1 . Poetry Contest

The contest is open to anyone aged thirteen and up who writes poetry. Enter your poem for a free chance to win prizes! You can submit a poem on any topic, employing whatever style you prefer.

Information

No entry fee is required for the contest. The main contest is held twice a year. Contest dates are January 1—June 30 and July 1—December 31. All winners will receive a letter and their prize via regular mail. The first place winner will be contacted by phone or email and asked to call our office to confirm their identity before their prize is mailed. As soon as the complete list of winners is drawn up, it will be posted on the home page.

Rules

·Only submit ONE poem, ONE time. Only one poem per household will be accepted.

·Poem must be 26 lines or fewer, including stanza breaks but not including the title, and lines may be no more than 55 characters across, including spaces.

·Do not use “texting” lingo. Properly spell out all words and typing the first word of each line in capital letter.

·All poems must be written in English.

Prizes

Both contests award one first place prize of $ 2, 000. 00 and a first prize wall plaque(匾牌)($ 100. 00 value); twenty second place prizes of $ 100. 00 each and a second place wall plaque($ 75. 00 value); one hundred third place winners of a third place gift certificate($ 25. 00 value). Sixty to seventy percent of all entries become semi-finalists and receive a certificate of participation suitable for framing.

1. What do we know about the poetry contest?

A．It is a free contest.	B．Anyone can enter for it.
C．All poems will be published.	D．Each contestant will get a reward.

2. Which of the following will cause disqualification?

A．Submitting one poem.	B．Composing a poem of 23 lines.
C．Writing a poem in English.	D．Typing the poem in capital letters.

3. What will be awarded to a third place winner?

A．A wall plaque.

B．A gift certificate.

C．$25. 00.

D．$75. 00.

2 . Skeleton is one of the three sliding sports at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, alongside the luge(单雪橇)and bobsleigh(大雪橇). With only six medals up for grabs, skeleton has the fewest events at the Winter Games—which means competition will be fierce.

The sport of skeleton has its roots in the most popular winter pastime: sleighing. In the mid-19^th century, British and American holidaymakers built the first toboggan(平底雪橇)run in Davos in 1882, and thus the sport of sleighing began.

Two years later, in 1884, the famed Cresta Run—a natural ice skeleton racing toboggan track—was built in St. Moritz, Switzerland(the course has hosted the annual Grand National championships since 1885).

In 1892, a new sledge made entirely of steel was introduced, and some claim that its bony appearance gave the sledge and the sport the name ‘skeleton’.

Men’s skeleton was first introduced on the Olympic program in the 1928 Games in St. Moritz. But due to the sport only being available at the Cresta Run at the time, it fell into obscurity(默默无闻)while the luge and bobsleigh grew in popularity. However, in 2002, the skeleton was reintroduced as a men’s and women’s event at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and has remained a part of the Olympic program ever since.

While Great Britain has the most medals(nine)in skeleton competition at the Olympics, the top spot belongs to the United States(eight medals)by virtue of having four silvers to Great Britain’s one(both nations have three golds, while Britain has five bronze medals, and the United States one).

Great Britain is the only nation to have won a medal every time skeleton has featured at the Olympic Games, and has won at least one medal in each of the five contests of women’s skeleton since its introduction.

1. How many events does skeleton have in the Olympics?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

2. When did skeleton first appear?

A．In 1882.

B．In1885.

C．In1892.

D．In 1928.

3. Why did skeleton fall into obscurity?

A．Because its material steel was rare.

B．Because there was only one run for it.

C．Because only men could take part in it.

D．Because it was not on the Olympic program.

4. What makes America top Great Britain in skeleton at the Olympics?

A．The number of medals.	B．The composition of medals.
C．The virtue of the athletes.	D．The times of hosting the Olympics.

3 . 你校上周末举行了一次以“健康第一”为主题的登山比赛，校英文报现正以此为主题举行征文活动。请你写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：
1. 活动当天的天气情况；
2. 比赛的过程与结果；
3. 你的感受。
注意：1. 短文长度100词左右；
2. 标题和开头句已为你写好，不计入总词数。

A Hill-climbing Competition

In order to enhance the students’ awareness of body building, a hill-climbing competition, with the theme of “Health Is First”, was held last Sunday by our school.

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4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The 19th Asian Games, also known as the Hangzhou Asian Games,     1     (hold) from September 23 to October 8, 2023 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. As     2     major sporting event, the Hangzhou Asian Games has its own official mascots, a group of robots     3     (name) “Memories of Jiangnan”. The mascots consist of three robotic figures, Lianlian, Congcong and Chenchen,     4     fully integrate the history and culture, natural ecology and innovation of Hangzhou. Lianlian is a     5     (reflect) of West Lake; Congcong symbolizes the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu(良渚古城遗址), while Chenchen stands for the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

The design of the mascots was a long process. After fierce competition, “Memories of Jiangnan” finally stood out of more than 4000 candidates. The designer of the mascots, Zhang Wen, said: “Apart from the various cultural     6     (feature) conveyed by the mascots,     7     I also want to emphasize is the technological advance of Hangzhou, a digital and intelligent city.”

