1 . Major Sports Leagues in the US
NFL
Formed in 1920, the National Football League has a religious following in the US and around the world. It’s one of the most profitable leagues in the whole world. The NFL consists of 32 teams, which are sub-divided into NFC and AFC, which compete against each other every year to win the Super Bowl, the halftime show of which features major hit musicians.
NBA
Initially formed in 1946 as the BAA (Basketball Association of America), it merged (合并) with National Basketball League in 1949 and changed its name to NBA. The National Basketball Association might not be the biggest sports league financially, but it has a larger international following than other leagues. The keyword “NBA” was among the most googled keywords in 2021, which indicates how popular it is in the world.
MLB
Baseball is considered to be the national pastime activity of the US and the Major League Baseball is its highest level in the country. The MLB might not be popular as NFL in other parts of the world, but international supporters still make a large portion of the total fanbase. Formed in 1903, the MLB is the oldest US sports league and now has 30 teams, which was a merger between the National League and the American League.
NHL
Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League is the second-oldest sports league in the US and Canada and consists of a total of 32 teams. Three of the best performing teams from each division make it to the playoffs plus two wild card teams. All teams compete to win the prestigious Stanley Cup. Most of NHL’s revenue comes from TV and gate receipts with hockey-crazed Canadians being the primary market.
1. Which American sports league enjoys highest popularity globally?| A．NFL. | B．NBA. | C．MLB. | D．NHL. |
| A．Religious celebrations. | B．Interactive games. |
| C．International competition. | D．Musical performances. |
| A．The oldest history. | B．The most teams. |
| C．The Canadian fanbase. | D．Divisions within the league. |
2 . 2024 Seattle Marathon’s Summer Events
The Seattle Marathon Association (SMA) is a non-profit organization proud of providing a quality running event in the Pacific Northwest. Join us for our annual family-friendly run at Seward Park with views of Lake Washington and Mount Rainier. Dogs welcome! Choose your distance: 5k, 10k or Half Marathon! Kids are welcome to participate in the Kids Fun Run, a quick 1k run with specially provided snacks waiting at the end.
Event scheduleAt 3:00 PM, June 21 — Early Packet Pickup
At 7:00 AM, June 22 — Event Day Registration & Packet Pickup
Registration feesEvents | Early Bird Pricing (Now-Feb. 29) | Regular Pricing (Mar. 1-Jun, 20) | Race Day Pricing (Jun. 21-22) |
Half Marathon | $62.00 | $82.00 | $122.00 |
10K Run/Walk | $35.00 | $52.00 | $72.00 |
5K Run/Walk | $31.00 | $42.00 | $62.00 |
Kids Fun Run | $20.00 | $25.00 | $25.00 |
All finishers will receive an event me dal and a technical fabric shirt.
●Top 3 overall men & women participants in the 5k (must come in under 25min), 10k (must come in under 45min) and Half Marathon (must come in under 1hr 30min) races will receive cash prizes at the finish line.
●In addition, in the week following the race, non-cash awards will be emailed to the top three runners in each age division. Age divisions are as follows: 14 and under,15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89 and 90+.
Free entries for the best athletesWe offer free entries for athletes who can prove qualifying time(s) within the last 2 years. Please note that we only offer free registration and do not cover any transportation, accommodation, food or visa fees. Please contact us with proof of your qualifying time(s) within the last 2 years for a free entry to the race.
1. What will a child receive after finishing the kids Fun Run?| A．Cash prizes. | B．Special snacks. |
| C．Track shoes. | D．Free accommodation. |
| A．$70.00. | B．$84.00. | C．$104.00. | D．$144.00. |
| A．Having received event medals twice. |
| B．Offering evidence of their qualifying times. |
| C．Completing the Half Marathon in 90 minutes. |
| D．Ranking among top three in their age divisions. |
This sport began in South Australia in a fishing community called Port Lincoln. It was inspired by the local fishermen who used to toss fish onto their trucks. Competitors will throw a 10kg fish and the winner is the person who throws the farthest.
