1 . Writing competitions

Closing date in April

Author of Tomorrow aims to find future adventure writers. Young people under 21 can send entries (参赛作品) between 1,500 and 5,000 words (under 500 words for primary-aged pupils). The prizes are £1,000 for the 16-21 age group, £100 and £150 in book tokens (购书券) for the 12-15 age group, and £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 11 and under age group. The closing date is 29th April.

Tadpole Press is running a worldwide 100-word writing competition open to writers of all ages. Entries of 100 words can be sent in any type. The competition requires a small entry fee and 1st place receives a cash prize, while 2nd and 3rd places get writing coaching and editing packages. The deadline is 30th April.

Closing date in May

The Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize invites young people in the UK aged 11-14 to send under 500 words of “writing that is lively, unusual or otherwise original”. This year’s topic is “The Stranger” and the closing date is 22nd May.

War Through Children’s Eyes is open to children aged 7-17 in the UK and aims to “raise awareness of the impact of wars on the communities caught up in them, and particularly on the most vulnerable members of those communities: their children”: Entries of up to 1,000 words are invited, and full details about the competition are available on its website. The closing date is 10th May.

1. Which competition is suitable for a person good at writing adventure stories?

A．Tadpole Press.

B．Author of Tomorrow.

C．War Through Children’s Eyes.

D．The Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize.

2. What do we know about Tadpole Press?

A．All types of entries are accepted.

B．It is free of charge for all writers.

C．The winners will receive cash prizes.

D．It welcomes writers across the world.

3. What do the two competitions closing in May have in common?

A．They have specific topics.	B．They close on the same day.
C．They are only for teen writers.	D．They accept entries over 500 words.

2 . Global Support assists you to organize and undertake activities outside of New York.

If you are a student, please contact Office of Global Services about visa-related questions, the Student Health Center about health insurance abroad, Office of Global Programs about studying away at one of our university’s global sites, and Office of General Counsel about any travel to Cuba.

When Should I Contact Global Support?

Conducting a university activity outside of New York, whether it is research, short trips, exchange programs or study-away programs, may present obstacles as a result of U.S. or local legal requirements. Countries and local districts have their own set of rules and regulations, and it can be challenging to be knowledgeable and current on the rules and regulations of the many countries and districts where the university operates.

How Can Global Support Help?

We will help you identify important issues relating to your activity, obtain information about these issues, engage the appropriate administrative departments and function al experts, and address these issues.

Our university maintains functional experts in a range of administrative areas to provide you with technical advice and guidance. Because there are often changes to local country rules and regulations, these university experts have relationships with third party local country experts, from whom they at times seek advice and guidance. Allowing the university functional experts to remain current on the best local country experts ensures you get the best advice at the best price.

1. Where should you go to ask questions about travel to Cuba?

A．Office of Global Services.	B．The Student Health Center.
C．Office of Global Programs.	D．Office of General Counsel.

2. Global Support mainly deals with problems concerning ______.

A．researches

B．laws

C．programs

D．cultures

3. What ensures the high efficiency of the university functional experts?

A．Their constant adaptation to changes.	B．Their expertise in introducing regulations.
C．Their cooperation with local country experts.	D．Their diverse educational backgrounds.

3 . Hidden Gems: Underrated National Parks Worth Exploring

Many travelers flock to popular national parks like Yellowstone for their family vacations or adventurous getaways. However, there are some lesser-known gems that often go unnoticed despite their remarkable beauty and attractions.

Isle Royale National Park

Nestled in the heart of Lake Superior, Isle Royale requires a bit of effort to reach, but the journey is rewarded with breathtaking scenery. Accessible only by daily ferries, this park sees far fewer visitors compared to larger destinations like Yellowstone. Hikers are treated to sightings of wildlife such as wolves along the park’s picturesque trails.

Dry Tortugas National Park

Situated 68 miles southwest of the Florida Keys, the Dry Tortugas is a secluded (偏僻的) island park accessible only by boat or plane. Despite its small size, it boasts rich history, abundant marine life, and stunning coral reefs. At its center stands Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Covering over 13.2 million acres, Wrangell-St Elias National Park is the largest in the entire U.S. park system. Remote and largely undeveloped, this park challenges visitors with limited access—only two roads lead into it. However, those who venture here are rewarded with a profound connection to nature unparalleled elsewhere.

Big Bend National Park

For travelers seeking a truly rugged (崎岖的) experience, Big Bend National Park is a must-visit destination. Renowned for its whitewater rafting, camping, and hiking opportunities, this park can be excessively hot during the summer months, deterring many tourists.

These hidden gems offer unique experiences and breathtaking landscapes, making them worthy contenders for any adventurer's bucket list.

1. Why does Isle Royale National Park receive fewer visitors?

A．It is located in a remote area and is difficult to reach.

