1 . A quick walk onto a frozen pond (池塘) could have been a disaster for these two boys.
Cruz Genet, 11, and Anthony Skopick, 10, couldn’t agree more. Were the birds out on the ice ducks or geese? There was only one way to find out. So on a cold January evening last year, the two friends walked onto the frozen pond near their homes to get a better look.
First, they threw a rock onto the ice to test it. Believing the ice would hold their weight, Anthony took a few steps, and then he crashed through the seemingly frozen surface. “There was no sound and no crack”, he told the reporter. “I just fell through immediately.”
Cruz rushed to help his frightened friend. And he fell in the pond, too. Cruz managed to lift himself out of the water and onto a harder part. He then carefully worked his way toward Anthony, but he fell in the pond again. This time, he couldn’t get out.
The two boys were in icy cold water and quickly losing feeling in their limbs (四肢). Cruz was sure that he was going to die.
Anthony’s older sister had seen the boys fall through the ice and started shouting for help. John Lavin, a neighbor driving nearby on his way to the store, heard her. He quickly pulled over. Seeing the boys, he took a nearby buoy (浮标), kicked off his shoes, and ran into the water. Lavin made his way to Cruz and Anthony and drew them back to land. They were taken to hospital, where doctors discovered that their five-minute stay in the water had lowered their body temperature nearly ten degrees.
Luckily, the boys have fully recovered, though they are still a little awestruck (敬畏的) by their fearless neighbor. “Just to think,” says Cruz, “if he hadn’t been there, I could have died.”
1. Why did the boys go to the frozen pond?| A．They had planned to go skating on the ice for a medal. |
| B．They wondered whether the ice could hold their weight. |
| C．They wanted to have a better understanding at the pond. |
| D．They were curious about what birds there were on the ice. |
| A．they threw a rock to test if the ice was strong enough |
| B．they caught a nearby buoy and kicked off their shoes |
| C．they asked their neighbor who should be the first to go |
| D．they asked Anthony’s older sister to protect them nearby |
| A．He went to find a buoy nearby. | B．He went to his neighbor for help. |
| C．He rushed in to help his friend. | D．He went to ask for his sister’s help. |
| A．A stranger passing by rescued the two boys at last. |
| B．The two boys were very thankful to their neighbor. |
| C．Cruz fell into the pond with Anthony at the same time. |
| D．Anthony’s older sister invited the two boys to the pond. |
2 . There are four fantastic films you can’t miss in March.
Raya and the Last Dragon
1h 54min | 5 March 2021 (China) | Director: Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada
Five hundred years after the world’s dragons sacrificed (牺牲) themselves to save humanity and the country was divided into five warring states. It’s up to Raya to find the lone survivor: a soft and shape-changing water dragon. Children can find much fun from this cartoon fantasy adventure.
Cosmic Sin
1h 28min | 12 March 2021 (USA) | Director: Edward Drake
The year is 2524 and Earth has had colonies on Mars for centuries. After a severe first contact with alien life, General Eron Ryle (Frank Grillo) calls on retired General James Ford for help. War is coming and there is only one man who can save civilisation as we know it.
The World to Come
1h 45min | 2 March 2021 (USA) | Director: Mona Fastvold
Somewhere along the mid-19th century American East Coast frontier, two neighboring couples battle hardship and isolation, witnessed by a splendid yet testing landscape, challenging them both physically and psychologically. Actress Katherine Waterston has performed particularly well in the film.
Happily
1h 45min | 19 March 2021 (USA) | Director: BenDavid Grabinski
A dark romantic comedy. Tom and Janet have been happily married for years. But a visit from a mysterious stranger leads to a dead body, a lot of questions, and a tense couples’ trip with friends who may not actually be friends at all.
1. Which of the following is a cartoon film?| A．Raya and the Last Dragon. | B．Cosmic Sin. |
| C．The World to Come. | D．Happily. |
| A．Don Hall. | B．Edward Drake. | C．Mona Fastvold. | D．BenDavid Grabinski. |
| A．On 2 March. | B．On 5 March. | C．On 12 March. | D．On 19 March. |
3 . Five Family Films to Enjoy with Your Family
Lost Horizon
In Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon, the passengers on a plane attacked after the take-off in China are thrown together against their will only to be deposited in Shangri-La. During their stay there, they realize that a family gathering should be about forming connections and taking time to consider one’s place in the family, in the community and even in the world.
