1 . Officials have unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals that will be awarded at this summer’s Olympic games in Paris, and each one contains a unique souvenir: a fragment (碎片) of waste iron from the Eiffel Tower.

“It’s the opportunity for the athletes to bring back a piece of Paris with them,” Thierry Reboul, creative director of Paris 2024, told reporters last week. “The absolute symbol of Paris and France is the Eiffel Tower.”

The Eiffel Tower opened in 1889 and during the later repair work, some of the original iron was cut off and preserved over time. Now, some of those preserved metal fragments have found new homes.

Each new Olympic me dal features a piece of Eiffel Tower iron — though the signature “Eiffel Tower brown” paint has been removed. These pieces have been shaped into hexagons (六边形), which is the “shape of France”. Besides, there are words “Paris 2024”, the Olympic rings and the Games logo, which looks like a flame or the face of a woman with a bob haircut.

How did they think of such an idea? Joachim Roncin, head of design at the Paris Games organizing committee told the press, “We talked about the design many times and realized that there’s one symbol known across the world, which is the Eiffel Tower. We said to ourselves, ‘Hey, what if we approached the Eiffel Tower Operating Company to see if it’s possible to get a bit of the Eiffel Tower to integrate into the medal?’”

When the Eiffel Tower Operating Company agreed to volunteer pieces of original iron, “the dream became reality,” adds Roncin.

The medals, designed by the luxury Paris jewelry house Chaumet, make people think of the Eiffel Tower in several other ways. The pieces of iron are secured by what looks like special nails that hold the structure together, and the medals’ ribbons are decorated with patterns of the tower’s latticework structure.

The iron fragments are set in recycled silver, gold and bronze disks. Over 5,000 medals are being made.

1. What does Thierry mean by saying “bring back a piece of Paris”?

A．The athletes will buy souvenirs about Paris.

B．The athletes will take many photos of Paris.

C．Part of the athletes’ medal is from the symbol of Paris.

D．The Eiffel Tower will be left in the athletes’ memory.

2. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 4?

A．The symbolic meaning of the hexagons.

B．The shape and material of the Olympic medal.

C．The processing technique of the Eiffel Tower iron pieces.

D．The design of the Eiffel Tower iron fragment on the medal.

3. How did the designers get the idea of adding the waste iron?

A．From a strange dream.	B．By asking for the public.
C．Through their discussion.	D．By studying the Eiffel Tower.

4. What can we infer about the new Olympic medals?

A．They are innovative.	B．They are light.
C．They have six sides.	D．They are golden-colored.

2 . For the first time in the competition’s history, two athletes are sharing a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships.

The USA’s Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy found themselves in a difficult situation during the women’s pole vault (撑竿跳) final. They both cleared 4.90 meters, but neither managed to clear 4. 95 meters on any of their three attempts.

Kennedy says she looked at Moon and said, “Hey, girl, maybe you want to share this?”

“And the relief on her face — and you could see it on my face — and it was mutual (相互的). And yeah, absolutely incredible to share a medal with Katie Moon. You know, we’ve been friends for so long, so it’s super special,” Kennedy told reporters after the final.

Thousands of fans were on their feet at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, for Date 5of the competition, which hosts almost 2,000 athletes from 192 countries. The dramatic event lasted two hours and ten minutes. Katie Moon told FloTrack that as the final progressed, it became clear that very little separated the two athletes.

As the competition was going. I kept thinking. “I don’t want this to go to a jump-off (加赛),” Moon told sports journalist Anderson Emerole. “This competition was the toughest battle I’d say that I’ve had. It was very emotionally draining (消耗), and I think that’s why both of us were feeling like. ‘We’re not really feeling the jump- off right now.’”

It was Moon’s second consecutive gold medal at the World Championships. She also w on an Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021. With a personal record of 4. 95meters. Moon appeared to be the favorite.

Kennedy, however, did not back down. Not only did she set a new personal record, but she also broke the Australian record by eight centimeters when she sailed over the 4.90-meter high bar. She held back tears after the career-defining leap.