B．It lacks wildlife and natural landscapes.

C．It has no historical or cultural significance.

D．Its climate is extremely hot.

2. What is Dry Tortugas National Park renowned for?

A．Its white sand beaches.	B．Its ancient ruins.
C．Its abundant marine life and coral reefs.	D．Its mountainous landscapes.

3. Which national park is particularly notable for its vast size and profound connection to nature?

A．Isle Royale National Park	B．Dry Tortugas National Park
C．Big Bend National Park	D．Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

4 . On July 29, 10-year-old Mayah Zamora went home after being hospitalized for 66 days. Mayah was a survivor of the May 24 shooting rampage at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

The little girl had more than 20 surgeries and underwent weeks of physical therapy after being shot in her hands, chest and back during the school shooting. Mayah’s doctors have called her survival miraculous.

On August 24, she was honored as the Hero of the Month for August by MLB’s Houston Astros at a game against the Minnesota Twins, where she threw out the first pitch. While there, Mayah also met former Astros shortstop (游击手) Carlos Correa, who shared some incredible news with her family.

The Zamoras learned during the game that the Correa family Foundation and other donors are funding the construction of a new home for the family in a location they chose. The trauma (创伤) of living just blocks from the gunman’s house had been taking a toll on (给……造成重大损伤) the young survivor.

“I could never begin to imagine everything she has gone through, and we feel that this is one thing we could do to try to alleviate some of her pain,” Correa said. “I’m thankful to both teams for being a part of this effort.”

His foundation shared a statement and some great photos of Mayah’s special night at the ballpark on its Facebook page.

“We are so proud of you. Mayah, and we are honored to recognize you as our Hero of the Month,” wrote the Correa Family Foundation. “We hope this will be an opportunity for Mayah and her family to rebuild their lives, make new memories, and look towards a bright future.”

1. Why did the Correa family Foundation and other donors fund a new home for the Zamoras?

A．Because the Zamoras didn’t want to live in their home.

B．Because Correa wanted to reward Mayah for her bravery.

C．Because the Zamoras’ home was near the gunman’s house.

D．Because the Zamoras’ home had been destroyed by the gunman.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “alleviate” in Paragraph 5?

A．Ease.

B．Suffer.

C．Delay.

D．Confirm.

3. Which of the following can best describe Correa?

A．Selfish.

B．Caring.

C．Determined.

D．Responsible.

4. What is the text?

A．A diary entry.

B．A news report.

C．A book review.

D．A moving story.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old fashioned, pot-bellied stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived.

One morning, they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed (吞没) in flames. They dragged the unconscious little boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to the nearby county hospital.

From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die—which was for the best, really—for the terrible fire had devastated (破坏) the lower half of his body.

But the brave boy didn’t want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the mortal (致死的) danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a life-time cripple (瘸子) with no use at all of his lower limbs.

Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor (引起运动的) ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.

Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage (对……按摩) his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever. When he wasn’t in bed, he was confined (限制) to a wheelchair.

Paragraph 1:
One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Ultimately through his strong determination, he did develop the ability to stand up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Top 4 must-see ancient villages in Beijing

Beijing is a world-famous historical and cultural city with a history of more than 3, 000 years. The rich and profound ancient village culture found in and around the city remains an important part of the capital’s history and culture. Below we recommend 4 must-see ancient villages in the Beijing area as the 2024 May Day holiday approaches.

Lingshui village

Located in the northwest of Mentougou district, Lingshui village was formed in the Liao and Jin dynasties. The ancient dwellings in Lingshui village are a model of rural residential buildings during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) in northerm China, and their original appearance is well preserved. Tourists can explore over 120 folk houses, alongside many cultural relics in the village.

Shuiyu village

Shuiyu village is in Fangshan district. The village was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. With 600 houses and more than 100 sets of courtyard houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the original cultural ecology of the village has been well maintained. Facing both north and south, the village is laid out in a circular shape, forming a unique architectural style.

Sangyu village

Sangyu village lies in the north of Mentougou district, Beijing, next to Lingshui village. Prior to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) , Sangyu village was called Sanyu or “encountering” in English, named for the three water channels that meet in the village. Dense mulberry tree forests surround the entire village, and when they bear fruit, purple mulberries light up the village valley.

Malan village

Malan village, which means “horse stable” in English, had a history of keeping horses that dates back to the Ming dynasty. The ancient buildings in Malan village are made of stone and mud. When building and repairing houses in the village, people try their best to maintain their original appearance. There is also an exhibition hall, a row of old houses, as well as 12 gate bridges in the the village.

1. Which village is designed round according to the text?

A．Lingshui village.	B．Shuiyu village.
C．Sangyu village.	D．Malan village.

2. What does Lingshui village and Malan village have in common?

A．They are models of rural buildings.

B．The houses are made of stones and mud.

