“You’ll have to be quicker off the line to beat Kendall on Friday,” Coach Dugan said. Kendall this, Kendall that. For weeks, I’d been hearing about how fast this kid was — Kerry Kendall from Wilson Middle School. I was tired of it.
Eric came close to me. “I heard that Kerry Kendall trains at a camp with Olympic coaches. Not only that — I heard he cheats. I heard he’ll do whatever it takes to win,” he said. That doesn’t mean he cheats, does it? I wondered.
“Let’s go, boys,” Coach said. When I heard his whistle (哨声), I ran rather hard toward the finish line. I crossed two full steps ahead of everyone else. That should satisfy him. Coach Dugan looked at his stop-watch and nodded. “Better, Alex. But let’s do it again.” And again and again. I couldn’t get any faster. Besides, Kendall trains with Olympic coaches! And he cheats. Why bother?
Practice was never easy, but lately Coach Dugan had been pushing us extra hard. He told us to work harder, because the extra effort marked the difference between a winner and a runner-up.
A gentle wind greeted me as I got out of Dad’s car and headed toward the track. My legs felt strong and ready. Ready? Coach had me more than ready.
Kids from every middle school crowded the infield. I was searching for Kendall. But I couldn’t see anyone extra tall, so I sat on the grass to stretch. “Are you Alex?” a voice asked. I looked up over my shoulder. A tall kid. Kerry Kendall. I nodded. Kendall then sat down next to me, starting to stretch, too. Was he trying to psych me out ( 震 慑 我) by warming up so close? I wouldn’t let that happen. I kept quiet and continued stretching. “Heard you’re fast,” he said. His leg muscles bulged (隆起) like he worked out plenty. “Save it for the race,” I said.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
After a minute, he asked, “Is it true you have a private trainer?”
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When Kendall turned back, I saw the truth in his eyes.
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2 . The Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest is a unique competition open to writers for children. We believe that in our increasingly digital age it is more important than ever for children’s first books to introduce them to the pleasures and power of storytelling and the written word along with outstanding visual art. Being exposed to the best picture books can create in young people a lifelong love of reading. By rewarding and showing excellence in the art of picture book writing, we aim to inspire writers to focus on the picture book text as an art form in itself, and to raise the quality of these seemingly simple books for the benefit of children everywhere.
The winners will have the opportunity to sign publishing contracts (合同) with the sponsors to publish the manuscripts (原稿) in different languages. Each winner will be required to agree that sponsors have a one-year priority option to publish their manuscript to receive the cash prize.
Conditions
1. Manuscript must be text written for children age 3-8; illustrations are not accepted;
2. Manuscript may be fiction, nonfiction or poetry;
3. Manuscript must be no longer than 1,000 words;
4. Manuscript may be submitted (提交) in any of the following languages: English, Spanish, German, French, or Chinese;
5. Manuscript must be your original work;
6. Manuscript will not be submitted to any other competition or any other publisher before the announcement of the result of this contest.
For more information, please contact us: astrawritingcontest@readinglife.com.
1. Why is the competition held?| A．To call on people to read paper books. |
| B．To raise children’s interest in reading. |
| C．To collect money for children’s education. |
| D．To encourage high-quality picture book writing. |
| A．By signing publishing contracts. |
| B．By not joining in other competitions in one year. |
| C．By not submitting their manuscripts to other publishers. |
| D．By giving sponsors the right to publish their manuscripts first. |
| A．They must be within 1,000 words. |
| B．They must be in the form of stories. |
| C．They must be accompanied by pictures. |
| D．They must be translated into several languages. |
3 . Four Classic Games for Kids
Below are great games children can enjoy.
Egg and Spoon Race
Line players up, each with a boiled egg balanced on a spoon. Each person with a spoon and an egg must carry the egg on the spoon to the finishing line. If their egg drops, they must stop and put it back on their spoon before continuing. (Or, if you’re really tough, send them back to the start each time their egg drops!) The winner will be awarded a prize, such as candy, stickers and toys.
Pass the Parcel (包裹)
Prepare a small prize that kids will love and then cover it with many layers (层) of paper. To play, have the children sit in a circle and pass the parcel around the circle while you play some fun music. When you stop the music, the child holding the parcel removes the outer layer of paper. Start the music again and continue until one child removes the final layer of paper.