“It was a miracle to get the gold. I think a miracle happened tonight.” Kennedy told reporters.

1. What did Nina Kennedy suggest Katie Moon do?

A．Continue the competition.	B．Take a break first.
C．Share the gold medal.	D．Let go of the fear.

2. How did Katie Moon feel about Nina Kennedy’s proposal?

A．Joyful.

B．Confused.

C．Mixed.

D．Disappointed.

3. What can we infer about Nina Kennedy and Katie Moon?

A．They felt tired physically and mentally when competing.

B．They didn’t take the competition seriously.

C．They were looking forward to a jump-off.

D．They hadn’t won a gold medal before.

4. What was the previous Australian record for the women’s pole vault?

A．4.80 meters.

B．4.82 meters.

C．4.95meters.

D．4.98 meters.

3 . “The Worthington Christian defeated the Westerville North by 2—1 in an Ohio boys’ soccer game on Saturday.” That’s according to a story that appeared last month in The Columbus Dispatch. That lead was written not by a sportswriter, but by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

Many news organizations are now examining how AI might be used in their work. But if they begin their “experimenting” with high school sports because they are less momentous than war, peace, climate change and politics, they may miss something crucial. Nothing may be more important to the students who play high school sports, and to their families, neighborhoods, and sometimes, the whole town. That next game is what the students train for, work toward, and dream about. Someday, almost all student athletes will go on to have jobs in front of screens, in office parks, at schools, in hospitals or on construction sites. They may suffer blows and setbacks. But the high school games they played and watched, as well as their hopes and cheers, will stay vivid in their memories.

I have a small idea. If newspapers will no longer send staff reporters to cover high school games, why not hire high school student journalists? News organizations can pay students an hourly wage to cover high school games. The young reporters might learn how to be fair to all sides, write vividly, and attract readers. That’s what some celebrities in sports did, and do.

And think of the great writers who were inspired by sports: Hemingway on fishing, Bernard Malamud and Marianne Moore on baseball, Chen Zhongshi on football, and CLR James on cricket, who said, “There can be raw pain and bleeding where so many thousands see the inevitable (不可避免的) ups and downs of only a game.” A good high school writer, unlike a robot, could tell readers not just the score, but the stories of the game.

1. Why is the lead mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To introduce an original idea.	B．To show AI’s wide application.
C．To bring in the opinion about AI.	D．To stress AI’s importance to news.

2. What does the author think of high school games?

A．Hopeful.

B．Eye-catching.

C．Competitive.

D．Far-reaching.

3. What is good sports news like according to the author?

A．Rich in contents.	B．Fair in comments.
C．Centered on results.	D．Targeted on readers.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．News Organizations Are Abusing AI	B．High Schoolers Can Do What AI Can’t
C．Great Writers Are Crazy About Sports	D．AI Ruins High School Students’ Memory

4 . Entering competitions can be fun, and it’s a good way to hone（磨炼）your skills. While you can’t expect to win every time, you can increase your chances of winning with the right strategy and preparation. These are general tips that can be applied to your competition of choice.

Research and choose the right competition.     1     Choose a competition at which you’ll excel, and make sure it’s far enough in the future that you have plenty of time to train effectively. Do some research into the judges and organizers as well to see what they look for in a winning competitor.

Don’t psych yourself out. Plenty of people get scared off by a competition’s requirements and don’t enter in the first place.     2     Since you’ve done your research, you can be confident in your choice to compete and your potential to win. So, stand strong even when you have your doubts and when others may be dropping out.

Learn your competition. Remember that you’re not competing with everyone in the competition. There may be many applicants and candidates, but there will only be a few contenders（竞争者）and finalists.     3    

Make a checklist. Everyone has different productivity styles. If it helps, consider making a training checklist.     4     A checklist is what weightlifters do, for example, to keep track of the exercises they’ve done, the number of reps, and the weight. With a written checklist, you also have one less thing to think and worry about.

