istanbul Photo Awards
The Istanbul Photo Awards is hosted each year by Anadolu Agency, Turkey. But you don’t need to have a base in Istanbul to enter the competition.
You can apply for several categories, including single news, story news, and categories ranging from sports to nature. The competition is organized mainly for news photographers.
Deadline: FebruaryEntry Fee: Free
Prizes: Category winners: $ 3,000. Runners-up (亚军): $1,500. Third-placed: $ 1,000.
Amateur Photographer of the year
The Amateur Photographer of the year award is held every year. You’ll have the opportunity to enter several rounds throughout the year, each of which has a different topic.
Deadline: VariesEntry Fee: Free
Prizes: Winner gets £ 500 (each round); £ 1,000 for the overall winner. Second-placed get £ 100. Third-placed get £ 50.
Landscape Photographer of the Year
If you live in the UK and want to show your country’s beauty, you might want to consider entering the competition. The competition has several categories, including city life, black and wife, and classic view.
Deadline: MayEntry Fee: £ 9.99
Prizes: Winner gets £ 10,000 and a book. Category winners: £ 1,000 and a book. Category runners-up: A book.
1. What do World Press Photo Awards and Istanbul Photo Awards have in common?
| A．They require entry fees. |
| B．They set three levels of prizes. |
| C．They are hosted in the same month each year. |
| D．They are mainly held for news photographers. |
| A．Istanbul Photo Awards. | B．World Press Photo Awards. |
| C．Amateur Photographer of the year. | D．Landscape Photographer of the Year. |
| A．£ 500 | B．£ 1,000 | C．£ 6,000 | D．£ 10,000 |
3 . The village super league, or “Cun Chao” in Chinese, is a soccer game among different villages in Rongjiang county, Guizhou Province, and it is so down-to-earth but popular that it has attracted not only the attention of football legend Michael Owen but also millions of Chinese netizens (网民), who are paying attention to this non-professional football league.
The players come from a variety of backgrounds. They are vendors, drivers, students, carpenters, tilers, former butchers, and brick factory workers. Their ages range from 15 to over 40 years old. At the game site, representatives wearing various traditional national costumes play national musical instruments and enter the field with the players, and perform songs and dances.
“This kind of football game is natural and with ‘pureness’ and it is driven by the love of the ordinary people not the economic benefits. The game is providing not only values of sports, but also a way of socializing with low costs,” an expert noted. This kind of atmosphere is very rarely seen and is treasured, especially for people in urban areas who are getting increasingly busy and under great work pressure, and when they look at the fun, relaxing and down-to-earth way of life in the countryside, they will naturally be interested, experts said. There is at least one good effect brought by the “Cun Chao” to Chinese soccer—to make more people see the pureness of joy and encourage them to play soccer.
Today, more and more grassroots sports events are held in the mountains and are using sports as a medium to showcase the unique charm of the local area, reflecting an energetic lifestyle filled with agricultural activities and rural fun.
1. Why does the author mention Michael Owen in Paragraph 1?| A．To show he is a household name in China. |
| B．To voice his view on modern soccer game. |
| C．To show the great popularity (流行) of “Cun Chao”. |
| D．To stress the importance of “Cun Chao”. |
| A．They are from all walks of life. |
| B．Seniors are welcome to join the team. |
| C．They are able to play national musical instruments. |
| D．They wear traditional costumes on the soccer field. |
| A．Slow-paced (慢节奏的). | B．Highly stressed. |
| C．High-cost. | D．Nonprofitable. |
| A．The village super league wins the hearts of Chinese. |
| B．The village super league: From nobody to somebody. |
| C．The village super league bridges the countryside and the city. |
| D．The village super league promises the future of Chinese soccer. |
4 . Green exercise is a term used to describe any type of physical exercise that takes place in a natural environment, rather than in a health club or gym.
A slightly different approach to green exercise puts more stress on fresh air, sunshine, and involvement with the natural world, rather than the equipment or clothing.
