1 . Jimmy Jiang envisions a future where every house is powered by renewable energy stored in batteries.
Jiang and his team at the University of Cincinnati have developed a new battery that could have far-reaching implications for the large-scale (大规模) energy storage needed by wind and solar farms.
“Batteries store renewable energy for when it’s needed, not just when it’s produced. This is crucial for getting the most out of wind and solar power,” Jiang said. “Energy generation and energy consumption is always mismatched. That’s why it’s important to have a device that can store that energy temporarily and release it when it’s needed.”
They described their novel design in the journal Nature Communications.
Traditional car batteries contain a mix of sulfuric acid and water. While they’re inexpensive and made from readily available materials, they have severe drawbacks for industrial or large-scale use. They have a very low energy density (密度), which isn’t suitable for storing sufficient power needed to power a city. And they have a low level for electrochemical stability, which means they can blow up.
Water has a voltage (电压) limit. Once the voltage of such a battery goes beyond the stability window of 1.5 volts, the water can decompose into hydrogen and oxygen, which is explosive.
But Jiang and his students have developed a battery without water that can generate nearly 4 volts of power. Jiang’s novel design does so by removing from a battery the membrane, which is a huge component of upfront costs and accounts for as much as 30% of the cost of the battery. They invented a new type of energy storage material that improves performance at a lower cost. “Membranes are also inefficient. They can’t separate the positive and negative sides completely, so there is always crossover,” he said.
The group has submitted temporary patent applications. “There is still a long way to go, but we’re advancing toward a dramatic battery transformation in the next decade. I’m confident about that. There is a lot of intense research going into pushing the boundaries of battery performance,” Jiang said.
1. What’s mainly talked about in paragraph 3?| A．Why batteries are essential. | B．How to store renewable energy. |
| C．Why green energy is needed. | D．How to conserve natural resources. |
| A．They’re too pricy. | B．They’re made of rare materials. |
| C．They’re slow to charge. | D．They have a potential explosion risk. |
| A．It may reshape the battery industry. | B．It’s inappropriate for large-scale use. |
| C．It may help minimize power consumption. | D．It’s subject to mature industry standards. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Uncertain. | C．Positive. | D．Pessimistic. |
2 . KidsWorldFun Short Story Contest
Calling all young writers from around the world! It’s time to release your creativity and share your incredible stories with us. KidsWorldFun presents the ultimate Short Story Contest, open to young people of all ages.
Two Modes of Entry
● Free Entry: get the chance to win a certificate and have your story published on our website.
● Entry Fee of $10: get the chance to receive a cash prize as well as a certificate and have your story published. Payment links will be sent via email for these entries.
Amazing Prizes Await
First Prize: $100, certificate and publication;
Second Prize: $75, certificate and publication;
Third Prize: $50, certificate and publication.
Highly commented stories will also be published for the world to enjoy.
Contest Categories and Word Limits
To ensure fairness, we have set three categories for writers to choose from and minimum and maximum word limits for each category.
Categories | Ages | Word Limits | |
Minimum | Maximum | ||
Sub-junior | 7-9 | 300 words | 1000 words |
Junior | 10-12 | 500 words | 1000 words |
Senior | 13-16 | 700 words | 1000 words |
Submission Guidelines
● Include proof of age with your entry (scan or take a photo of your identity card). Entries without proof of age will be disqualified.
● Your story must be original and unpublished.
● Type your story out.
Our judges will evaluate each story based on content, language and writing style. Their decision will be final. For more information, please contact us at enquiry@kidsworldfun.com. We’re here to assist you every step of the way.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to showcase your talent and win amazing prizes! Enter the KidsWorldFun Short Story Contest today!
1. What may a free entry second prize winner get?| A．A reward of $10. | B．A certificate and publication. |
| C．Prize money and honors. | D．$75, certificate and publication. |
| A．A handwritten draft. | B．A science fiction of 1500 words. |
| C．An award-winning essay. | D．A printout of a 900-word original story. |
| A．To promote a reading website. | B．To appeal for participation. |
| C．To explain an application process. | D．To teach kids writing principles. |
3 . That dinosaurs ate the mammals (哺乳动物) that ran beneath their feet is not in doubt. Now an extraordinary fossil newly described in Scientific Reports, unearthed by a team led by Gang Han at Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology in China, shows that sometimes the tables were turned.
The fossil -dated to about 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period-was formed when a flow of boiling volcanic mud swallowed two animals seemingly locked in a life-and-death fight. The one on top is a mammal. This animal is a herbivorous species closely related to the Triceratops (三角恐龙). Animal interactions such as this are exceptionally cam e in the fossil record.
