1 . The London Marathon is an annual event and of the thousands of runners who take part, many of them have a story to tell as to why they are running the 26.2 mile (42.2 km) course around London.
The men’s race was won by Kenyan, Martin Lel, who finished the race in just two hours and five minutes, a personal best time for him. Irina Mikitenko was the winner of the women’s race and this was astonishingly only her second race at marathon distance!
There was also a group of 24 runners who have competed in every single one of the 28 London marathons. Jeff Aston is one of them and at 60 years old, he finished in just over three and a half hours.
A lot of the non-competitive runners take part in the marathon to raise money for charity. Jeff estimates he has raised about￡25,000 (350,000 RMB) over the 28 years he has been running.
Jane Tomlinson is a well-known name in the UK. She raised millions for charity doing long cycle rides, marathons and triathlons while struggling against terminal cancer, a battle she sadly lost last year. In honor of Jane, her husband and daughter took part in the marathon. They managed to raise ￡20,000 (280,000 RMB) for a charity set up in Jane’s name.
Another astonishing one was blind runner Dave Heeley completing the marathon. As if that wasn’t enough, this was his seventh marathon in seven days, as he took part in a special challenge which took him to seven countries.
1. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?| A．Variety of Athletic Runners | B．London Marathon |
| C．Inspirational Event | D．Astonishing Marathon Stories |
| A．The London Marathon is held every year to raise money for charity. |
| B．Jane Tomlinson together with her husband took part in the marathon. |
| C．Dave Heeley is an inspiring marathon runner. |
| D．Kenyan, Martin Lel won the men’s race just over three and a half hours. |
| A．a formal meeting | B．a special challenge |
| C．a kind of disease | D．an athletic competition |
2 . Each year, the women of Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, have an unusual “pancake racing”. This tradition is said to have started on Shrove Tuesday,1445, in Olney. Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent begins.
It is said that in 1445, an Olney woman was making pancakes. She suddenly heard the church(教堂) bells ring, signaling the beginning of the Shrove Tuesday service. Realizing that she was going to be late for church, she raced out the door still wearing her apron(围裙) and headscarf and holding her frying pan(锅) with a pancake in it. Olney women continue this tradition more than 500 years later.
In 1950, a person of Liberal wanted his town to join in Olney Pancake Race. He made some phone calls to Olney to set up a friendly competition, and the people of Olney accepted the challenge.
The rules are simple. Racers must wear the traditional headscarf and apron. They have to flip(抛) the pancake in the air so that it flips and lands back in the pan on the other side. After the race, there are Shrove Tuesday church services. Then Liberal and Olney connect through a video call to compare race times and announce a winner.
In both towns, the races have grown into larger festivals. Olney’s festival is an allday event starting with a big pancake breakfast. Liberal’s festival lasts four days and includes a parade, a great show, and eating competitions.
Although the women’s race is still the main event, both towns now hold races for boys and girls of all ages. Emma Evans,14, was the winner of her age group’s race in Liberal last year. She wore an apron that her grandma made for her and used a pan passed down to her from her older brother. Her family cheered her on from the sidelines.
“It’s a family tradition, ”Emma says. “And there are only two places in the world that compete against each other in a race like this, so it feels special.”
1. What do we know about Olney Pancake Race?| A．It was founded by a cook. | B．It was started during Lent. |
| C．It is a centuriesold tradition. | D．It has been held every year since 1445. |
| A．Wear their formal clothes. | B．Throw and catch the pancake. |
| C．Hand the pancake to another. | D．Eat the pancake while running. |
| A．lasts only one day | B．has more varied activities |
| C．holds different races for boys | D．starts with a delicious breakfast |
| A．It is familyfriendly. | B．It is quite competitive. |
| C．It should be internationalized. | D．It should provide aprons for racers. |
3 . Global Essay Competition
The John Locke Institute encourages young people to develop the characteristics that turn good students into great writers. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the limits of the school curriculum (课程).
All of our essay prizes are judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford. The judges will choose their favourite essay from each subject category and an overall “best essay” across six subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology and Law.
Entry Requirements
Entry is open to students from any country. Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline, 30 June. Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline. Each essay should address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed (超过) 2, 000 words.
