1 . NPR’s STUDENT PODCAST CHALLENGE IS BACK — WITH A FOURTH — GRADE EDITION!
Microphone? Check. Headphones? Ready. A story you just can’t stop talking about? Got it! Yup, it’s time again for NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge. And we’re here to announce the opening bell of year six of this annual competition.
In our first half-decade, we’ve listened to podcasts from more than 80,000 young people all over the country. Students have deeply poured into their microphones personal stories about their families or their identities and serious issues, like how changing climate is impacting lives. On our end, we’ve listened to your feedback each year — great suggestions that have brought our ongoing College Podcast Challenge, and a special prize last year for the best podcast about mental health.
This year, we’ve got a big new change: Since the beginning, the contest has been open for students in grades five through twelve. But this year we are introducing our first-ever fourth grade contest! The sixth annual Student Podcast Challenge is now open for entries and will close on May 3, 2024. Our judges will choose winners in three categories: grade four, grades five through eight, and grades nine through twelve.
As in the past, entries must be submitted by a teacher, educator, or tutor who is 18 years or older. And don’t forget all the tips, advice and lesson plans we’ve compiled over the years, especially the rules around the maximum length of eight minutes, and about the use of music. The podcast should be completed independently. After years of listening to student podcasts, we’ve learned that shorter is better.
1. What is the theme of best podcast of the 5th Podcast Challenge?| A．Climate issues. | B．Identity crisis. | C．Mental health. | D．Family matters. |
| A．The fourth grade contest is set. |
| B．Grade five have their own category. |
| C．Elementary teachers’ entries are welcome. |
| D．The feedback for the programme is required. |
| A．The length of 7 minutes. | B．Submission by your tutor. |
| C．Being accompanied by music. | D．Being created with your friends. |
1. Who is the man’s favorite player?
| A．Messi. | B．Neymar. | C．Cristiano Ronaldo. |
| A．The influence. | B．The time change. | C．The best players. |
| A．Italy. | B．Brazil. | C．Germany. |
At Piedmont Middle School, a kid could run track or play tennis, but everyone wanted to be on the soccer team. Piedmont and the surrounding towns were pretty small, so instead of having separate girls and boys teams, each school had one team made up of both girls and boys. Laura had dreamed of earning glory for the team Los Halcones ever since the first grade when her older brother Toni won in the county middle school championship. Now he was away at college on a soccer scholarship. The day she joined the team as a sixth-grader, she felt like she could fly.
But, unfortunately, her joy didn’t last. She spent most of the season on the bench.
Walking to the car after the last game of the season, Laura tried to smile at her mother. Having spent yet another game sitting on the bench, Laura hadn’t even broken a sweat. “Well, at least you don’t have to wash my uniform,” she joked, but she could feel tears in her eyes. Her mother said, “You still have chances. Don’t lose heart. Toni once made the same mistake. And now you can watch soccer videos to learn more skills when sitting there.” Laura could only shake her head.
Lying in bed that night, Laura thought back to her first game, the day of her huge mistake.
“Pass, pass, pass!”
“Clear that ball!”
Voices yelled from every side. Laura ran nervously in front of the goal (球门) as both teams rushed down the field. She knew the children in green were her teammates. Those in blue were on the other team. At that time, a boy on the opposing team had the ball when a battle for that ball broke out a few feet from her. Green and blue uniforms swirled (打转) around her, and Laura could barely keep track of the ball. Then, suddenly, it came her way!
“Laura, I’m open!” one of her teammates called from near the sideline. Then Laura kicked the ball.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
But the ball went in the completely wrong direction!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sitting on the bench for game after game, Laura decided to tell Toni that she wanted to quit.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The boiling hot sun beamed onto us as we walked out for the state-cup finals. The mix of excitement and nervousness created tension in the air as everyone walked out onto the football field. I could feel my heart pounding everywhere in my body as both teams lined up.
Starting midfield, like always. 90-minute game, like always. But this was the most extraordinary stage we’ve ever played on. All parents of us were invited to watch the match. As we got ready for kickoff, fear took over my body. Coach says confidence is the biggest part of the game, but for me, it’s my biggest enemy.