One possibility is that the mammal was eating something already dead, other than hunting live prey. These days it is uncommon for small mammals to attack much larger animals. But it is not unheard of. And Dr. Han and his colleagues point out that those mammals which eat dead bodies typically leave tooth marks all over the bones of the animals. The dinosaur’s remains show no such marks. There is also a chance the fossil could be a fake. More and more convincing fake s have emerged, as this one did -though Dr. Han and his colleagues argue that the complexly connected nature of the skeletons (骨骼) makes that unlikely, too.
Assuming it is genuine, the discovery serves as a reminder that not all dinosaurs were enormous during the Cretaceous and not all mammals were tiny. From nose to tail, the dinosaur is just 1.2 meters long. The mammal is a bit under half a meter in length. Despite being half the size, the mammal has one paw firmly wrapped around one of its prey’s limbs, and another pulling on its jaw. It is biting down on the dinosaur’s chest, and has ripped off two of its ribs. Before they were interrupted, it seems that the mammal was winning.
1. Which idiom is closest in meaning to underlined part “the tables were turned” in paragraph 1?| A．The fittest survives. | B．The hunters become hunted. |
| C．Fortune always favors the brave. | D．The truth will always come to light. |
| A．To prove the fossil was fake. | B．To show the forming of the fossil. |
| C．To illustrate the process of hunting. | D．To suggest the dinosaur was hunted alive. |
| A．The size of the fossil. | B．The absence of fake fossils. |
| C．The complexity of the skeletons. | D．The consistency of the opinions. |
| A．It offers a cause. | B．It highlights a solution. |
| C．It justifies the conclusion. | D．It provides a new discovery. |
4 . Five years ago, Chinese skater Wu Dajing introduced himself to the skating world by winning a silver medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games. At Pyeong Chang Olympics, Wu not only returned, but also made history.
On Feb 22th, 2018, Wu won the gold medal in the men’s short-track 500-metre race. He set a new world record with a time of 39.584 seconds. He also became the first Chinese man to take home an Olympic short-track gold medal. BBC said Wu’s win was “flawless”, because he was much faster than all of the other skaters.
“I didn’t give them a chance and I kept my speed from the start,” he told the media after the match.
But China’s short-track teams didn’t do well in general at the Games. Chinese skaters in the women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay and men’s 1500 metres all failed to take home the gold. Wu was China’s biggest hope, which put a lot of pressure on him. But he proved himself with his great performance.
Wu is now known as a highly talented skater. But things were not always that way. When Wu joined the national team in 2010, he was seen as almost “nothing” compared to gifted skaters like Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin, as his coaches said at the time. Their comments made him quite upset. But as the saying goes. “Winners never quit (放弃) and quitters never win”. Wu didn’t want to give up and worked as hard as he could. He practiced skating all year round. He even didn’t return to his hometown for the holidays for 10 years. “I believe in myself.” he told the media after his match at the Olympics.
1. People began to know Wu Dajing by the time he .| A．won the second place at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games |
| B．won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games |
| C．won a gold medal at Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games |
| D．entered the Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games |
| A．common | B．valuable | C．perfect | D．difficult |
| A．Wu won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games four years ago. |
| B．Wu broke the world record with a time of 39.584 seconds and made history. |
| C．Wu’s coaches placed great hope on him when he joined the national team. |
| D．Chinese skaters in women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay took home the gold. |
| A．The national team and coaches thought Wu as a talented skater all the way. |
| B．Wu kept on practicing skating all year round even in the holidays for 10 years. |
| C．Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin were more hard-working on skating than Wu Dajing. |
| D．It is the hardwork, confidence and strong will that have made Wu a winner. |
5 . Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek has been honored with this year’s Templeton Prize. The award recognizes individuals whose life’s work brings together science and spirituality.
Wilczek is known for his research into the laws of nature. In a statement, the John Templeton Foundation said his work changes “our understanding of the forces that govern our universe.” It said he used physics to address “the great questions of meaning and purpose pondered by generations of religious thinkers.”
John Templeton created the prize in 1972. It is one of the most highly valued prizes at more than $1.3 million. Past winners include Jane Goodall, Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Wilczek told The Associated Press, “It’s a company I’m very glad to join in.” He added, “It’s encouragement in a direction that I’ve really only taken up in a big way quite recently… which is thinking about not just what the world is and how it came to be this way but what we should do about it.”
Over a long career, Wilczek had many successes. He won the 2004 Nobel Prize along with David J. Gross, and H. David Politzer for their 1973 research explaining the unusual properties of the strong force. Wilczek is currently a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and Stockholm University. He is also the founding director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s T. D. Lee Institute. He has also written several books that are informed by science but look into spiritual and philosophical questions.
Heather Dill is the Templeton Foundation president. In a statement, she said, “Like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, he is a natural philosopher who unites a curiosity about the behavior of nature with a playful and profound philosophical mind.”