Many consider green exercise helps to reconnect human beings with the natural world. The interaction with nature helps to lower people’s blood pressure, refresh their mind, and actually improve their self-esteem (自尊).
| A．All forms of green exercise are good for you. |
| B．A green gym uses as little equipment as possible. |
| C．Spirits are also believed to be positively affected. |
| D．Opinions on what truly green exercise means differ. |
| E．So riding a bicycle in a forest can be called a type of green exercise. |
| F．Besides, it usually doesn’t use fitness equipment that is normally found in a gym. |
| G．Some point out that many health clubs are constructed to take advantage of natural light. |
5 . People who get a good workout almost daily can add nearly four years to their life spans, according to the first study to quantify the effect of physical activity this way.
The researchers looked at records of more than 5,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who had moderate to high levels of activity lived1.3 to 3.7 years longer than those who got little exercise, with men and women benefiting about equally.
“This shows that physical activity really does make a difference — not only for how long you live but for how long you live a healthy life.” said Oscar H. Franco of the Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in Rotterdam. “Being more physically active can give you more time.”
Previous studies have found that being physically active has a host of health benefits. It reduces the risk of being overweight and of developing many illnesses, improves overall quality of life, and lowers the death rate. But the new study is the first to directly calculate the effect on how long people live.
People who engaged in moderate activity — the equivalent of walking for 30minutes a day for five days a week — lived about 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than those who were less active. Those who took on more intense exercise—the equivalent of running half an hour a day five days every week—extended their lives by about3.5 to 3.7 years, the researchers found.
The findings show that even for people who are already middle-aged, exercising more can add years to their lives, Franco said.
Other experts said the study was consistent with the growing evidence that exercising on a regular basis is one of the most important things people can do for their health.
“At the end of the day, this is more evidence that the sitting lifestyle is the most damaging to health, longevity and chronic disease development,” said James O. Hill of the University of Colorado at Denver.
Hill and others said exercising regularly also enables people to live healthier lives, free from a host of chronic illnesses that can make it hard for people to enjoy their later years.
In addition, recent studies have also found that exercise has payoffs for the mind, too. It has been shown to improve overall well-being and reduce stress and depression.
“The benefits of physical activity extend well beyond the effects on longevity,” said Joann E. Manson of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
1. What would be the best title for this text?| A．A Daily Workout Add More Years to Life. | B．How A Daily Workout Is Good to Health. |
| C．Men Benefit More from A Daily Workout. | D．Middle-aged People Benefit from Workout. |
| A．It finds that men and women benefited about equally. |
| B．Being physically active has a host of health benefits. |
| C．It’s the first to calculate the effect on how long people live. |
| D．Being more physically active can give you more time to live. |
| A．describing successful cases. | B．presenting findings of research. |
| C．offering professional comments. | D．explaining a certain phenomenon (现象) . |
6 . You throw a flying disc (飞盘). Your friend catches it. Well done!
Flying discs are fun toys. They are becoming popular in China. On the Internet, there are more than thousands of posts about disc games, talking about things like rules and dress codes.
Flying discs are very beginner-friendly. It is easy for anyone to throw a disc almost anywhere they want to, from a field to a beach. No special skills are needed. Boys and girls can also play together, making it a good activity to socialize.
For those who want to compete, there are many choices. They can try the team disc sport called “ultimate”.
| A．It could fly farther and higher than a pie tin. |
| B．Flying discs have a history of nearly 100 years. |
| C．Unlike other games, it encourages honesty and fair play. |
| D．All these make the flying discs popular with young people today. |
| E．In fact, young people enjoyed this fun activity almost a century ago. |
| F．Social activities like attending parties will improve your communicative skills. |
7 . I recently spent half a weekend sitting on the sofa watching the Davis Cup. I thought about going for a run, but I did not want to miss the rest of the match. Soon it was starting to get dark, so I did not bother (费神). Whenever I watch tennis, I think how nice it would be to play it regularly. But I have been thinking that for almost 20 years without actually setting foot on a court. The evidence would suggest that I’m not the only one.