The Human Comedy
Maybe as the finest film about the US home front during World War Ⅱ, The Human Comedy is a portrait of a family dealing with life after the oldest son is drafted into military service(兵役). Mickey Rooney plays the younger son missing his older brother but trying to get on with his life in high school.
Miracle on 34th Street
The Christmas classic was released in 1947, but it essentially set the stage for the 1950s. It’s about the birth of the post-war consumer culture, and how affection for family and friends can be best expressed by the act of spending money.
Mary Poppins
Sometimes a family needs to make a change but the Banks family is definitely in a rut(一成不变). George seems to care more about his banking job than his wife and children. He needs to learn that sometimes all he needs is a laugh for a laugh’s sake, tuppence(两便士)to feed the birds and the time to fly a kite. In the end, his change is as powerful as Ebenezer Scrooge’s.
Star Wars: Episode Ⅳ-A New Hope
Star Wars is about what happens after you make the choice to leave home for good. Of course, for Luke Skywalker, the choice to “take the first step into a larger world” is made for him when his family is killed. But his process of going out into the universe and discovering himself also involves gathering a new family.
1. Who of the following acted in one of the above films?| A．Mickey Rooney | B．Frank Capra | C．Luke Skywalker | D．Ebenezer Scrooge |
| A．Last Horizon | B．Mary Poppins | C．Miracle on 34th Street | D．Star Wars: Episode Ⅳ-A New Hope |
| A．advertise some new films | B．interest foreign film lovers |
| C．present some film standards | D．recommend some films |
4 . Below is a list of carefully selected activities which can help you kill time and enjoy yourself when you are at your leisure.
San Antonio Missions Baseball
Customer Rating: ★★★★☆ based on 260 reviews
Address: 5757 U.S. 90 San Antonio, TX 78227
Tel: 1-800-987-9852
—The game lasts about 3 hours.
→Suitable for middle school students
→Disabled people are not accepted.
→Both cameras and video cameras are allowed.
→Gift shop on-site.
Schlitterbahn Waterpark San Antonio
Customer Rating: ★★★★☆ based on 180 reviews
Address: 400 N Liberty Ave New Braunfels, TX 78130
Tel: 1-800-987-6952
→Most guests spend about 4-10 hours at the park.
—Suitable for young people
→Cameras and video cameras are not allowed.
→Restaurant and gift shop on-site
Splashtown Water Park
Customer Rating: ★★★★★ based on 210 reviews
Address: 3600 North IH 35 San Antonio, TX 78219
Tel: 1-800-987-9789
→Most guests spend about 4-10 hours at the park.
→Suitable for all ages
—Suitable for healthy people
—Both cameras and video cameras are allowed.
San Antonio Walking Ghost Tour
Customer Rating: ★★★☆☆ based on 100 reviews
Address: 516 E Houston St, Inside Moses Roses Hideout San Antonio, TX 78205
Tel: 1-800-987-9836
Guided walking tour of downtown at night is 1.5 hours and up to 1 mile long.
→Disabled people are accepted.
→Both cameras and video cameras are allowed.
1. What do we know about San Antonio Missions Baseball?| A．It has the best rating. | B．It offers restaurants to customers. |
| C．It doesn’t allow taking photos. | D．It isn’t suitable for old people. |
| A．San Antonio Missions Baseball. | B．Schlitterbahn Waterpark San Antonio. |
| C．Splashtown Water Park. | D．San Antonio Walking Ghost Tour. |
| A．1-800-987-9836. | B．1-800-987-9789. |
| C．1-800-987-6952. | D．1-800-987-9852. |
5 . Are you looking for somewhere special to go this weekend? Do you want to try something new?
Check out one of these hot new restaurants.
Fast Best
Fast food doesn't have to be junk food, as this café proves. Do you fancy a really good hamburger made with the best ingredients, or old-fashioned fish and chips fried to perfection, all on the table in super-quick time? Speed and quality are important here, and the prices aren't bad either.
Your Local Caff (小餐馆)
Remember when cafés served full English breakfasts—sausages, beans, fried bread, bacon and eggs—with a strong cup of tea? Well, this place still does and you can have your breakfast at any time you like during the day while you listen to your favourite tunes from the 1980s.