Key Dates
30 June: Submission deadline
14 July: Short-listed candidates informed
26 August: Awards Dinner for the Junior Prize
2. September: Awards Dinner for the Economics Prize and other prizes
Prizes
There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US $2,000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute’s website. The prize-giving ceremony will take place in Oxford.
The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior, Fellowship, which comes with a US $10, 000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools.
1. What should the entry be about?| A．The limits of school courses. | B．The characteristics of great writers. |
| C．One of the given questions. | D．Anything in the chosen fields. |
| A．It sets a word limit on essays. |
| B．It has six subject categories. |
| C．Its prizes are judged by voting online. |
| D．It is open to any student regardless of his or her nationality. |
| A．10 | B．14 | C．18 | D．20 |
| A．On 30 June. | B．On 14 July. |
| C．On 26 August. | D．On 2 September. |
| A．A fellowship at Oxford University. | B．A summer school scholarship. |
| C．A chance to get published. | D．A US $1, 000 award. |
4 . National Music Theater Competition
The 2024 National Music Theater Competition (NMTC) will be held. It was launched in 2011 as the first national competition for the emerging professional music theater soloist (独唱者). NMTC has provided industry connections for past competitors and winners that have led to their success on Broadway and other venues.
Prizes (each prize only for a person)
The champion: $5,000 plus a concert at the next national conference of National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a $1,000 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard, a Career Management Services package from Stage Door Connections.
The runner-up: $2,500 plus a $500 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard.
The third place: Louise Lerch Prize; $1,000 cash prize.
The fourth place: Bill Hayes Prize; $750 cash prize.
Qualification
Singers aged from 20 to 28 as of September 15, 2023.
Entrance Procedure
Application requires a fee of $900, but for these students of NATS members the fee is $75. Application fees due to cancellation by the applicant won’t be returned. All application materials must be submitted by September 15, 2023. If you are planning to submit your application for the online round, you must complete the submission by September 15, 2023, but you’ll have 30 days after the deadline to upload your audition (试唱) videos. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Where to Audition
The preliminary (预选的) round
Live auditions: November 1 to 10, 2023 in New York City.
Online auditions: Video submission deadline is October 15, 2023.
Semifinal and final rounds
Live auditions: The semifinal round: January 3 to 9, 2024; the final round: January 15 to 20, 2024.
The semifinal and final rounds will be held in New York City as part of the 2024 NATS Winter Workshop.
1. Why was the National Music Theater Competition launched?| A．To make people like music. |
| B．To promote the leisure industry. |
| C．To popularize Broadway musicals. |
| D．To seek promising talents. |
| A．A $500 Gift Certificate and Louise Lerch Prize. |
| B．$2,500 in prize money and a Gift Certificate. |
| C．A Career Management Services package. |
| D．A chance to perform at a concert. |
| A．Being at least 28 years old. |
| B．Applying for membership of NATS. |
| C．Submitting application materials on time. |
| D．Uploading audition videos by September 15. |
| A．Competitors can enter the semifinal round on January 18, 2024. |
| B．Both online and live auditions are available in any round. |
| C．There are three rounds in the competition in total. |
| D．Application submission deadline is October 15, 2023. |
| A．To call on people to explore their potential in music. |
| B．To attract young singers to apply for the competition. |
| C．To appeal to young singers to become NATS members. |
| D．To encourage people to enter the musical industry. |
5 . Heroes Stamp Design Competition
Welcome to the Heroes Stamp Design Competition! Children aged 4-14years are invited to design a stamp. Eight designs will be chosen for this stamp series from the Royal Mail. One of the designs could be yours. There are 120 great prizes on offer for area winners and runners-up. Plus, cash prizes for the winning schools too.
Stamp Designing
The stamp design will be based on your hero or heroes of the coronavirus pandemic. The past year has been very difficult for so many people. There are countless frontline workers and volunteers who have continued to work tirelessly to keep the country moving.
Being a stamp designer is a very skilled job. One of the jobs of a stamp designer is to reduce the size of a picture to fit the stamp. When designing your stamp, have a think about what kind of image of your hero or heroes would make a good miniature (微型的) design for a stamp. The final stamps produced will be about 3.7cm wide×3.5cm high.
Things to consider
Your stamp design must be drawn on the official competition entry form (报名表) which your teacher will give you.
Your design must be your own original work.
Drawings must be flat, so please don’t stick any materials or textures (纹理) to your design.
