1 . 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。
My son Joey was born with disabled feet. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk normally — but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were spent in surgery, casts and braces. By the time he was eight, you wouldn’t know he had a problem when you saw him walk.
The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during play, and Joey would jump right in and run and play, too. Although I was a little worried about his state, we never told him that he probably wouldn’t be able to run as well as the other children. So he didn’t know it. Every day after school, he would run and jump crazily, laughing cheerfully with his friends. Before bed, he was delighted to share everything that he enjoyed with me, and the brightness on his face drove away all my anxiety.
In his seventh grade, the school planned to hold a cross-country race. On hearing the news, he jumped with joy, and he decided to go out for the cross-country team. What worried me most was the extreme strength and patience that was required for the race. However, his strong determination eventually changed my attitude towards the event. I made up mind to be in favor of him. Every day he trained with the team. He worked harder and ran more than any of the others — perhaps he sensed that the abilities that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. Although the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to score points for the school. We didn’t tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn’t know.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day, he got a fever, and I advised him to have a rest.
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Two weeks later, the big day came.
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I clicked the link (点击链接), sign un here. This wouldn’t be my first half marathon (马拉松赛跑); I had run a flat half when I was thirty-eight. But that was eleven years ago. Now, it was November 2022, and I’d had a shoulder injury before, and I was turning fifty. So, as awful as running 13.1 miles seemed, I was going to do it.
I signed up for a women’s training group, a group of strangers with whom I would spend a few months preparing for the race, and then I was directed to sign up for the actual race. I imagined a course somewhere beautiful in Florida. Or perhaps in sunny California, I was shocked when the race website opened, and I was greeted with the words, “Zion at night, half marathon in the darkness.” In Zion? At night? Oh, no.
I looked at the website. Was it to late to quit? Actually, I had just signed up for a coaching group that was meant to “encourage me through running”. Giving up before I even started seemed like a terribly shameful thing to do. I looked through the photos of the race.
I lost all my confidence. Runners wearing headlights and running shoes filled the computer screen. I couldn’t do this, I thought. I hadn’t run on paths in Delaware. I hadn’t run on paths or up hills. I clicked onto the next photo and looked at the happy runners advancing alongside a frightening cliff (峭壁). I was also afraid of heights.
A text came through my phone. It was Nicole, our training group’s brave leader, a woman who has run hundred-mile marathons. This is what happens when you run a race with someone who has strong willpower. “Sign up for the 4 am start time,” she wrote.
As I filled in my name and address, I tried to think about how likely I was to get injured during training. Realistically, that was my best way to get out of this race. I filled out the form and started worrying. About everything.
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 Nicole encouraged me, saying that she was with me in spirit on every run.
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On the day of the race, we drove to Zion at 4 am.
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3 . The 2024 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency (熟练，精通) Competition for Foreigners across the Globe—Calligraphy and Painting Challenge has been officially announced.
This competition invites painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language lovers from all around the world to take part in this exciting event.
Participants (参赛选手) are encouraged to submit (提交) their creative themes for the contest, with the theme selection process being determined through public vote.
If you’re interested, feel free to submit the theme that you believe fits best with the requirements of the competition.
Here are the requirements:
Who Can Apply
The call for creative themes for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge is open to any Chinese language lovers worldwide, with no limits on age or countries.
Submission Dates
Submissions will be accepted from June 30, 2023 to June 15, 2024 (Beijing Time).
Announcement Date
The selected theme for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge will be announced on July 1, 2024, which also marks the official start date of the submission period for works under the selected theme.
Submission Methods
Participants can send their theme and related information to chinesebridge@chineseplus.net. “Chinese Bridge” also accepts direct messages on its official account on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, and Weibo.
1. Which of the following is the requirement for the competition?| A．The participants must be Chinese. |
| B．The participants must be more than 18 years old. |
| C．The participants must submit their personal information. |
| D．The participants should love painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language. |
| A．June 12, 2024. | B．June 1, 2023. |
| C．June 20, 2023. | D．July 1, 2024. |
| A．To set up a competition organization. |
| B．To attract more people to learn Chinese. |
| C．To collect creative themes for a competition. |
| D．To call on people to pay attention to “Chinese Bridge”. |
4 . Adriaan Wildschutt is a South African middle-distance runner. Recently he
With such a performance, Wildschutt has put himself in a strong
“Well, it is
“The 3,000 m for me is really the most
The United States-based athlete said one should work hard to achieve the goals. “Work hard in all
| A．agreed | B．intended | C．managed | D．remembered |
| A．goal | B．worry | C．contribution | D．application |
| A．professional | B．impossible | C．unexpected | D．stressful |
| A．team | B．challenge | C．connection | D．position |
| A．protecting | B．representing | C．inspiring | D．respecting |
| A．amazing | B．awkward | C．relaxing | D．strange |
| A．strength | B．trouble | C．dream | D．relief |
| A．suffered | B．benefited | C．returned | D．recovered |
| A．record | B．control | C．perform | D．organise |
| A．attractive | B．convenient | C．specific | D．familiar |
| A．originally | B．hardly | C．formally | D．definitely |
| A．courage | B．confidence | C．patience | D．doubt |
| A．times | B．styles | C．levels | D．fields |
| A．addicted | B．balanced | C．right | D．simple |
| A．understandable | B．changeable | C．general | D．necessary |
5 . The famous magazine, Runner’s World, has chosen some of the best, most difficult and enjoyable UK races.