Last Days of the Raj
A centrally located Indian restaurant, perfect for eating before or after the cinema or a show. In summer enjoy your meal in the beautiful garden. The most popular dishes are lamb and chicken cooked with mild, medium or hot spices. For brave customers there is extra hot!
The Chocolate Box
The owner of this small café used to cook all kinds of food, but then she realised she preferred desserts to anything else. If you want meat or fish, don't come here. They only do desserts! Lots of different kinds of sweets. Chocolate lovers will be excited by the range of chocolate cakes.
1. Fast Best suits a person ______.| A．who has a sweet tooth | B．who loves spicy food |
| C．who wants to have good breakfast | D．who gets 30 minutes off for lunch |
| A．You can listen to great music in it. | B．It serves hot food with pepper. |
| C．It serves an all-day breakfast. | D．It is prefect for vegetarians. |
| A．Fast Best. | B．Your Local Caff. |
| C．Last Days of the Raj. | D．The Chocolate Box. |
6 . As of 2020, the world's biggest lithium-ion (锂离子) battery is hooked up to the Southern California power grid and can provide 250 million watts of power, or enough to power about 250,000 homes. But it's actually not the biggest battery in the world: these lakes are.
Wait - how can a pair of lakes be a battery? To answer that question, it helps to define a battery: it's simply something that stores energy and releases it on demand. The lithium-ion batteries that power our phones, laptops, and cars are just one type. They store energy in lithium ions.
How do the two lakes store and release energy? First, one is 300 meters higher than the other. Electricity power pumps that move billions of liters of water from the lower lake to the higher one. This stores the energy by giving the water extra gravitational potential energy. Then, when there's high demand for electricity, valves (阀门) open, releasing the stored energy by letting water flow downhill to power 6 giant turbines that can generate 3 billion watts of power for 10 hours.
Unfortunately, neither of the giant batteries we've talked about so far is big enough to power multiple cities. The two lakes setup requires specific geography, takes up a lot of land, and has high upfront costs to build. The giant lithium-ion battery in California can power about 250,000 homes, yes, but only for an hour. Lithium-ion batteries also require certain heavy metals to make. These resources are limited, and mining them causes environmental damage. Inventors all over the world are rising to the challenge of making batteries that can meet our needs - many of them even weirder than the two lakes.
1. Why is the world's biggest lithium-ion battery mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. |
| B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To stress its importance. |
| D．To declare a fact. |
| A．With the help of the pumps, the two lakes store energy. |
| B．The water flow by itself to release the stored energy. |
| C．The two lakes setup is able to power multiple cities. |
| D．Lithium-ion batteries are environmentally friendly. |
| A．Inventors' worries. | B．Inventors' efforts. |
| C．Stranger batteries. | D．New challenges. |
| A．Battery Inventors Face New Challenges. |
| B．The World's Biggest Battery Looks Nothing Like a Battery |
| C．Giant Batteries Fail to Meet Our Needs. |
| D．Newly-invented Batteries. |
7 . Amazing Kids’ Magazine is proud to announce that we will be hosting a Wild Jungle Writing Contest this fall! Send us your best jungle-themed stories using this starter: “I had no idea why they were standing there.”
This contest is open to grades K-12, with three groups of K-3, 4-8, and 9-12. Three winners from each age group will be chosen to win Amazing Kids’ prizes, along with an official certificate confirm their winning entry. All participants will receive a certificate of participation in the contest.
Submit (提交) all entries by September 30 to be considered! Email editor@amazing-kids.org for more questions about rules and specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How should I format my entry?
A: Stories should be written in English, with submissions of less than 1,200 words. Please submit your entry as a Microsoft Word document.
Q: How do I submit my entry?
A: E-mail your submission to editor@amazing-kids.org. Each e-mail submission will receive a return message confirming that the essay was received.
Q: Is there just one prize?
A: No. Nine separate prizes will be given out, with a cash value of $20 for first place, $15 for second place, and $10 for third place in each age group. Certificates of participation will also be awarded to each participant in the contest.
1. Which of the following stories suits the contest most?| A．A couple lost their way in the forest. |
| B．Two brothers met a bear while searching the forest. |
| C．A teenager caught a thief in a cave. |
| D．A soldier saved a drowning boy. |
| A．a cash value of $15 | B．a thank-you letter |
| C．a prize and a certificate | D．only an official certificate |
| A．Announcement. | B．Summary. |
| C．News. | D．Guide. |
