A “plogging group” –
Plogging is a new sport sweeping the globe, which is a
According to Liu Siwei, promoter of the sport in Changchun, every group member usually
Now, every Saturday at 7 pm, more than twenty
2 . Young Writers Awards
About the Contest
Bennington College has a unique literary tradition. We’ve had twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three US poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. In celebration of this, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Students are invited to enter with the following work:
•Poetry: A group of three poems
•Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or one-act play
•Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)
A first-, second-, and third-place winner is selected in each category. We welcome participation of both US and international students.
Awards & Rules
First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250.
•No charge for entrance. Fees for accidents caused by participants are required.
•All entries must be original work reviewed, approved and guided by a teacher. We will use your teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact one to assist in your writing even if you have experience in such competitions.
Young Writers Awards finalists and winners are also qualified for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. Young Writers Awards finalists who apply and gain admission to Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. Young Writers Awards winners reaching the standard will receive $15,000 every year, for a total of $60,000.
1. What can be learned about the Young Writers Awards?| A．It rewards three winners at last. |
| B．It’s a tradition of Bennington College. |
| C．It accepts participants worldwide. |
| D．It offers scholarships to undergraduates. |
| A．Hand in a personal essay. | B．Have related writing experience. |
| C．Pay an entry fee on time. | D．Find a teacher to help with the entry. |
| A．$10,500. | B．$15,500. |
| C．$40,500. | D．$60,500. |
When I was in primary school, I disliked doing exercise. I felt tired when I did any kind of exercise. My parents were really
During all our life, we may face a lot of
4 . The 25-year-old African student in Cangzhou Technical College, north China’s Hebei Province, has practiced Tai Chi for two years. He is now a huge fan of the slow-speed martial art.
As a child in his own country, the Tanzanian was already a fan of kung fu stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Donnie Yen. He understood Chinese kung Fu to be a fast-paced attack and defense art.
“Tai chi is different from the Chinese kung Fu that I knew. It is slow. But as I practice it, I have realized that the slow moments are far from being simple,” Abdi said.
The school provides a Tai Chi course for all foreign students. Abdi has already learned to practice Tai Chi moves with balance and deep rhythmic breathing, which allows him to feel the charm of the exercise. It brings peace and calmness to his mind, while building his muscles.
The International Exchange Center of the college has had more than 300 international students from more than 50 countries since 2016, mainly countries along “the Belt and Road.”
“My parents wish me to study international trade to better prepare me for my job in the booming trade between China and Tanzania. But it is my own dream to chase the Chinese martial arts,” said Abdi.
Practicing Tai Chi has led him to have a complete appreciation of Chinese culture. He now prefers people call him by his Chinese name Chen Yanzhi, as the name means talented and kind.
“Tai chi movements are quiet but full of power. It has inspired my understanding of China, which has the same spirit. My mother has felt the same way after she visited me here,” Abdi said.
He said his Rwandan classmate likes to post videos of them practicing Tai Chi on social media, and another Cameroonian classmate has learned from Tai Chi how to improve his boxing skills.
“When I return home, I will use my Chinese name to teach Tai Chi in my country, so that more people can benefit from this magical Kung Fu,” said Abdi. Enditem.
1. What is it that Tai Chi is different from Chinese kung fu?| A．Tai Chi is a defense art. | B．Tai Chi is a fast-paced attack. |
| C．Tai Chi is slow. | D．Tai Chi is simple. |
| A．It builds his muscles. |
| B．It helps him regain a healthy lifestyle. |
| C．It brings peace and calmness to his mind. |
| D．It allows him to feel the charm of the exercise. |
| A．Because he liked slow-moving exercise. |
| B．Because Tai Chi was easy for him to learn. |
| C．Because Tai Chi helped him burn more calories to aid in weight loss. |
| D．Because Tai Chi has helped him have a full understanding of Chinese culture. |
| A．Tai Chi has become a sport event. |
| B．Tai Chi is active only in central China. |
| C．Tai Chi becomes more and more popular in the world. |
| D．Tai Chi opens a window for Chinese people to know about the world. |
5 . All human societies play games．Kicking a ball can be found everywhere whether just a ball of cloth，or a skin stuffed with feathers or air．
But complex games and team sports have tended to arise in big civilizations - the higher the cultural level of a society，the greater the complexity of interaction，and hence perhaps the more complex the forms of sport．
This is not always the case．The ancient Greeks，for example，preferred individual not team sports．But in China for well over 2，000 years，people played the game of “kickball” - cuju．The members were often young men from wealthy families though there were also professional kickballers，whom you could stick with in your team as sleepers．
Cuju was played as entertainment at court banquets or the reception of foreign ambassadors．Even emperors played kickball．
As you'd expect in a Confucian society，kickball clubs were keen on the key qualities of mercy and courtesy．A great player was one who showed “the spirit of the game”．The “Ten Essentials of Kickball” included respect for other players，polite behaviors and team spirit．There was to be no ungentlemanly behavior，no dangerous play，and no hogging（独占）the ball．In other words，as we used to say，“play up and play the game．”
What a contrast with the ancient Greek athletics where only victory counted and if that needed gamesmanship，or cruel professional fouls（犯规），then so be it．
As a way of national culture protection，cuju was listed into the first batch of China's intangible cultural heritages（非物质文化遗产）in 2006．
1. What does the underlined phrase stuffed with"mean in paragraph 1？| A．Filled with． | B．Decorated with． |
| C．Surrounded with． | D．Covered with． |
| A．Teams． | B．Interaction． |
| C．Society． | D．Civilizations． |
| A．Sleepers． | B．The rich young men． |
| C．Emperors． | D．The professional athletes． |
| A．Kickball's popularity． | B．Kickball's development． |
| C．Kickball's importance． | D．Kickball's characteristics． |
6 . My parents love tennis and they' re members of a tennis club. My older brother was really good at it and they supported him — taking him to lessons all the time. So when I announced I wanted to be a tennis champion when I grew up, I just intended for them to notice me. My mother laughed. She knew I couldn't possibly be serious, I was just a 4-year-old kid!