Wheelbarrow (独轮手推车) Race
The game is played in pairs.The first person is the wheelbarrow.He starts with his hands on the ground and his legs are held by the second person (the driver) in the pair. The wheelbarrow “walks” on his hands across the ground while the driver follows behind, holding his legs and directing the wheelbarrow. The first pair across the finishing line are the winners.
Limbo
Two adults hold either end of a stick at stomach height. The children take turns going under the stick without touching it. If all the children have gone under the stick, the stick will be lowered. Then another round begins. Anyone who falls, touches the ground with hands or touches the stick is out.
1. Who would most probably be the winner of Egg and Spoon Race?| A．The kid being good at running. |
| B．The kid being skilled at boiling eggs. |
| C．The kid doing well in balancing the egg. |
| D．The kid being willing to work with others. |
| A．Because it must be played with music on. |
| B．Because it will give the winner a prize. |
| C．Because it needs preparation in advance. |
| D．Because it asks kids to sing songs during the game. |
| A．Try to jump over the stick. |
| B．Lower their body. |
| C．Run fast with a stick in hand. |
| D．Touch the ground with hands. |
4 . History of Women’s Football in Britain
Women’s football in Britain has deeper roots than might be expected. In one town in the 18th century Scotland, single women played an annual match against their married counterparts, though the motives behind the contest were not purely sporting. Some accounts say that the games were watched by a crowd of single men, who hoped to pick out a potential bride based on her footballing ability.
By the late 19th century, with the men’s game spreading across Britain like wildfire, women also began to take up association football. Early pioneers included Nettie J. Honeyball, who founded the British Ladies’ Football Club(BLFC)in 1895. Honeyball, like many of the middle-and upper-class women who played in the late 19th century, she was not keen to publicise her involvement with a contact sport played on muddy fields. We know more about Lady Florence Dixie, who was appointed president of the BLFC in 1895 and who was an ardent believer in equality between the sexes.
The BLFC arranged games between teams representing the north and the south of England, where money would be raised for those in need. These initially attracted healthy numbers of supporters although early newspaper reports were not particularly generous, with one reporter suggesting “when the novelty has worn off, I do not think women’s football will attract the crowds”. And crowds did drop off as the growing popularity of the men’s game came to dominate public interest. In a country where women were not yet allowed to vote, it would take extraordinary circumstances for their efforts on the football pitch to attract widespread attention.
Those circumstances arose in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. With many men leaving their jobs to join the army, women started to work in factories and just as men had done before them, they began to play informal games of football during their lunch breaks. After some initial uncertainty, their superiors came to see these games as a means to boost morale and thus increase productivity. Teams soon formed and friendly matches were arranged. What’s more, in the town of Preston in the north of England, the female workers at a manufacturing company showed a particular aptitude for the game. Watching from a window above the yard where they played, office worker Alfred Frankland spotted their talent and he set about forming a team.
1. The writer says that in the 18th century Scotland__________.| A．only unmarried women were allowed to play football |
| B．women’s football was more common than men’s football |
| C．skill at football might be considered when choosing a wife |
| D．women were sometimes forbidden to watch football matches |
| A．take an active part in team sports |
| B．mix with people she considered lower class |
| C．let the public know her involvement in football |
| D．take a leadership role in the British Ladies’ Football Club |
| A．Society was not yet ready for women’s football. |
| B．There were false reports of the decline of women’s football. |
| C．The media felt that women’s football should not be allowed. |
| D．Women’s football mainly attracted people because it was unusual. |
| A．Factories were initially unwilling to employ women. |
| B．Factory employees were allowed to have extra time to play football. |
| C．Factory managers usually played in matches against female employees. |
| D．Factory employers decided that women’s football might have positive effects. |
5 . Hosting the Olympics is costly in both infrastructure and money. The 2012 and 2014 Olympics cost upwards of $16 billion. That was merely to create the various buildings needed for the games.
Berlin is a perfect example. It hosted the Olympics in 1936. Afterwards, the Olympic Village was left to crumble in the surrounding wilderness. Recently, funding has been approved to turn the former athlete residences into new apartments. This could breathe new life into the 135-acre site.
The Olympic Village in Lake Placid
Most people entering this place are in a lot of trouble. The complex, first built in 1980, no longer welcomes athletes. Instead, it houses prisoners. It is the Federal Correctional Institution, Ray Brook. The facility originally housed about 1, 800 athletes.
The Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles
This building used to host weightlifting as well as boxing and wrestling matches. It was first constructed in 1924. After the Games, it continued to host boxing and wrestling matches.
The National Aquatics Center in Beijing
This building was built for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and is commonly referred to as the Water Cube.
| A．The buildings that are reused usually continue to operate as first designed. |
| B．It also held other swimming events. |
| C．Now, it houses about 1, 000 prisoners. |
| D．The building was renovated after the Olympics. |
| E．In addition, it was home to roller derbies and concerts. |
| F．And in some countries, government funds are usually limited. |
| G．And in many cases, those buildings are often left empty afterward. |
注意：1.词数80左右；2.文章的标题已给出，不计入总词数。
An Unforgettable Sports Meet
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7 . Thousands of runners gather for the annual Marathon. The largest holiday race in California
Before long, my
Suddenly, as I make the turn, I am
I slow down and take his lesson. I finish despite the
How many times do we let others
| A．impresses | B．influences | C．attracts | D．directs |
| A．standards | B．abilities | C．grades | D．results |
| A．grin | B．glare | C．stare | D．laugh |
| A．excitement | B．righteousness | C．warmth | D．hotness |
| A．walked | B．missed | C．made | D．disturbed |
| A．competitiveness | B．honour | C．responsibility | D．humour |
| A．friend | B．companion | C．balloon | D．pace |
| A．go | B．run | C．leave | D．come |
| A．worried | B．proud | C．struck | D．satisfied |
| A．glancing | B．gleaming | C．flashing | D．glittering |
| A．adjusted | B．attached | C．turned | D．prayed |
| A．adventure | B．match | C．destination | D．race |
| A．suffering | B．fear | C．pain | D．strength |
| A．define | B．set | C．give | D．claim |
| A．ignoring | B．losing | C．missing | D．forgetting |
How will we live in cities in 100 years’ time? Dezeen is teaming up with MINI Living to invite readers to design an urban home of the future.
Brief
MINI Living is a project that aims to translate the creative use of space into real architectural solutions for how people live, work and interact in cities.
We are looking for conceptual designs for the future of urban living, which propose innovative solutions that make the most of available space. In addition, we are asking entrants (参赛者) to consider what other challenges cities could face in 100 years’ time and for their urban home concept to respond creatively to those issues as well. Proposals can be for any city around the world, but submitted designs must demonstrate creative use of space and entrants will need to explain how their entries solve the issues they foresee cities will face in 100 years’ time.
Who can enter?
The competition is free to enter to anyone, from anywhere around the world, as long as they are at least 18 years old. Professional designers, studios, non-designers, students and teams are all invited to participate.
Winners and prizes
A selection of the best designs will be published on Dezeen, with the total prize money of £10,000 available for the top three designs—£5,000 for the winner, £3,000 for the runner up and £2,000 for the third place.
How to enter
Contestants will need to submit their entries via this form and include the following information.
>Name of the design
>Description of the design
>A hero image that presents the vision in the strongest way
>A plan
>Up to five additional supporting images
>Optionally, entrants can also submit a video file representing their designs
1. What’s the competition mainly about?| A．Foreseeing how people work and live in 100 years’ time. |
| B．Finding the way to make the most of the interior space of a building. |
| C．Collecting innovative architectural solutions for a particular city. |
| D．Asking for creative solutions to the issues facing future living in cities. |
| A．Entrants must include a video file representing their designs. |
| B．The winner of the competition can earn the total of £10,000. |
| C．Professional designers, students or teams can sign up for the competition. |
| D．Entrants must provide more than five additional supporting images. |
| A．In a magazine on architecture. | B．In an advertising leaflet. |
| C．On an official website. | D．On a school notice board. |
9 . There was devastation for IOC Refugee Olympic Team runner James Nyang Chiengjiek, who finished last in his men’s 800m heat after an early fall. Just after the start of the race, the South Sudanese refugee accidentally clipped another athlete’s foot and tumbled to the ground. But Chiengjiek showed the spirit of a champion to get back up and finish the race.
In 1999, Chiengjiek’s father was killed in a war in south Sudan. In 2002, he moved to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. This year’s games are the second time Chiengjiek has competed as a member of the refugee team. He represents the world’s 82. 4 million people forced to flee conflict. Despite failing to make it to the semi-finals, the story behind him and his team continues to impress.