Hot Dog Eating ContestCompetitive eating has become popular in the past years and its participants try to eat as many hot dogs as they can in ten minutes. This sport began in the U. S. city fairs and has gained recognition due to Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, held annually on the 4th of July. The sport has turned into a huge industry and is now popular in the U. S., Canada, and Japan.
Wife CarryingIt’s a sport in which male competitors race while carrying a female teammate through a special track in the shortest time. This game has its origins in Finland. It developed into a worldwide game later and had the first foreign champion from Australia.The North American Wife Carrying Champion began in 1999. Now the World Wife Carrying Championship has teams competing from Australia, Germany, Britain, Estonia, Ireland, and the United States.
Palm Tree Climbing (爬棕榈树)Independence Day in Indonesia is on August, 17th. This day is celebrated by various competitions. Climbing the palm trunk is the most difficult one. To climb on absolutely smooth, oiled trunk is a problem. At the top of the trunk there are prizes—from towels, clothes and something to mountain bicycles and cash certificates. Many countries have similar tree climbing events now.
1. Which event promotes the business development greatly?| A．Tuna Tossing. | B．Hot Dog Eating Contest. |
| C．Wife Carrying. | D．Palm Tree Climbing. |
| A．In Indonesia | B．In Australia | C．In America | D．In Finland |
| A．It is the hardest among the four events. |
| B．Its competitors’ strength means everything. |
| C．Its winners get prizes of different value. |
| D．It has become popular in many other countries. |
4 . Winter 2024 Story Contest
OUR WINTER CONTEST is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.
Narrative winners and finalists have gone on to win Whiting Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Atlantic prize, and have appeared in collections such as Best American Short Stories, Best American Non-required Reading and many others.
As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, characters we can respond to, and language, situation, and insight that are intense and total.
We welcome and look forward to reading your pages.
Awards: First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,000, Third Prize is $500, and up to ten finalists will receive $100 each. All entries will be considered for publication.
Submission Fee: There is a $27 fee for each entry. With your entry, you’ll receive three months of access to Narrative Backstage at no cost.
Timing: The contest closes on March 31,2024, at midnight, Pacific Standard Time.
Judging: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by April 30,2024. All writers who enter will be informed by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. Please make sure info@narrativemagazine.com is in your address book and your email settings permit messages from www.narrativemagazine.com.
Submission Guidelines: Please read our Submission Guidelines for contributions formatting and other information.
1. What is required of the entries?| A．They should be related to winter 2024. |
| B．They should be based on real-life events. |
| C．They should be submitted before April 30. |
| D．They should be limited to 15,000 words. |
| A．A copy of excellent narrative works. | B．Access to the Pulitzer Prize. |
| C．Free visits to Narrative Backstage. | D．A collection of winners’ works. |
| A．By entering the official website. | B．By checking an email. |
| C．By attending the awards ceremony. | D．By making a phone call. |
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: FREEDeadline 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: FREEDeadline 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: FREEDeadline 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: FREEDeadline 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 . Jonas Deichmann started his round-the-world triathlon (铁人三项) in September 2020. He swam 456km in 54 days along the coast of Croatia, although he admits that he isn’t a great swimmer. “The swim had its good moments, but I don’t want to do it again,” he said.
Then he hopped on his bike —he’s better at that. Last week, the German athlete finished his 10,000km cycle across Russia to Vladivostok. Overall, his self-imposed triathlon covers 40,000km. He is trying to do it with a minimal carbon footprint. Over the distance of 120 Ironmans, he will not use a support vehicle. He will make his way across any oceans on sailboats.
As usual over the 16 months for many of us, COVID-19 restrictions threw a wrench into his travel plans. He wanted to cycle across the Balkans, through Turkey, then Russia, and China. From here, he was going to sail across the Pacific to San Francisco and begin running 5,040km across the U. S. to New York. He punctually cycled through the Balkans (巴尔干山脉), a substantial way across Turkey. But when he arrived in Istanbul in mid-December, he discovered that the coronavirus (冠状病毒) had closed the border between Istanbul and Russia.