Top of the Wolds 10K Challenge
This 10-km countryside track in Yorkshire is all fun until you take the left turn at Nunburnholme. At this point, you enter a serious uphill part, but thankfully the uphill part only lasts for around 1.5 km. You’ll have about a kilometre to enjoy the views before the way takes you downhill again, and back to where you started in Warter—a cute little village.
Scurry2Bridges Run
This 161-km relay race (接力赛) is divided into 16 parts, so you each run 4 separate parts. Over the course of this day-long adventure, you’ll each run about marathon distance while the workers will drive around for pick-ups and drop-offs at relay exchange points between the start in Dundee and the finish in Edinburgh.
Scafell Sky Race
Here’s a trail run (越野跑) that is not suitable for beginners. With a total of 3,500 m of ascent (上坡路), this is unquestionably one of the hardest events around. Good thing is that the views are beautiful, and that there’s hot food and a bottle of apple juice waiting for you in the end.
Offa’s Dyke 15
The traditional 15-mile distance begins at the Clock Tower in Hay-on-Wye and includes a few hard climbs before finishing in Kington. This year the hard event has added a less challenging 10 km around Kington.
1. What do we know about Scurry2Bridges Run?| A．It is made up of 16 parts. |
| B．It is a 16-mile relay race. |
| C．It has a uphill part about 16 km. |
| D．It requires runners to run and drive. |
| A．Top of the Wolds 10K Challenge. | B．Scurry2Bridges Run. |
| C．Scafell Sky Race. | D．Offa’s Dyke 15. |
| A．They are rather difficult races. |
| B．They are held in the countryside. |
| C．They ask runners to take part alone. |
| D．They can provide the runners with food. |
Last fall, I came up with a good idea to tell my friend Melanie that she and I should enter a backcountry ski mountaineering race. The mountain is 40 miles from Crested Butte to Aspen, Colorado, and it required us to race as a team. Neither of us had ever done a ski race, but we’d always been good partners on mountain bikes, so I thought we’d be well-matched in the ski race, too.
However, on our first long training day together, Melanie dropped me again and again. As she disappeared out of sight on our last climb, I complained to myself, “Why had I come up with this stupid idea? Why wasn’t she waiting?” When I finally caught up, Melanie asked, “Are you OK?” I opened my mouth to respond and — oh, no — tears (眼泪) began running down my face. I felt sad and embarrassed. Crying was a behavior I connected with myself as a beginner who did most often in the years when I was learning to mountain bike. Seeing this, Melanie said with motherly concern, “I think you peed to have a rest and eat something.”
She was right. Rest and sugar improved my mood. Finally, we began going down the mountain together and we joked about my tears. In the days that followed, we kept training hard for the race day.
Despite the difficult start to our training, on race day, Melanie and I proved to be a good pair. The race began at midnight, and for six hours we schussed (直线滑降) together as a team through the darkness. But as the sun began to rise, we found ourselves pushing as hard as we could to make it to Star Pass, the high point of the race, by the important 7 am. Unluckily, we lost the race because we were 2 minutes late.
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。
A painful block formed in my throat (喉咙).
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After a few minutes, I felt less sad.
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7 . FREE Monthly 53-Word Story Competition
Open to all writers around the world who write in English . Be sure to subscribe (订阅) to our email updates for free. You’ll receive an email on the first day of each month with our winning story and the prompt (提示词) for our next competition .
Here’s how to enter;
One story per person.
·Email your story directly to 53wordstory@gmail. com by the 15th day of the month, midnight Eastern Time.
·Your story must be 53 words — no more, no less; titles are not included in the word count. If your story is not titled, we will create a title for publication.
· Send only stories. Poetry will not be considered.
· The entry must be original (原创的). Stories not meeting this rule will be turned down .
·No attachments (附件), please . Put your story into the body of your email . Stories sent as attachments or images in the email will not be considered.
Our judges for the 53-Word Story Competition are the editors of Press 53 and Prime Number Magazine. The winner gets published in Prime Number Magazine and receives a free book from Press 53. We will request your photo and 53-word self-introduction if your story is our winner, so be prepared!
Enter our next 53-Word Story Competition!
1. How often does the competition take place?| A．Once a week. | B．Once a month. |
| C．Every three months. | D．Once a year. |
| A．It must have more than 53 words. | B．It must have a good title. |
| C．It must be from published articles. | D．It must be sent by email. |
| A．Some money. | B．A copy of Press 53. |
| C．A job offer. | D．A chance of being introduced. |
8 . Nowadays, in many places of the world, kids play soccer less than before.