C．Their original appearance are well maintained.

D．They were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

3. From which column of a newspaper can this passage probably be taken?

A．Nature.

B．Agriculture.

C．Geography.

D．Tourism.

7 . Ideally located in the heart of New York Times Square, Yotel New York, a five-star hotel, has comfortable accommodation in a modern design.

The hotel has convenient transportation with an 18-minute walk from Fifth Avenue and Grand Central Station. John F Kennedy Airport can be reached directly from Times Square Underground Station.

All rooms include cozy beds, 54-inch HD TVs with free Sports and Movie channels, and free Wi-Fi. Each room also has luggage storage, and hanging space for clothing. Yotel New York also offers wheelchair accessible rooms and free accommodation for kids under 13.

American breakfast is served in Yotel New York every morning, including fresh juice, corn flakes, buttered toast and scrambled eggs. A selection of salads, sandwiches and hot dishes are offered throughout the day.

Yotel New York is our guests’ favorite part of New York, according to independent reviews. This area is also great for shopping, with popular brands nearby: Apple, H&M, Zara, Burberry and Channel.

Yotel New York is rated for the best value in America! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other hotels in this city. Come and stay with us!

Prices:

Room type	Price	Options
Twin Room — non-smoking	$125	Non-refundable Good breakfast $9
Double room — non-smoking	$165	Non-refundable Good breakfast $9
Queen Room — disability access	$215	Pay at the hotel Good breakfast included

1. What probably makes a tourist choose this hotel?

A．Airport pick-up service.	B．Chinese-style breakfast.
C．Good value for guests’ money.	D．A shop with popular brands in the hotel.

2. If a person in a wheelchair wants to stay in this hotel for two nights, how much should he pay?

A．$ 259.

B．$ 339.

C．$ 421.

D．$ 430.

3. In which section of the newspaper will readers see the above information?

A．Advertisement.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Entertainment.

D．Business.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What was the writing subject about last year?

A．A bedroom.

B．A place.

C．Food.

2. Who can take part in the writing competition?

A．Teenagers.

B．Middle-aged people.

C．Old people.

3. What will the winners get?

A．500 dollars.

B．Free tickets to a zoo.

C．The club’s magazines.

4. What is the deadline for the entry?

A．The 4th next month.

B．The 14th next month.

C．The 25th next month.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the speaker mainly talking about?

A．His feeling after receiving an award.

B．His experience about traveling around.

C．His preference for different music types.

2. Where is the speaker from?

A．Ireland.

B．Scotland.

C．England.

3. What did the speaker most recently announce to the public?

A．A single song.

B．A three-song collection.

C．A twelve-song collection.

4. Who will speak next?

A．A young musician.

B．One of the speaker’s fans.

C．The host of the ceremony.

10 . Whenever photographer Casey Ryan heads into the wilderness, he brings along his drone (无人机) to capture photographs from a bird’s eye view. Having the _________ device with him on a recent trip to the Cascades Mountain Range in Oregon saved his and another person’s _________.

Casey was _________ through the Willamette National Forest when he _________ a stranger whose vehicle was stuck. Casey _________ to help get it out without hesitation. _________, he got his own vehicle stuck in a ditch while trying to help, leaving both people in _________ with no cell phone service for miles around.

Casey immediately assessed the _________ and recalled a movie he’d seen recently in which a character used a drone to lift his phone high enough to capture a _________ in a similar situation, so he __________ his device and got to work.

First, he attached his cell phone __________ to his drone. Then, he typed a series of messages to his wife. He told her where he was located in the park, and then launched the drone into the air. Somewhere up there over the tall trees, it __________ a signal and whoosh! All of Casey’s texts were __________.

Rescuers arrived and saved both Casey and the other driver. Who knows, maybe future drones will have built-in __________ features added to it __________ this photographer’s practice. We’d buy a phone drone!

1.

A．protecting

B．detecting

C．repairing

D．flying

2.

A．lives

B．photos

C．strength

D．money

3.

A．searching

B．driving

C．wandering

D．slipping

4.

A．rang up

B．came across

C．got rid of

D．kept track of

5.

A．managed

B．pretended

C．volunteered

D．failed

6.

A．Unnaturally

B．Generally

C．Unfortunately

D．Gradually

7.

A．peace

B．trouble

C．charge

D．silence

8.

A．standard

B．damage

C．evidence

D．situation

9.

A．bird

B．picture

C．signal

D．radiation

10.

A．put aside

B．gave away

C．pulled out

D．broke up

11.

A．securely

B．accidentally

C．freely

D．carelessly

12.

A．picked off

B．picked out

C．picked on

D．picked up

13.

A．typed

B．hidden

C．delayed

D．sent

14.

A．emergency

B．camera

C．lighting

D．identifying

15.

A．in line with

B．in case of

C．thanks to

D．depending on