A week into Siberia, he caught food poisoning at a truck stop. “I had a delicious dish with chicken and soon realized that this was a mistake,” he said. The next morning, he felt like he was going to collapse so he spent a day recovering.
He reached Vladivostok on May 18,2021. He is now trying to source a ride across the Pacific. From there, the next stage of his route is unclear. He was going to run across America but U. S. borders remain closed. He is now considering running 5,000km across Mexico from Tijuana to Cancun.
1. What does Jonas Deichmann value most during his triathlon?| A．Diets. | B．Fame. |
| C．Environmental protection. | D．Sceneries along the way. |
| A．Ruined. | B．Adopted. | C．Stressed. | D．Reduced. |
| A．He was fooled. | B．He was disappointed. |
| C．Diet was a challenge. | D．The truck stop was unsafe. |
| A．Reached the USA. | B．Ran across Cancun. |
| C．Settled in Vladivostok. | D．Swam across the Pacific. |
7 . The Olympic Games are old and so are the fans. The median age (中位年龄) of American viewers of the games in Barcelona in 1992 was 39. That increased to 53 for the Rio de Janeiro games of 2016. Overall viewing figures are sinking, too. At the most recent games in Tokyo in 2021, they were a third lower than in 2008.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has admitted that the games risk losing connection. To keep connected with society, the Olympics are expanding, adding what Mr Bach described as “youth-based” sports. In Tokyo, climbing, skateboarding and surfing were put on the schedule. In Paris this year, breakdancing will feature for the first time. Undoubtedly the youth will be excited. But if Mr. Bach wants the Olympics to become more relevant to more people, the best idea would be to include e-sports.
So far the IOC has approached e-sports like an uncool dad. An inaugural (首次的) Olympic E-sports Week took place in Singapore in June. But the choice of events puzzled fans. The archery game, for instance, had been downloaded only 100 times before the tournament was announced. The most recognisable event, ”Just Dance“, is not considered an e-sport by fans. The experiment resulted in widespread doubt. Peak viewership was only more than 22,000.
E-sports command a huge audience. Attracting a big audience matters for the Olympics, which have seen the costs of infrastructure (基础设施) in recent years. The inclusion of e-sports would add income from media rights and sponsorship. Besides, the IOC has other reasons for changing its stand. For one, e-sports may bring Olympic glory to a more diverse group of countries and just like traditional sports, it can show three of the Olympic values: excellence, friendship and respect.
1. What can we know from Paragraph 1?| A．The viewing number of the Olympics is reducing. |
| B．The Olympic Games are always popular in America. |
| C．The IOC didn’t realize the problems of the Olympics. |
| D．The median age of Olympic viewers remained the same. |
| A．By focusing on more popular and contemporary events. |
| B．By adding more sports attracting the younger generation. |
| C．By cutting down the number of traditional sports in the Games. |
| D．By hosting the Olympics in more countries with diverse cultures. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Satisfied. | C．Tolerant. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Differences between traditional sports and e-sports. |
| B．Advantages of culturally diverse nations in e-sports. |
| C．Potential benefits of including e-sports in the Olympics. |
| D．Suggestions on building a safe gaming environment for e-sports. |
8 . Kangaroo Kids
Fall Jump Rope Workshop
Invited: All skill levels, kids ages 6 and up
Skills Taught: Single / Long Rope, Speed, and Double Dutch (交互花式跳绳)
Learn new skills with nationally recognized jumpers!
Jumpers must be willing to learn and have fun!
Saturday, November 9, 9:00-16:00
North Laurel Community Center
9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd • Laurel, MD 20723
Participant Fee: $55 by 10/21 ($65 after 10/21)Judge’s Clinic Fee: $25 by 10/21 ($35 after 10/21)
How to Register (register by 10/30)
Use our online registration system for all event registrations, T-shirt orders; and lunch orders. Please register and pay at http://registration. kanagrookids.org/FallWorkshop. First-time users will create a user account to register for the Fall Workshop as a participant. Please create only one user account per household. All members of a family will be part of one account.
NOTE: PLEASE REGISTER AS EARLYAS POSSILE, ASPACE IS LIMITED.