Please use lots of colour (no black and white images) in your design.
Please avoid using highlighter pens (荧光笔).
Good Luck
The closing date for the competition is 28th May. Please ask your teacher, or parent, for one of the official entry forms. You’re then ready to start designing! We can’t wait to see all of the amazing designs from gifted children across the country.
Good Luck!
1. Who would probably take part in the competition?| A．Students. | B．Doctors. |
| C．School teachers. | D．Professional designers. |
| A．It will begin on 28th May. |
| B．It is for a series of four stamps. |
| C．It asks competitors to honour heroes on their stamps. |
| D．It will provide each competing school with cash prizes. |
| A．About 3.5cm wide×3.5cm high. | B．About 3.7cm wide×3.7cm high. |
| C．About 3.5cm wide×3.7cm high. | D．About 3.7cm wide×3.5cm high. |
| A．It should be black and white. |
| B．It should be drawn with highlighter pens. |
| C．It should be flat with textures. |
| D．It should be drawn on a given form. |
| A．advertise for some newly issued stamps | B．send a notice about designing stamps |
| C．call on people to respect modern heroes | D．encourage people to be frontline workers |
6 . Club sports provide both a competitive and social sporting experience to any Purdue student. Whether you are looking to continue to be part of a sport you love or looking for new experiences, there is a club for you at every skill level.
The Purdue University Baseball Club
The Purdue University Baseball Club is a student-run organization that participates in intercollegiate(大学间的)athletic competition. We provide students an opportunity to continue their baseball career at a collegiate level.
President: Jack Fitzhugh
Email: jfitzhu@purdue.edu
The Purdue Gymnastics Club
The Purdue Gymnastics Club is a group of normal everyday students who, like yourself, want to stay active while at school. We practice during evening hours four times a week during the fall and spring semesters. We own and operate equipment for four women’s and six men’s events.
President: Maya MeDonald
Email: medon127@purdue.edu
The Purdue Triathlon Club
The Purdue Triathlon Club’s mission is to get together multi—sport athletes who want to train in a social environment and promote interest and participation in triathlons(铁人三项), duathlons(铁人两项), running, swimming and cycling events on the Purdue University campus. We encourage and support members while training together. We travel to races in the spring and summer together and host two races during the school year. We end our year at the Collegiate Nationals in April.
President: Katalin Kovach
Email: kovach 10@ purdue.edu
The Purdue Men’s Club
The Purdue Men’s Club Volleyball allows Purdue undergraduate and graduate students to play volleyball at a competitive, intercollegiate level. Tryouts are held at the beginning of each semester and teams are divided based on skill level. Players come from all over the country, not just the Midwest. The first and second teams travel to tournaments across the Midwest and to the NCVF National tournament each spring. The club is an NCVF and MIVA recognized program and consistently finishes in the top competitive divisions of the region and nation.
President: Ben Bednarczyk
Email: bbednarc@ purdue.edu
1. Who can you contact if you want to participate in a baseball game?| A．Maya MeDonald. | B．Katalin Kovach. | C．Jack Fitzhugh. | D．Ben Bednarczyk. |
| A．It operates equipment for 10 events. |
| B．It is open every day throughout the semester. |
| C．It includes both students and professional athletes. |
| D．It is a student-run organization. |
| A．It aims to popularize three sports. | B．It hosts races annually in April. |
| C．It divides members based on skill level. | D．It allows athletes to train in multiple sports. |
| A．The Purdue Triathlon Club. | B．The Purdue Gymnastics Club. |
| C．The Purdue Men’s Club Volleyball. | D．The Purdue University Baseball Club. |
| A．Students’ Textbooks. | B．School Magazines. |
| C．Travel Agencies. | D．Campus Network. |
7 . Fiona Kolbinger, a 24-year-old cancer researcher From Germany with little experience in competitive cycling, took the world by surprise when she became the first female to win the Transcontinental Race this year. She surpassed 225 men and 39 women to finish about 2,485 miles’ race from Bulgaria to France in 10 days, two hours, and 48 minutes.
“When I was coming into the race, I never thought I could win the whole race,” Kolbinger said. While the cyclist’s unexpected victory shocked people worldwide, she’s unimpressed. Despite resting an average(平均) of just four hours a night throughout the ten-day period, Kolbinger says, “I think I could have gone harder. I could have slept less.”