    5     Leave sticky notes on your mirror or car steering wheel. Write down anything motivational to keep you inspired. It doesn’t have to be specific. It can simply be, “You OWN the track today!” or “35.5 IS my time!”

A．Stick to your training.

B．Others drop out along the way.

C．Give yourself encouraging reminders.

D．Focus on understanding and beating them.

E．This is the time to set reasonable and achievable goals.

F．It provides you a sense of accomplishment along the way.

G．It might be important if you don’t have a coach to guide you.

5 . The Best Writing Contests of 2024

Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest

The Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest, an annual contest, is designed to highlight Kentucky’s rich literary talent and celebrate the best in short fiction written by Kentuckians or about our beloved Bluegrass State.

Top prize                         Best entry: $500
Entry requirements            Fee: FREE
Deadline                           March 31, 2024
Fiction Factory Flash Fiction

This is an international competition—we welcome entries from around the world. Maximum word count: 1,000, Stories may be on any theme. Entries must be previously unpublished. Results will be announced by April 2024. Minimum age: 16 years. Children’s compositions cannot be accepted sadly.

Top prize                       Best entry: £500
Entry requirements          Fee: FREE
Deadline                       March 31, 2024
Journalism Competition 2024

What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? This month, involve yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country, and invite us there through your written reporting.

Top prize                       Best entry: $100
Entry requirements          Fee: FREE
Deadline                         July 22, 2024
Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024

“Poetry lays the foundations for a future of change,” wrote Audre Lorde. This month, sow your own seeds of change into poetry, or else write and perform an original piece of spoken word(poetry performed aloud). We’ll award two top prizes-one for a written poem, and one for a recorded performance.

Top prize                           Best entry: $100
Entry requirements             Fee: FREE
Deadline                            May 27, 2024
1. Which contest accepts entries both at home and abroad?

A．Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest.	B．Fiction Factory Flash Fiction.
C．Journalism Competition 2024.	D．Poetry&-Spoken Word Competition 2024.

2. What do we know about Poetry&-Spoken Word Competition 2024?

A．It offers two first prizes.	B．It only requests written compositions.
C．It provides the highest awards.	D．It inspires students to perform actively.

3. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To compare some writing contests.	B．To recommend good writing contests.
C．To share tips on winning writing contests.	D．To remind students to enter writing contests.

6 . The design of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic torch (火炬) was shown on July 25, marking almost a year until the opening ceremony (典礼) of the Paris Olympic Games.

The torch, measuring 70 centimeters and weighing 3.3 pounds, is made with lightweight radiant steel and is known for its champagne color, a color of French white wine.

Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the torch said that he drew inspiration from three Paris 2024 symbols-equality, water and   peacefulness. Equality is shown by perfect balance. Peacefulness is shown by the gentleness of the curves. The lower half features a relief pattern that copies the movement of the River Seine, along which the opening ceremony will be held.

It will be the first torch in the history of the Games to be used for both the Olympics and Paralympics. Past designs have shared similarities but are different in shape and color. This is part of the organizing committee’s plan to “build bridges between the Olympic and Paralympic Games”, Paris 2024’s president Tony Estanguet said in a statement.

Equality means putting the same ambition into organising the Paralympic Games as the Olympic Games. Following on from the medals to the mascots, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will share the same torch design.

Equality in the Paris 2024 project is also reflected in the strong promise to equality in the Olympic Games: For the first time in the history of the Games, as many women as men will take part in the competitions. Reflecting this desire for peace, the torch, with its curves and rounded lines, is filled with   gentleness. The design of the torch delivers generosity and unity.

“Such a project is a dream for a designer, because it’s a project that connects something symbolic and technical in one, for a big moment,” Lehanneur said.

1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The shape of the torch.

B．The inspiration of the torch.

C．The ceremony of the Games.

D．The location of the opening ceremony.

2. What is special about the torch?

A．It is very heavy.