On July 24, at the women’s 100m butterfly heats at the Tokyo Olympics, Syrian girl Yusra Mardini, the flag bearer for the refugee team, failed to qualify for the semifinals of the event, her message to the world is more important than the outcome.
Mardini, who learned to swim from her father when she was a child, represented Syria at the 2012 Fina World Aquatics Championships. Swimming had always been a passion for the family as her father Ezzat is a swimming instructor dedicating his life to water. He taught his three-year-old daughter to swim.
In August 2015, fleeing the fighting in Syria, Mardini and her sister, Sarah, fled their former home to the Greek island of Lesbos in small boats with other refugees. That boat ride was supposed to last 45 minutes. It was just a 10km ride. The boat, meant for six to seven people, was already broken when 20 people boarded. Twenty minutes in, Mardini found herself, her sister, a friend of her father’s and two others in the water, pushing the broken boat ashore after more than three hours. Mardini later said that swimming had saved her life and helped her rebuild it.
Twice elected to the Olympic refugee team, Mardini said in an interview with the media, “Sport was our way out. It was kind of what gave us hope to build our new lives. We don’t share a nation or a language. Each of us has a different story. But there is something we all have in common: we chose to keep our dreams alive.”
Acting as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bringing global attention to the refugee crisis, the athletes took part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016, marching and competing under the Olympic flag. The Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) participated at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with 29 athletes, from 11 countries, competing in 12 sports.
The Refugee Olympic athletes were some of the stars of these Olympic Games. They were stars in a way that they demonstrated the best of human beings; they demonstrated determination; they also demonstrated that they are not simply refugees but that they are human beings; they are athletes who are competing with the athletes of the other 206 National Olympic Committees on an equal playing field.
1. The refugee athletes take part in the Olympic Games in order to ________.| A．earn more money for their countries |
| B．bring hope for refugees and capture global attention to refugee crisis |
| C．get as many medals as possible |
| D．ask the world to help them get rid of poverty |
| A．In the race Chiengjiek didn’t give up after having a fall. |
| B．The refugee Olympic Team participated in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with hundreds of athletes. |
| C．It was her fleeing to the Greek island of Leshos that made Mardini realize the importance of swimming. |
| D．Sporting has helped many refugee athletes rebuild their lives. |
| A．Nothing Is Impossible | B．The Impressive Tokyo 2020 Games |
| C．Great Champions, Great Stories | D．Competing for Dreams and Hopes |
10 . Why Is There an Offside(越位)Rule in Soccer?
The offside rule is one of the most important and significant rules in the game of soccer. It is one of the core influencers of game play, formations, and how the sport is played as a whole.
To get the official rule we have to consult the rulebook of IFAB(International Football Association Board). It is the organization that governs the laws of soccer. It is an independent body and the only organization authorized to decide and agree on changes to the Laws of the Game.
Without the offside rule, soccer would descend to a game where the ball is hit from one end of the pitch to the other, with all players competing to score in a sea of mess. It would be an unrecognizable game.
Thankfully, instead of this, we have “the beautiful game”: the most popular sport in the world, full of excitement, skill, athleticism, and tactical guile(战术诡计).
It’s not an offense to simply be in an offside position. If involved in active play from a touch by a teammate, the player in an offside position will be subsequently ruled offside and an indirect free-kick will be ruled against them. Becoming “involved in active play” infers that a player:
·Interferes with play by touching a ball that is passed or touched by a teammate.
·Prevents an opponent by obstructing their vision, by challenging them for the ball, or by making an obvious action to impact their ability to get the ball.
·Gains an advantage or interferes with an opponent when the ball is rebounded from the post, cross-bar, opponent or match official.
There are several pages of more specific circumstances and situations where offside can occur in the IFAB rulebook. However, these are the small print and are not important to discuss in general terms.
| A．If you want to read up on these finer details, check out the IFAB rulebook and skip to page 98. |
| B．Offside can be incorporated into certain tactical and formational plans made by coaches. |
| C．It dictates what positions players occupy on the field, as well as when and where the ball is passed. |
| D．However, it is a risky attempt, particularly in the VAR era, where the defense cannot deceive the match officials. |
| E．There are of course some exceptions to this offside rule. |
| F．However, despite what has been said above, many people still don’t fully understand the rule. |