    8     (represent) the spirit of the Asian Games as well, as the cultural heritage of Hangzhou, the mascots have received great concern since they were disclosed on April 3rd , 2020. In general, the public response     9     the mascots has been positive. With their unique design and inspiring message, the mascots have become popular in China and even     10     (global).

5 . Sharing China 2023 is calling for photos and videos from all over the world until Feb.12, 2023. Welcome to send us your memorable moments from Chinese New Year celebrations.

What We are Looking for

Suggested themes include: traditional customs, modern customs and new trends, folk activities, foreigners experiencing the Spring Festival and celebrations around the world.

Awards and Prizes

We will select 50 photos (single or group) and 10 short films. Each winner will be awarded 1,000RMB.

Timeline

Starting time and deadline: from Dec.20, 2022 to Feb.12, 2023.

Selection and ranking: from Feb.13 to May 15, 2023.

Result announcement: June, 2023.

The Rules

Photos:

1. All works must be real and not doctored or edited.

2. Works can be single photos or a series of photos.

3. Works should have titles and a short photo description.

Short films:

1. Size: 1GB maximum, less than 4 minutes.

2. Dubbing and subtitles (配音和字幕): If the video is dubbed, the language could be either Chinese or English, but subtitles should be bilingual (双语的).

3. Caption: English or Chinese words to give a brief introduction.

How to submit (提交)

You can submit your works to China Culture’s Facebook. For further information, click here.

1. Which time is proper if you want to hand in your works?

A．Dec.10, 2022.	B．Jan.12, 2023.
C．Feb.15, 2023.	D．Jun.16, 2023.

2. Which of the following meets the rules?

A．An edited photo.	B．A 3-minute video.
C．A photo without a title.	D．A video with only English subtitle.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A science report.	B．An encyclopedia.
C．A story book.	D．A website.

6 . 假设你是李华，请你用英文给我国选手谷爱凌（Eileen Gu）写一封祝贺信。她在第24届北京冬季奥运会上赢得两金一银奖牌，为中国队奖牌数名列前三做出了突出贡献。
内容包括：
1．表示祝贺；
2．她在奥运会上的优异成绩；
3．个人感想。
注意事项：
1．词数：100词左右；
2．开头及结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数；
3．可适当增加细节使语句连贯、通顺。
Dear Eileen,

It is universally acknowledged that the 24th Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was a success.

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Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

7 . The winning artworks from the first Young Botanical Artist Competition are appearing in an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London. The competition was open to young people aged 16 to 25 and received more than 1, 000 entries from people in 77 countries.

Botanical art is a special type of drawing or painting that helps botanists describe plants and fungi. It brings to life the tiniest details of grasses, flowers and trees, including their colour and shape, and has been an important scientific tradition for hundreds of years. In fact, Kew Gardens, which is 264 years old and home to 50, 000 plants, has always had a botanical artist in its team.

The theme of the competition was trees, and the winner of the 16 to 18 age group was Marianna Zych (aged 17) from Poland. Her entry, Prunus Serrula, shows the delicately peeling bark of the Tibetan cherry tree, which Zych created with watercolours after just one month of painting classes. The winner of the 19 to 25 category was Khanh Ly Nguyen from Vietnam, whose watercolour, Bauhinia Variegata Leaf, reveals the clear details of an orchid tree leaf.

Both will appear in an exhibition of 50 artworks at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew Gardens. All of the featured artworks were picked for their creativity and accuracy by a panel of judges that included botanical artists from around the world. The exhibition runs until April 2024 and visitors are also being asked to vote for the People’s Choice award, which will be announced in April.

Maria Devaney, who manages galleries and exhibitions at Kew Gardens, said botanical art is about inspiring curiosity and discovering the natural world. “It’s been wonderful to see such an enthusiastic response to the competition as a whole,” she said. Dr Shirley Sherwood, a writer and botanist who collects plant pictures, said she was delighted to see first-hand the next generation of talented botanical artists.

1. What can be inferred about Marianna from the third paragraph?

A．She has formally studied painting since childhood.

B．She is from Poland which is full of Tibetan trees.

C．She has limited experience in watercolor painting.

D．She is famous for revealing the details of tree leaves.

2. What is Shirley’s attitude to the new generation of botanical artists?

A．Skeptical.

B．Indifferent.

C．Disappointed.

D．Optimistic.

3. What would be an appropriate title for this article?

A．The Historical Significance of Botanical Illustration

B．Young Talents Blossom at the Royal Botanic Gardens

C．The Evolution of Botanical Art in Modern Times

D．Gardening Tips from the Experts at Kew Gardens

4. Where could this article most likely have been published?

A．On a fashion website.	B．In a gardening magazine.
C．In an academic textbook.	D．In a cooking review journal.