Now in its seventh year, the Transcontinental Race was founded by the late British ultra-cyclist Mike Hall. The race requires not only racers’ biking skills and endurance(耐力), but also their route planning and time management skills. “Riders plan, research and lead their own course and choose when, where and if to rest,” the Transcontinental Race’s website explains. “They’ll take only what they can carry and eat only what they can find.”
Unlike other cycling competitions where the routes are carefully laid out, the Transcontinental Race requires riders to make a map of their own course. The only requirement is to check in at four stops, located at different points along the way. To make sure all competitors experience some of the same challenges, each checkpoint is followed by strict terrain(地形).
The event’s difficulty has meant previous winners have all been experienced ultra-cyclists. Given that this was Kolbinger’s first try at endurance racing, her victory shocked many. However, it didn’t surprise Björn Lenhard, who trained with her for the race in Dresden, Germany. The ultra-cyclist said, “Fiona is so strong. What’s more, she’s a complete rider. Yes, you need to be strong, but in this race, you have to be able to think, to plan, to fix your bike if you have to.”
1. What does the underlined word “surpass” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Treated. | B．Encouraged. |
| C．Helped. | D．Beat. |
| A．They have to be experienced. |
| B．They have to be smart enough. |
| C．They have to be self-supporting. |
| D．They have to ride along the given roads. |
| A．It requires cyclists to go through at least four terrains. |
| B．It requires cyclists to plan courses alone. |
| C．It is much fairer than other races. |
| D．It needs to be carefully laid out. |
| A．It is expected. | B．It is encouraging. |
| C．It is shocking. | D．It is rewarding |
8 . It's fight night in Berlin club. The lights go down, the door opens and out walks a salesman from San Francisco, David “Dowble D” Depto has travelled 8,000 kilometres in search of glory. As he first walks, then jogs, towards the boxing ring, the muscular, bare-chested American looks cool and confident. But so does his opponent. Waiting for him in the blue corner is Frank Stoldt, a tall, strong German policeman, who calls himself “anti-terror Frank”. For obvious reasons, the crowd is on his side.
The bell rings. Round one! The fighters come out. But then, something rather strange happens. The two players sit down at a table which has a chessboard on it and start playing chess-in the middle of the boxing ring.
“Why?” you may ask yourself. Well, this is chessboxing, and tonight is the final of the first chessboxing World Championship.
The rules of a chessboxing match are simple. There is one round of chess and then one round of boxing. Punching power alternates with brain power. All in all, you have 11 rounds in which to checkmate your opponent-or knock him out.
Two sports in one means double the pain, and double the pressure. Before this big fight, Frank spent hours doing exercises that prepared his mind as well as his muscles. Winners in chessboxing are people whose mental strength equals their physical strength.
But why do it in the first place? Why put yourself through this physical and mental torture? For David Depto, it is all about proving that you can be a boxer and still have a brain. The sport has taken off in Germany, where they are preparing the next generation of chessboxing champions. It is even being taught in a Berlin school.
Back in the ring, it is round seven and the players are locked in battle around the chessboard, sweat pouring from their foreheads. Suddenly, Frank Stoldt sees an opening and moves in to finish the match. Queen to G7… checkmate!
The referee stops the match, the crowd erupts-the local hero has won and is given the world title belt, which proves that, when it comes to mixing brains and muscle, Germany really is the Grand Master.
1. Why is it "obvious" that the crowd wants Frank Stoldt to win?| A．He is a policeman. | B．He has powerful muscle. |
| C．He is a host player. | D．He fights against terrorism. |
| A．Either checkmate the opponent or knock him out. |
| B．One of the players gives up or is sent to hospital. |
| C．The referee counts down eight to zero in the round of chess. |
| D．The player finds the opening into the court which is locked. |
| A．Compared with boxing, it means half danger and half stress. |
| B．It requires more mental strength than physical strength. |
| C．The sport is popular in Germany, where it is a school subject. |
| D．The players play chess in the middle of the boxing ring. |
| A．leave the stadium | B．burst into cheers |
| C．interrupt the ceremony | D．fight with the opposing fans |
9 . Being seventeen without money can be depressing. When the opportunity arrives to earn some needed cash, it would be foolish to pass it up. It is for this reason that when the opportunity to referee elementary basketball came my way, I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be a fun way to earn some “easy money”.