B．It is perfect in shape.

C．It copies the movement of the River Seine

D．It will be used in the Olympics and Paralympics

3. What can we infer from what Lehanneur said in the last paragraph?

A．He had a passion for sports.

B．He wanted to be a well-known designer.

C．He felt a sense of achievement and pride.

D．He wished to connect everything together.

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

A．A designer realized his dream	B．Inspiration of the 2024 Games
C．Paris 2024 showed torch design	D．Equality, water and peacefulness

7 . Dealing with Stress in Sports

Sports are a great way to have fun while staying fit. Sports also teach important life lessons like working as a team.     1     . Having a healthy attitude about sports and learning to deal with the stress that comes with competing can help you perform your best.

Competing always leads to some stress. And that can be good.     2     . But too much stress can take the fun out of a sport and make it hard to perform. If you think there might be too much stress around competing, talk to your parents and coach. Making some changes can help. If you have too much going on, think about limiting practice time or only doing one sport or activity per season.

    3     . So it’s important to know how to deal with it. Trying different ways during practice helps you know what will work best for you during competition. You can try to take a deep breath and hold it in for about 5 seconds, then release (释放) it slowly. Repeat those five times. You can also think positively and develop positive self-talk, like saying “I learn from my mistakes.” “I’m in control of my feelings.” “I can make this goal!” to help keep the negative (消极的) thoughts away.

Keep stress levels down when you aren’t competing.     4     . Besides, doing something fun and relaxing is great, such as taking a break from competing and going for a walk, riding a bike, seeing a movie or hanging out with friends.

Finally don’t forget that no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes in sports. It is part of the game.     5     ?

Whether you play on the school team or at a weekend pick-up game, the point is to have fun. By keeping that as the first place, you can learn to deal with the stress that is a natural part of competition.

A．There will always be some stress in sports

B．A little stress helps the body face a challenge

C．Why not be quick to forgive mistakes and move on

D．If you have too much going on, think about doing more exercising

E．It is best to eat well and get enough sleep, especially before games

F．Aren’t sports about staying active, developing as a player and making friends

G．But it’s not always easy to keep it together when it feels like winning is everything

8 . As a captain, you should know exactly what to do when your team lose a game because how your team deals with defeat has an important impact on how they perform in the next match.     1    

Emotions are OK.

You shouldn’t deny your players the opportunity to show their emotions when they lose but make sure they know where the boundaries are.     2     For example, showing dissatisfaction towards a teammate or the referee means they start the next game on the bench. They will soon learn to control their emotions.

Have a post-match routine.

Introduce a post-match routine that players follow — win or lose. For instance, you could encourage them to shake hands with opponents, and the referee, as soon as the final whistle sounds.     3    

Encourage positivity.

Always acknowledge the disappointment of your players, but emphasize the positive   elements of the performance. It is important that players go home with a positive mindset after the game.     4     Make them understand although they cannot win the matches they have already lost, they can now focus on winning the next one.

    5    

If you are going through some bad results, one way of keeping players motivated is to de-emphasize winning and focus on improving skills. After a defeat, if you make your next match a must-win game, you are putting more pressure on your players than is needed. Instead, try setting the team realistic goals within the game.

A．Stay cool as a captain.

B．Take the focus off winning.

C．Such routine can help players deal with losing graciously.

D．No one individual is ever responsible for victory or defeat.

E．They should know they have achieved something despite the result.

F．You should help your team understand why losing can be a step forward.

G．Set standards of behaviour and give punishment if players don’t follow them.

9 . The 2024 Science Fiction Short Story Contest

The 2023 Science Fiction Short Story Contest just came to an end. Welcome to our 2024 Science Fiction Short Story Contest sponsored by Science Fiction Association in our city. The contest is to encourage amateur and semi-professional writers to reach the next level of proficiency. We will look for engaging openings, good character development, well-structured plotting, powerful imagery, humorous language, unique word or phrasing choices, and convincing endings. Come to show the world your fantasy imagination and storytelling talents!