Later, I joined the club's junior coaching group and eventually took part in my first proper contest, confident that my team would do well. We won, which was fantastic, but I wasn't so successful. I didn't even want to be in the team photo because I didn't feel I deserved to be. When my coach asked what happened in my final match, I didn't know what to say. I couldn't believe I'd lost. I thought I was the better player. But every time I attacked, the other player defended well. I couldn't explain the result.
After that, I decided to listen more carefully to my coach because he had lots of tips. I realised that I need the right attitude to be a winner. On court I have a plan but sometimes the other guy will do something unexpected so I'll change it. If I lose a point, I do my best to forget it and find a way to win the next one.
At tournaments, it's impossible to avoid players who explode in anger. Lots of players can be negative, including myself sometimes. I felt angry and nearly broke my racket! But my coach has helped me develop ways to control those feelings. After all, the judges have a hard job and you just have to accept their decisions.
My coach demands that I train in the gym to make sure I'm strong right to the end of a tournament. I'm getting good results: my shots are more accurate and there's a chance that I could be a champion one day with hard work.
1. The author said that he was going to be a tennis champion in order to ________.| A．please his parents | B．annoy his older brother |
| C．get some attention | D．persuade people that he was serious |
| A．He was confused about his defeat. | B．He was proud to be a member of the winning team. |
| C．He was fond of the way he treated another player. | D．He was amazed that he had got so far in the tournament. |
| A．Follow his game plan. | B．Respect the other player. |
| C．Don't let the other player surprise him. | D．Don't keep thinking about his mistakes. |
| A．He tries to keep calm during the game. | B．He broke his racket once when he was angry. |
| C．He stays away from players who behave badly. | D．He found it difficult to deal with one judge's decisions. |
7 . Table tennis may not seem a reasonable option for someone with no arms — but Ibrahim Hamadtou doesn't believe in limits. The 48-year-old Egyptian Paralympian breaks the barrier by holding the paddle (球拍) in his mouth and using his right foot to serve the ball.
Hamadtou, who lost his arms in a train accident at the age of ten, was drawn to table tennis after being challenged by a friend. "I was once watching a match between two of my friends," Hamadtou explains. "They disagreed on a point, When I counted the point in favor of one of them, the other player told me, 'Mind your own business as you will never be able to play.' It was that statement that fired me up to decide to play table tennis."
It took Hamadtou three years to master the sport. He says the biggest challenge was figuring out the best way to control his body. "I was trying first to use the bat under the arm, and I also tried using other things, which weren't working so well. Finally, I tried using my mouth. It took me nearly a year of practice to get used to holding the paddle with my mouth and making the serve. With practice and playing regularly, this skill was improved."
The Egyptian's incredible talent came to light in 2014 when he was awarded the best Arab Athlete of the year. He won a silver medal at the 2016 African Championships, qualified for his first Paralympics in 2016 at 43, and then again for the 2020 Tokyo Games at 48.
The inspiring athlete says, "The disability is not in arms or legs but to give up in whatever you would like to do."
1. What made Hamadtou take up table tennis?| A．His passion for table-tennis. | B．His ambition to prove himself. |
| C．His willingness to inspire others. | D．His suffering in a train accident. |
| A．Serving the ball with his mouth. | B．Holding the paddle under his arm. |
| C．Practicing strengthening his muscles. | D．Playing the game with the right body parts. |
| A．He was recognized as a gifted player at 41. |
| B．He was awarded the best athlete in Africa. |
| C．He won a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games. |
| D．He realized his dream of winning a gold medal. |
| A．Well begun is half done. | B．Love breaks down barriers. |
| C．Success gives people delight. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
8 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.
·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.
·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?| A．104,944. | B．107,601. | C．About 150,000. | D．About 250,000. |
| A．Michigan Stadium. | B．Beaver Stadium. | C．Ohio Stadium. | D．Kyle Field. |
| A．They host big games. | B．They have become tourist attractions. |
| C．They were built by Americans. | D．They are favored by architects. |