During the years I played on the court and watched the games, I often found myself criticizing the referees. I was completely convinced that I could do a much better job because of my love for basketball and my familiarity of the game. How difficult could it be, especially with a bunch of third graders?
I looked forward to my first night as a referee, but all of my fantasies wore off from the beginning of the game. These sweet and innocent third grade boys immediately transformed into horrible creatures right before me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine the extent of competitiveness in the game. A battle was in progress on the court while the inhumane bystanders cheered and yelled from the stands. My only companion, the whistle, suffered from a severe case of stage fear, filling my head with doubt every time I wished to blow it. My lack of action fueled the heartless crowd. Even on the rare occasions when my whistle gained enough courage to pause the fighting, the pitiless bystanders still couldn't calm. The sense of failure flooded every inch of my soul. With only five minutes remaining, Michael, another referee, came in time, saving me from losing my mind. In a flash, I passed my whistle and quickly ran to the safety of the stands.
I realized just how difficult refereeing was. I could have let this heartbreaking evening ruin my future on the court, but instead it stimulated a sense of determination in me to do it better. I still hope to become a great referee someday. In order for this to become a reality, it will take many hours of practice and hard work. No matter how much I wish the cash would be handed to me without requiring any effort, I learned from this experience that there is no such thing as “easy money”.
1. What made the author accept the offer to serve as a basketball referee?| A．His desire for money. | B．His passion for basketball. |
| C．His poor family background. | D．His academic qualifications. |
| A．Lovely. | B．Mature. | C．Impolite. | D．Competitive. |
| A．He was too nervous to blow the whistle. |
| B．He was at a loss how to announce the results. |
| C．He couldn't avoid the bystanders' physical attack. |
| D．He couldn't handle the tough situation on the court. |
| A．Lazy hands make for poverty. | B．Money does not grow on trees. |
| C．Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
10 . The National Association of Teachers of Singing(NATS) celebrates the art of singing through a series of competitions and programs. They are designed to showcase the talented singers and performers who are soon to be rising stars in the profession.
National Student Auditions
Students of NATS members will begin by performing during their regional auditions. Five singers from each regional category will advance lo a national online screening round, where entrants will submit a video of their performances for judgment by a group of national judges.
Entry Fee: $75 per category
Prizes: S35,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in total.
Deadline for Applications: April 13, 2021(applications by emailed invitation only; following regional auditions)
NATS Artist Awards(NATSAA)
Preliminary competitions are held at the regional level, with one winner picked out of each of the 14 NATS regions. The 14 semifinalists then gather at the site or the NATS Winter Workshop for the final two rounds of the competition.
Entry Fee: $75
Prizes: The winner is awarded $13,000; the 2nd place, $6,000.
Deadline for Applications: September 5,2021
Art Song Composition Award
The competition is open to any composer whose submined work meets the requirements. The winning composer will receive a cash award and a performance of the winning composition at the next scheduled NATS National Conference.
Entry Fee: $30
Prizes: The winner is awarded $5,000; the 2nd place, $2,500.
Deadline for Applications: December 1, 2021
National Music Theater Competition
The competition is seeking the best rising music theater soloists, those who just need one break to move their careers forward. Applicants must be between ages 20-28. Preliminary rounds of the competition are scheduled to take place in fall 2021 and about 24 singers advance to the semifinal and final rounds.
Entry Fee: $90.
Prizes: The first prize is awarded 55,000; the 2nd place, $52,000.
Deadline for Applications: May 15, 2021
1. What is the purpose of these NATS competitions?| A．To decide who can join NATS. |
| B．To celebrate important music festivals. |
| C．To test and grade NATS teachers' professional skills. |
| D．To let NATS members and their students show musical talent. |
| A．NATS Artist Awards | B．National Student Auditions |
| C．An Song Composition Award | D．National Music Theater Competition |
| A．1,7500 dollars. | B．6,000 dollars. | C．2,500 dollars. | D．2,000 dollars. |
| A．April 13,2021. | B．May 15,2021. | C．Septembers,2021. | D．December 1,2021. |
| A．The best music theater managers. | B．Senior artists who have live concert experiences. |
| C．Solo performers aged 20-28. | D．Those who are good at playing musical instruments. |