1. What is Frank Wilczek famous for?| A．His long-time efforts in philosophy. | B．His study in natural science. |
| C．His gains in the chemical awards. | D．His contribution in the field of art. |
| A．Governed strictly. | B．Designed seriously. |
| C．Considered carefully. | D．Abandoned completely. |
| A．His hobbies. | B．His advantages. |
| C．His expectations. | D．His achievements. |
| A．To advertise a book. |
| B．To introduce a great scientist. |
| C．To explain the difference of two prizes. |
| D．To stress the importance of science and philosophy. |
6 . In 1880, fourteen-year-old Matthew Henson loved to hear sailors tell tales of their exciting lives at sea. The travel, the adventure, the danger, and the steady pay were all attractive to young Henson. One day he made up his mind. Baltimore was the nearest large seaport. The next morning he set out on the forty-mile journey to seek work on a sailing ship.
In Baltimore, Henson found a job as a cabin boy on a beautiful ship called the Katie Hinds. For the next five years, Henson sailed around the world. By the time he left the Katie Hinds in 1885, Henson was well educated and had become an excellent seaman.
Unable to find work anywhere else, Henson took a job in a hat shop in Washington, D.C. One day in 1887, a man came in to buy a hat. The man, Lieutenant Robert Peary, asked the owner if he knew anyone with experience at sea. Peary would soon travel to South America for the U.S. government. He needed experienced men to accompany him.
The shop owner knew about his young employee’s skills and experience on ocean voyages, so he introduced Peary to Henson. Henson and Peary soon found they had a great deal in common, including their love of the sea.
Using his map-reading and sailing skills, Henson proved himself to be a worthy and intelligent seaman. One day Peary told Henson about his real dream: to be the first man to stand on “the top of the world” at the North Pole. He asked Henson to help him make his dream come true.
Over the next five years, the two explorers made two trips together to the Arctic. However, they were not able to reach the pole either time.
In 1908, Peary and Henson were ready to make their final attempt at reaching the North Pole. Both men were over forty years old. The years of hardship and suffering in the arctic cold had taken their toll on both men. This would be their last chance.
In April 1909, Henson’s instruments showed they were standing at the North Pole. Together Henson and Peary planted the American flag in the snow.
In later years, Robert Peary and Henson were greatly honored for their achievement. Today, the two friends and fellow explorers lie in heroes’ graves not far apart in the Arlington National Cemetery.
1. What can we know about Henson from Paragraph 1?| A．He was highly educated. | B．He was skilled in sailing. |
| C．He used to travel at sea. | D．He was interested in sea exploring. |
| A．Why Matthew Henson went to the hat shop. |
| B．How Matthew Henson met Robert Peary. |
| C．Why Matthew Henson stopped working on the Katie Hinds. |
| D．How the shop owner knew that Matthew Henson had sea experience. |
| A．Helped them both. | B．Satisfied them both. |
| C．Weakened them both. | D．Enlightened them both. |
| A．sailors seeking power over others | B．fighters exploring an unknown land |
| C．treasure hunters looking for fortunes | D．soldiers fighting for their freedom |
7 . Explore your world—Mirthy
Online events to help you discover, learn and connect
Who is Mirthy?
Mirthy is one of the most popular websites for online events and already loved and trusted by more than 45,000 people. It was designed to create an inclusive community where people can learn, share, and connect with others through a variety of events that are active, sociable, and uplifting. It’s all about fulfilment and wellbeing.
There are some online events each month to try, from craft workshops (手工工坊) to fitness sessions. For example, according to our event calendar, this week you can attend gardening classes and singing lessons. So whether you have a desire to get fitter or to pick up a new skill—signing up for classes and events with Mirthy could be just what you have been looking for.
How does it work?
Sign up via the online registration form at Mirthy.com. Then you can take a look through the calendar of upcoming events and see what takes your fancy.
Once you register for an event, you will then receive a link on email ready for you to join the live event. If your plans change and you can’t make it, you will receive a link for a 7-day replay that you can watch at a time that is convenient for you!
Best of all, it’s completely FREE to join!
Join Mirthy for free today, and you can enjoy any 4 events every month, for free! If you’re up for more, then you can either select and book additional events on a pay-as-you-go basis, normally for £2.99 each, or you can upgrade to the Premium membership giving you full free access to all events for only £4.99 per month.
If you choose to go for the Premium membership, there’s no contract. You simply upgrade your membership and you can cancel anytime.