My thoughts were interrupted as the high-pitched whistle stabbed my ears, and the game began. The ball came straight to me. I drove forward, slipped around a defender (后卫), and lost it. On the very next play, I gave it straight away again. I could feel my confidence just seeping away. I told myself I wouldn’t lose it again.
“Come on, Aidan, keep the ball!” shouted Griffin, my teammate. It wasn’t mean or anything. We’ve known each other for years and played together for a long time. But it was not helping. I just played it safe next time and passed it back. Barely even on target, I was losing it. I could feel our coach, Caden’s eyes burning into the back of my head.
“Aidan, stay out wide on the start and get up that field. You’ve done it before, it’s coming to you on this kickoff. Use your speed.” once again shouted Griffin. But I didn’t feel fast enough. I felt like there were rocks tied to my ankles when I ran.
The whistle blew twice for halftime. The score was still 0-0. It was a bad game on our part, sun peeked through my hair into my eyes. My mouth was as dry as a desert.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按下列格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Are you OK?” Griffin passed me a bottle of water.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Exchanging a high-five with the coach, we walked back onto the field.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fusong County in northeast China’s Jilin Province was abuzz (热闹) with activities last winter,
“We need to compete in assembling, programming and operation. I believe that maintaining a resilient mindset is the key to
Many of the contestants
The young contestants, from various places and with diverse
French-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi has introduced a nearly 30-foot long tapestry (挂毯)
The tapestry
The tapestry took Satrapi three years to create.
The “Understanding Contemporary China” Foreign Language Contests were held in Beijing from December 4 to 8．
Nearly one million college students from more than 1,300 universities participated , with about 2,500
The champion of the English group
Xu Chengcheng, from Beijing Foreign Studies University, won
A special session of “Multilingual Champions Showcase” was part
1. What does Ann say about her performance in the World Championships?
| A．She did better than she had expected. |
| B．She regretted not preparing well enough. |
| C．She was disappointed to win a silver medal. |
| A．Once a week. | B．Every day. | C．Six days a week. |
| A．She avoids close contact with them. |
| B．She likes to communicate with them. |
| C．She has made good friends with them. |
| A．Flying kites. | B．Reading. | C．Skiing. |
9 . NEW STORY CONTEST
Ah, the New Year — a time for visiting friends and family as we ring out the old, ring in the new and imagine all the new adventures that await us in the year ahead.
Who knows what you’ll find when you open the door to your dryer or gaze up at the night sky? Will you write about a visit from a mythical creature, or maybe a lost animal? Will the visitor cause a problem — or solve one?
Whoever your visitor is, every buggy in Cricket (an American children’s magazine) Country will be gathered around the mailbox, awaiting the visit of your best story — just 350 words or less, please — featuring a surprising or unexpected visitor. Happy New Year!
Contest Rules
Your contest entry must be original. Ideas and words should not be copied.
Your entry must be signed by your parent or guardian, saying it is original, that no help was given, and granting Cricket permission to publish prize-winning entries in the May 2024 issue or on our website.
Be sure to include your name, age and full address on your entry.
Only one entry per person, please.
If you want your work returned, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each entry.
Incomplete entries cannot be considered. Your entry will be incomplete if you forget to include your age or the signature of your parent or guardian that confirms that your work is original.
Your entry must be received by April 25, 2024.
Send entries to Cricket League, P. O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354. (No faxes or email submissions, please!)
1. The theme of the new story contest is “_________”.| A．new adventures | B．New Year’s resolution |
| C．unexpected visitors | D．surprising inventions |
| A．be sent by means of email | B．arrive after January 25,2018 |
| C．be the contestant’s own work | D．contain no less than 350 words |
| A．the prize-winning entry can be publicized on the media |
| B．all the required information has been included |
| C．the content of the story is based on a real event |
| D．editors can make revision to the participant’s entry |
The Nobel Prize for Literature is an famous international prize