Requirement

A qualifying story must have strong science fiction or fantasy elements and must be shorter than 7,500 words. Your entries must be original works of fiction. If you have received prizes for your fiction writing from any source or your story has been published in any paying publication, you are no longer qualified.

Past winners of our contest are no longer qualified.

No reprints, fan fiction or poetry, please.

Judge and Prize

Judges will provide feedbacks for all qualifying contest entries. First-round judges will consist of Science Fiction Association members and volunteers. The professional writers’ decision is final.

The champions, runners-up and honorable mentions will receive prizes including cash prize, a certificate of achievement, Science Fiction Association Press books, and a free membership to Science Fiction Association, All winners can select their books and either take them immediately or ask for them to be shipped later.

Deadline

The contest will be limited to the first 60 qualifying entries. While the submission deadline is September 30th, 2024, we may close off the entry for the year sooner if the response is larger than expected. The winners will be published on December 31th.

Notice

Please place your contact information for possible awards.

There is no entry fee. Please submit only one entry per author.

1. What is the activity about?

A．Story telling.	B．Story writing.
C．Writer training.	D．Writer recommending.

2. What is a requirement for the science fiction of the contest?

A．It can come as the form of a poem.	B．It should be over 7,500 words long.
C．It must be the author’s original one.	D．It is supposed to be published before.

3. Who will finally determine the winners?

A．Professional writers.	B．Amateur writers.
C．Science Fiction Association members.	D．Science Fiction Association volunteers.

10 . Compassion has not been a traditional characteristic of sport. With its UK roots in 19th-century British public schools and universities, modern sport developed as way of creating strong military leaders, training them to develop adaptability defined in those times by iron will and biting the bullet. Fear and harsh criticism were crucial to toughening up players and soldiers alike. The “tough guy” narrative was strengthened by 20th-century media stereotypes and Hollywood’s heroes and became rooted into sport and society.

I’ve heard countless stories like the popular culture I found when I joined the Olympic rowing team in the mid-1990s. We were expected to suffer after mistakes or losses to show that we truly cared, and everyone believed coaches needed to be severe and unforgiving to get results. These approaches still exist. But an alternative approach with compassion at its center addresses aims of performance and wellbeing for those with greater ambitions.

This isn’t some soft option which plays down hard work, as supporters of the earlier traditional sporting mindset might criticize. Research across branches of psychology — behavioral, sports, positive — shows how compassion creates the strongest foundation for adaptability and sustained performance under pressure whether in sport, the military, healthcare or business. Rather than activating our threat system which began to help us survive way back, compassion helps us to feel safe and protected, leaving us free to learn, connect with others and start exploring what we’re capable of.

The continuous need to improve performance has led top coaches to appreciate that high performance requires levels of support to match the level of challenge. When you provide that, players start thriving while striving to achieve more. Rooted in compassion, a different coach-athlete relationship thus develops.

The dictionary definition of compassion includes the recognition of another’s suffering and the desire and support to relieve it. Compassion has been shown to decrease fear of failure and increase the likelihood of trying again when failure does happen. But how many talented athletes experience that depth of support in moments of crisis and failure?

1. What does the underlined phrase “biting the bullet” in paragraph one mean?

A．Commitment.

B．Ambition.

C．Suffering.

D．Toughness.

2. Why is the example of rowing team mentioned in the second paragraph?

A．To arouse people’s interest about rowing.

B．To recall a painful training experience.

C．To draw a distinction between training approaches.

D．To bring out a compassion-centered training approach.

3. What does the paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．Criticism about the compassion.	B．Necessity of employing compassion.
C．Characteristics about the compassion.	D．Fields that compassion is involved in.

4. What would the author possibly agree?

A．The media is active in developing tough training style.

B．Extraordinary athletes rarely received enough support.

C．The compassion-centered training is widely used in sports.

D．Compassion means more openness to failure and less training.