When a country or city competes to host an international sporting event, it often promises that more people will take up sports as a result. London was no exception. Tessa Jowell, who helped to bid for (申办) the 2012 Olympics for London, said that by 2012 two million more people would be physically active. And 60 percent of young people would be doing at least five hours of sports per week.
In the end, just over one-third of people in Britain take part in sports once a week. A report on Olympic and Paralympic influences has said that a big change in participation levels simply has not happened.
Why isn’t there a big increase in people taking part in sports after most sporting events? Perhaps it is a mistake to assume a definite link between watching sports and playing it. While the games are on, they actually encourage people to do just the opposite — to spend whole sunny days not out playing sports, but inside sitting on the sofa with the curtains shut to stop the sun shining on the TV screen. We don’t expect half the audience of a hit musical to apply to drama school the next day, yet we seem to expect it of sporting events.
The high-level performances on show only remind people that they could never match the excellent athletes in their sporting achievements even if they trained full time.
Maybe participation in sports is not the right thing to expect after a major sporting event. The Olympics can do many things, but maybe this cannot necessarily be one of them.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By sharing experiences. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By listing figures. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Watching sports is closely linked with playing it. |
| B．Watching games discourages people from going out. |
| C．Watching games encourages people to take part in sports. |
| D．Half the audience of a hit musical will take part in drama soon. |
| A．Do people like participating in sporting events? |
| B．Do people prefer watching big sporting events? |
| C．Do the Olympics encourage people to match athletes? |
| D．Do big sporting events make us do more sport? |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Objective. |
8 . You probably consider calorie (卡路里) burning with training. You can get great calorie burning effects with the following exercises.
RunningRunning is one of the best calorie burners out there. An average person can burn anywhere from 500 to 1,000 calories in one hour of running. Speed and pace are all factors that can affect calorie burning. But running uses every muscle group in the body, allowing you to burn more calories.
High Intensity Interval (高强度间歇运动) Training (HIIT)If you want intensity, HIIT is right for you. This physical exercise involves working hard in intervals, then resting. Because your heart rate will stay at a high level, you’ll burn more calories in less time. On average, a person will burn 400 to 600 calories in 30 minutes.
Jumping ropeThis childhood activity can actually do wonders for your health. Jumping rope is great for strengthening the lower and upper body while training your balance and coordination (协调能力), because your mind has to work while you jump. Jumping rope can burn 600 to 1,000 calories in an hour.
SwimmingSwimming is a low-intensity form of exercise that also uses muscle groups of your body. In just 30 minutes of swimming, an average person can burn 200 to 300 calories. Swimming also helps to shape body, control blood pressure, and increase strength—all great reasons for you to jump into the water.
1. Which kind of exercise burns the most calories in an hour?| A．Running. | B．Swimming. |
| C．Jumping rope. | D．High Intensity Interval Training. |
| A．Those who want to train their mind. | B．Those who want to have good balance. |
| C．Those who want to control blood pressure. | D．Those who want to do low-intensity activities. |
| A．To encourage people to compete in sports. | B．To teach people how to do exercise. |
| C．To provide ways to burn calories. | D．To promote a healthy lifestyle. |
9 . Simon James is a super-trail runner (越野跑步者) who encourages people to reconnect with nature in the name of exercise. He has completed Super Trail in the Alps, the Andes and the Himalayas. A late-night bet with a client (客户) got him tied to running.
“In 2006, a business client challenged me one evening in a bar to a 36-hour walk across 54 miles of the West Highland Way, and I foolishly said ‘yes’,” James said. “He then rang me the next day to tell me we would be running it.”
At the time, James was 20 kilograms overweight and the longest he had run before that was just under 8 miles, but he managed to finish that run and has never looked back.