1. Mirthy is intended to_________.| A．improve people’s fitness | B．organize sociable events |
| C．provide craft workshops | D．create an online community |
| A．Make art crafts. | B．Talk about fitness experience. |
| C．Learn songs. | D．Study wild plants and animals. |
| A．People can sign up for the events online. |
| B．The events can be watched again at any time. |
| C．People can upgrade their membership for free. |
| D．No more than 4 events are offered each month. |
| A．To share a lifestyle. |
| B．To recommend a website. |
| C．To introduce online events. |
| D．To explain a registration process. |
8 . Here come four most popular clubs in our school! Join us, and we will help you to find your own shining points, lead you to find beauty and to create beauty, and make your campus life as fulfilling and happy as a dream.
Basketball Club
Students will be able to develop their basketball skills further and have the opportunity to compete in basketball games with members from other international schools in Beijing. The club will be available to 10-16 members from Grades 5 to 8, and will practice twice weekly.
Public Speaking Club
The Public Speaking Club will be centered around the personal development of students along with developing public speaking skills. The club will be interested in focusing on all skills in delivering better speeches and improving communication skills. The club will be available to 10-12 members from Grades 7 to 12, and will meet once weekly (Wednesday).
Yoga Club
Yoga not only improves balance, flexibility, and joint stability, but also serves as a peaceful escape from the stress of daily life. Our students will have the chance to physically exercise while reducing some stress from their life. The club will be available to 10-16 members from Grades 7 to 12, and will meet once weekly (Tuesday).
Media Club
The Media Club teaches students the basics of journalism. The club engages in a wide range of activities like interviewing teachers and students, writing about big events on campus, and operating the weekly school radio broadcasts. The club will be available to 8-12 members from Grades 6 to 12 and will meet once weekly (Monday).
1. Which club will attract students who want to get both mental and physical benefits?| A．Basketball Club. | B．Public Speaking Club. | C．Yoga Club. | D．Media Club. |
| A．Set up a school radio. | B．Write imaginary stories. |
| C．Learn public speaking skills. | D．Interview teachers and students. |
| A．In a school introduction. | B．In a research paper. |
| C．In a history textbook. | D．In a guidebook. |
9 . Artwork Competition — Create a Character!
Are you an artist? This may be the perfect competition held by Teen Ink to check your creative abilities. We want you to create your own character. You must create a backstory for the character and give it a name. Your character must be completely original.
Rules:
● You must be a teen (aged 13—19) with a Teen Ink account to enter.
● No improper content.
● Submissions (提交的材料) must be connected with the topic (Create a Character).
● The competition is open to all the individuals. Character must be your own — The character you create must be entirely your own idea and design. The backstory and name must be original as well. Ideas that do not belong to you will not be considered for the competition.
Guidelines and Details:
● All art types are accepted.
● There is no limit to the number of pieces you can submit.
● Give your character a name and backstory. Leave these in the “Author’s Comments” section of your submission.
How to Submit:
● Submit entries through our website. All entries submitted to Teen Ink are automatically (自动) considered for the competition. See our submission guidelines for more information.
● Include the words “Character Competition” in your submission’s title.
● Submit your reviews to the “Artwork” category on our site. Select the art type connected with what you are submitting. Hand in your entries before March 1, 2023.
Prizes:
Winners and honorable mentions will have their characters published in Teen Ink magazine. The overall winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
1. What is the purpose of holding the artwork competition?| A．To increase the sales of Teen Ink. |
| B．To attract people of all ages to the activity. |
| C．To test the teenagers’ artistic creativity. |
| D．To praise the young artists for their talents |
| A．The works should be a team effort. |
| B．The participants should be under 13. |
| C．The content should be in connection with the subject. |
| D．A common account should be shared. |
| A．By submitting works on the webpage. |
| B．By handing in entries before April 10. |
| C．By posting entries to the magazine directly. |
| D．By sending in works titled “Character Competition”. |
10 . The concept of polymaths(博学者), or the pursuit of knowledge across various fields, is increasingly seen as necessary for success in the 21st century. Here are some reasons, especially for children.
●Adapting to a changing job market. In the 21st century, automation and globalization have significantly impacted the job market. Machines have replaced many traditional jobs while new industries have emerged to take their place.
●
●Developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Polymaths are known for thinking critically and addressing problems from multiple perspectives. Exposing children to various fields of study teaches them to approach issues and analyze information more effectively. This skill set is essential for navigating the complexities of the modern world.
●Enhancing interpersonal and teamwork skills.
●Being complementary(互补的)to artificial intelligence(AI). Polymaths will be invaluable in a future where AI is easily accessible.
| A．Fostering creativity. |
| B．Tackling future challenges. |
| C．They’re able to offer what machines may lack to complement AI. |
| D．Today, cooperation and communication have become increasingly important. |
| E．It is believed that complementary skills are especially essential in modern times. |
| F．And it enables children to be more effective decision-makers and problem-solvers. |
| G．Consequently, children must develop diverse skills to adjust themselves to these changes. |