T-shirt OrderWorkshop T-shirts: $18, order by 10/18. Shirt Size (please circle during order): YS/ YM /YL/AS/ AM /AL
Jump ropes, T-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and water bottles will be available for sale at the event on November 9. There will be instructors helping adjust the length of your jump ropes.
Lunch OrderSubway lunch (sandwich or salad, fruit drinks and cookies): $8, order by 10/30.
Workshop Hours: 9:00-12:00 and 1:30-4:00
Lunch: 12:00-1:30
1. What is the early bird participant fee?| A．$25. | B．$35. | C．$55. | D．$65. |
| A．Bring their own lunch. | B．Create one registration account. |
| C．Register for the same instructor. | D．Adjust the length of their jump ropes in advance. |
| A．10/18. | B．10/21. | C．10/30. | D．11/9. |
9 . In the Commonwealth Games England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate Olympics teams, unlike the Olympics where they compete together as Britain.
What are the Commonwealth Games?
The Commonwealth Games are held every four years between members of the Commonwealth of Nations—a group of independent countries, most of which used to be part of the Britain. The Games were first held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The event was named the Commonwealth Games in 1978.
The history of the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games have been held every four years since they started and have grown much bigger. At the first Commonwealth Games, only 11 nations and 400 athletes were involved in six sports. For a long time, the Games only included individual sports such as athletics, boxing and swimming. In 1998, team sports such as cricket, hockey and netball were introduced. The Commonwealth Games have featured many fantastic feats and the athletes have broken a wide range of records.
Paralympic progress
At the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, Canadian athlete Chantal Petitclerc became the first athlete with a disability to win a gold medal in the wheelchair 800-meter race. She said, “It meant so much to me that the Commonwealth Games decided that a performance is a performance-and it doesn’t matter if you accomplish it in a wheelchair. Paralympic athletes continue to take part in the Commonwealth Cames’ main sports programs, and many have broken records and made history.
1. Which countries take part in the Commonwealth Games?| A．Independent countries. | B．Members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| C．The former members of the Britain. | D．All the countries from around the world. |
| A．11. | B．4. | C．6. | D．400. |
| A．To make historic records. | B．To enjoy sports programs with other athletes. |
| C．To show their disabilities. | D．To prove themselves with good performance. |
10 . On Sunday, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia shocked the running world by breaking the women’s world record for the marathon by over two minutes. Assefa finished the Berlin Marathon in just 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds.
But Assefa’s record was far beyond what most people expected. After all, it was only her third time running a marathon.
“I wanted to break the marathon world record,” she said, “But I couldn’t imagine that it would result in a time under 2:12.”
When Assefa was younger, she started by running short races, called sprints. Then she became a middle-distance runner, running the 800 meters (half mile) race. Her best time in the 800 meters was 1 minute and 59 seconds.
Last March, she ran her first marathon. Then last September, she entered the Berlin Marathon. She won, and set a new women’s record for the course, finishing in 2:15:37.
This year, she ran almost four minutes faster than she did last year. In both races, Assefa ran faster in the second half of the race than she did in the first half.
Her time of 2:11:53 was over two minutes faster than the old women’s record (2:14:04), which was set in Chicago in 2019 by Brigid Kosgei of Kenya.
When she finished the race, Assefa kneeled down and kissed the pavement before raising her arms in victory.
Though Assefa made it look easy, she said winning the race “…was the result of hard work.” Assefa was coached by Gemedu Dedefo, who has helped train many Ethiopian star runners.
1. What is Assefa’s latest record for the marathon?| A．2:11:53. | B．2:14:04. | C．2:15:37. | D．1:59:00. |
| A．It is what she expected. | B．It is a piece of cake for her. |
| C．It is due to great effort. | D．It is because of her coach. |
| A．Talented. | B．Friendly. | C．Humorous. | D．Warm-hearted. |
| A．Dedefo Helps to Train Many Star Runners |
| B．Kosgei Holds the Women’s Marathon Record |
| C．Assefa Sets a Good Example to Other Runners |
| D．Assefa Breaks the Women’s Marathon Record |