According to a report, two-thirds of adults in the U.K. are overweight, one-fifth suffering from depression (抑郁). The huge influence caused by modern lifestyle has worsened these issues. We are aware of the importance of exercise in everyday life, and no amount of virtual meetings can make up for direct social contact. James said, “Only one thing can fix these problems — trail running.”
What is unique about trail running, he explained, is that “it reconnects us to our beautiful nature and connects our physical, mental and spiritual aspects, as well as providing us with an experience which can connect us to other people”.
Inspired, he quit his city life of working 16-hour-plus-days as a banker, and spent more time in trails and mountains.
James is now in charge of the trail running company Run the Wild. He said every run has been a gift following a physical operation in 2015, even though his doctor told that he could hardly run again. He said, “The outdoors is such a great place for us all to experience.”
1. How did Simon James take part in trail running?| A．He was inspired by a friend. | B．He tried to deal with his health issue. |
| C．He made a bet with a client. | D．He had a passion for workout. |
| A．It focuses largely on overweight British people. |
| B．It has little influence on people’s mental health. |
| C．It connects people through virtual community. |
| D．It helps to build the social connection for people. |
| A．Adventurous. | B．Sociable. | C．Kind-hearted. | D．Determined. |
| A．A Unique Experience | B．Running Wonder |
| C．A Trail to Nature | D．Depression Disorders |
10 . Massive changes in all of the world’s deeply cherished sporting habits are underway. Whether it’s one of London’s parks full of people playing softball, and Russians taking up rugby, or the Superbowl rivaling the British Football Cup Final as a televised spectator event in Britain, the patterns of players and spectators are changing rapidly. We are witnessing a globalization of our sporting culture.
That annual bicycle race, the Tour de France, much loved by the French, is a good case in point. Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair with France, Belgium and Holland, Spain and Italy taking part in. But in recent years it has been dominated by Colombian mountain climbers, and American and Irish riders.
The people who really matter welcome the shift toward globalization. Peugeot, Michelin and Panasonic are multi-national corporations that want worldwide returns for the millions they invest in teams. So it does them literally a world of good to see this unofficial world championship become just that.
This is undoubtedly an economic-based revolution we are witnessing here, one made possible by communications technology, but made to happen because of marketing considerations. Sell the game and you can sell Coca Cola or Budweiser as well.
The skillful way in which American football has been sold to Europe is a good example of how all sports will develop. The aim of course is not really to spread the sport for its own sake, but to increase the number of people interested in the major money-making events. The economics of the Superbowl are already large. With seats at US $125, gate receipts alone were an astonishing $10,000,000. The most important statistic of the day, however, was the $10,000,000 in TV advertising fees. Imagine how much that becomes when the eyes of the world are watching. Economic help to the development of world sports
So it came as a terrible shock, but not really as a surprise, to learn that some people are now suggesting that soccer change from being a game of two 45-minute halves, to one of four 25-minute quarters. The idea is unashamedly to capture more advertising revenue, without giving any thought for the integrity of a sport which relies for its essence on the flowing nature of the action.
Moreover, as sports expand into world markets, and as our choice of sports as consumers also grows, we will demand to see them played at a higher and higher level. In boxing we have already seen numerous, questionable world title categories because people will not pay to see anything less than a “World Title” fight, and this means that the title fights have to be held in different countries around the world!
1. Globalization of sporting culture means that ______.| A．more people are taking up sports |
| B．traditional sports are getting popular |
| C．foreigners are more interested in local sports |
| D．many local sports are becoming international |
①Economic revolution ②Return of traditional games
③Communications technology ④Promotion of sports ⑤Marketing strategies
| A．①②③ | B．①③⑤ | C．①②⑤ | D．②④⑤ |
| A．Favorable. | B．Unclear. | C．Reserved. | D．Critical. |
| A．the economic help to develop sports | B．the worldwide popularization of sports |
| C．the commercialization of sporting culture | D．the increasing availability of sports watching |