8 . Skiing has been around since early civilization, evidenced by a 5,000-year-old rock carving representing men on skis hunting deer in Norway, and the discovery of a ski dating back to 6000 B.C. found in Vis, Russia. Historians debate where skiing first got its start, though; some argue that it was in Altay, China, in 8000 B.C.

Modern skiing, however, can date back to the Scandinavians, who mainly used skis as a means of travel or for other practical purposes, particularly the Indigenous Sámi people in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, writes Raymond Flower in The History of Skiing and Other Winter Sports. Norse myths (挪威神话) even described Ull, a winter god, on skis with curved tips and included other stories of heroes and goddesses skiing down mountains.

Some of the first official competitions began around 1850 in Norway, with the first recorded race in Sweden held outside Stockholm in 1879. Skiing became a household word with the publication of the popular book offering a thrilling account of Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen’s difficult and historic journey on skis across Greenland in 1888.

The sport spread to the Swiss Alps, where it was enjoyed largely by British vacationers, before clubs popped up around the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Variations of the sport developed over the years, such as the slalom race (障碍滑雪), downhill jumping, and mountaineering. The British are largely credited with transforming skiing from its Scandinavian roots into the highly competitive sport it is now. In 1921, they developed rules that became widely accepted and adjusted the slalom race to include flag gates to test the skill of skiers’ turns.

Skiing then exploded in popularity after World War II, when ski resorts (胜地) gradually developed to receive single-day skiers as well as those taking longer vacations.

1. What can we learn about Raymond Flower?

A．He wrote about skiing.	B．He invented skiing.
C．He recorded Norse myths.	D．He was good at rock carving.

2. Why did skiing become a well-known word in the late 1800’s?

A．Some official competitions were held.	B．The British spread it all over the world.
C．It was written in the textbook on history.	D．An adventure book about skiing came out.

3. Who contributed most in changing skiing to a more competitive sport?

A．The Swiss.

B．The British.

C．The Norse.

D．The Finn.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．How Did Skiing Develop in Norway?	B．Why Did People Kill Time by Skiing?
C．What Are Skiing Adventures All About?	D．What Are the Ancient Origins of Skiing?

9 . At 21, Chris Nikic became the first-ever person with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征) to complete the Ironman triathlon (铁人三项 ). The very thought would be enough to_________ people in good physical condition. But by finishing it, Nikic set a Guinness World Record.

This remarkable achievement was made possible_________the loving guidance of Nikic’s dad, Nik. Nik was_________about his son’s sedentary (久坐不动的) lifestyle, so he gave him the_________of becoming 1% fitter every day. And the first step was_________with a single push-up. Now, three years later, Nikic has_________up the strength to really push his body to the_________. Considering those with Down syndrome already have to_________with varying physical and learning disabilities, Nikic’s achievement is a typical_________of how people with this condition continue to cross barriers.

In fact, during the competition Nikic had a slight_________. While it resulted in cuts on his legs, this didn’t_________Nikic from continuing the race. As Nik_________, the achievement symbolized something more_________than an impressive medal. “The triathlon has served as a _________for Nikic to become one step closer to his_________of living a normal life. It’s also about being a role model for other kids and families that face similar barriers, _________no dream or goal is too high.”

Nikic isn’t_________there. “Goal set and achieved. Time to set a new and bigger goal for 2023!” the_________public speaker shared with his followers on social media. _________, with his family and friends, Nikic will continue to create_________.

1.

A．put off

B．appeal to

C．turn down

D．push out

2.

A．thanks to

B．but for

C．regardless of

D．apart from

3.

A．particular

B．anxious

C．disappointed

D．cautious

4.

A．chance

B．lesson

C．schedule

D．challenge

5.

A．quickened

B．backed

C．accomplished

D．accepted

6.

A．saved

B．put

C．taken

D．built

7.

A．limit

B．test

C．edge

D．end

8.

A．struggle

B．compete

C．connect

D．meet

9.

A．sign

B．example

C．reminder

D．exception

10.

A．problem

B．accident

C．fever

D．pause

11.

A．withdraw

B．dismiss

C．discourage

D．excuse

12.

A．predicted

B．recalled

C．admitted

D．explained

13.

A．popular

B．interesting

C．vital

D．surprising

14.

A．choice

B．routine

C．platform

D．task

15.

A．freedom

B．process

C．recovery

D．intention

16.

A．proving

B．stressing

C．advocating

D．announcing

17.

A．going

B．stopping

C．turning

D．reaching

18.

A．experienced

B．inspiring

C．famous

D．promising

19.

A．Fortunately

B．Eventually

C．Undoubtedly

D．Occasionally

20.

A．awards

B．memories

C．titles

D．wonders