Soccer is a team sport.
Teamwork is a life skill that kids need to learn. Being part of a team isn’t just about learning how to work together and share talents. It’s also about teaching kids how to face failure. It doesn’t end there, either. Being part of a team lets kids know how to take responsibility for their behavior.
Soccer shapes motor skills (运动技能).
Nowadays, many kids prefer to stay in their rooms to have fun through TV, video games and smartphones.
Soccer can improve students’ concentration (专注) in the classroom. Besides, soccer is a fast-paced game, so kids can learn how to solve problems quickly. Plus, soccer is a sport which involves getting the ball from point A to point B. So kids’ visual-spatial (视觉空间) ability can be improved when they play the game, which can help them learn subjects like Physics.
Soccer improves the personal character.
The World Health Organization recommends kid get at least 60 minutes of exercises daily. This isn’t only for the physical benefits but also for the benefits to the personal character.
| A．Youth soccer helps improve family relationships. |
| B．So they have less time outdoors for sports. |
| C．Soccer plays a part in school performance. |
| D．Being part of a team can help you make many friends. |
| E．One cause is that many kids are busy with their studies. |
| F．Usually kids who like sports such as soccer are more outgoing. |
| G．After all, if one player performs badly, the rest of the team will suffer for it. |
9 . Hosting an international sports event is an important thing that has to be prepared well. Due to that, many opinions exist.
Firstly, positive views need to be talked about. When a country gets to host such a famous event, it will probably get well-known by other nations, and surely that can help the country a lot. For instance, the government and residents have a chance to use the opportunity to advertise their culture to foreign people. Above all, by doing that, the country’s economy might increase sharply during the event. Besides, it will satisfy some people’s wish to meet famous sports players. They have a high rate of talking to their favorite players whom they really want to talk to once in their life.
However, the risk of hosting a big event still exists. An important event is not necessarily good at all. That is why there is a debate about this topic. If a country can’t be able to prepare for the event in a period, they have to do as many ways as possible to finish preparation on time, and serious results may happen. The most obvious thing is that people attending that event will have a bad experience and are sure to make grumbles. This then affects the country’s image. For example, Qatar is a country that will host the 2022 World Cup. The government has to rush to finish building big stadiums, over 6,000 migrant workers sacrificing (牺牲)their lives for that. Hearing the sad news, some people around the world disagree to go to Qatar to attend the World Cup. The result is that Qatar has been badly affected.
In conclusion, hosting an international sports event is both good and bad, and good things or bad things depend on that country’s attitude and responsibility.
1. What might benefit most from hosting an international sports event in a country?| A．Advertising. | B．Economy. |
| C．Fans. | D．Players. |
| A．Because even important events are not always good. |
| B．Because countries don’t prepare for events well. |
| C．Because people present often have bad experiences. |
| D．Because building big stadiums costs too much money. |
| A．Proper plans. | B．Possible challenges. |
| C．Poor comments. | D．Great contributions. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Critical(批评的). | D．Neutral(中立的). |
10 . I carried the flame in 1984 in the torch relay (火炬传递)as it made its way across the country to the Olympics in Los Angeles. What an honour that was! I wasn’t an Olympic athlete. My dad did some voluntary work for the Olympics, for which I was offered the opportunity.
On one May night, the flame began its route across America, covering 15,000 kilometres. It inched its way up the coast from New York, each runner carrying it for a kilometre. Some of the runners were legendary (享有盛名的), like the granddaughter of gold medaled Jesse Owen. Others were common people like me and supporters of the cause.
I had been sent a uniform and the official torch. I held it as I stood waiting for the flame to arrive. Part of me wondered if it would even arrive. Would they ever find enough runners to cover that enormous distance? Other people were huddled (挤在一起)in the dark on the sidewalk. What would they see?
All at once it happened. A runner appeared and lit my torch. I was sent on my way, jogging down the highway. There was no question whether I had worried about finding my way in the dark. People lined the road, clapping and shouting as I passed. Actually, it was not for me but for the cause that I represented. Soon, I passed the flame on to the next runner, who would pass it along to the next until it finally reached gold medalist Rafer Johnson who would carry it into the L. A. Coliseum.
How lucky I was to play a part! But I think we all have these opportunities to carry the torch, for we are all the light of the world. Therefore, why not let your light shine?
1. What do the underlined words “the cause” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The Olympics. | B．The voluntary work |
| C．The torch relay. | D．The wonderful competition. |
| A．Excited. | B．Disappointed. | C．Worried | D．Satisfied. |
| A．To encourage him to move faster. | B．To show their support for him. |
| C．To praise the career he chose. | D．To cheer for the Olympic spirits. |
| A．He thought little of being a torch carrier |
| B．He preferred to see others carry the torch. |
| C．He felt proud of having such an experience |
| D．He advised us to value every chance we have. |
