1 . Participating in art competitions is essential for students to gain formal recognition and impress college admission officers. Today, we have a list of art competitions on regional, national, and international scales.

EarthX Eco-Art Competition

It invites young artists aged 5-22 to create 2-D or 3-D art that illustrates the theme: Protectors for the Planet. The theme can be interpreted in various ways, including individuals taking action towards a more sustainable planet, or highlighting the efforts of environmental leaders working to sustain ecosystems.

Deadline: March 8, 2024

The Children’s Drawing Contest

Sponsored by International Certification Organization Network, the contest, whose theme this year is “Passing on Our Precious Earth to The Future”, invites children aged 7-15 worldwide to draw the kind of natural environment they would like to live in. 48 winners will receive special memorabilia. All entrants will receive a participation prize. Medium: Drawings with any type of paint, pastel, etc.

Deadline: May 31, 2024

Science without Borders Challenge

The competition is open to children and young people under the age of 16. We welcome entries from both groups and individuals to create art to promote public awareness of the need to preserve, protect, and restore nature. The theme is “The Sixth Extinction” and you can focus on the protection of endangered species. Acceptable media include paint, pencil, marker, crayon, ink, felt, and oil pastel.

Deadline: March 4, 2024

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the longest-running literary and art competition in the US, provides opportunities and academic awards for creative young people to express their talent. The theme this year is “Tell Your Climate Story”. Students in the 9th to 12th grades can submit poetry, fiction and nonfiction to show their understanding of environmental issues.

Deadline: June 10, 2024

1. On which date can participants send their entries to EarthX Eco-Art Competition?

A．May 6, 2024.

B．March 15, 2024.

C．April 28, 2024.

D．February 9, 2024.

2. Which competition best suits teenagers good at writing poems?

A．EarthX Eco-Art Competition.	B．The Children’s Drawing Contest.
C．Science without Borders Challenge.	D．The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

3. What do the four competitions have in common?

A．They target students under the age of 20.	B．They are about environmental protection.
C．They require participants to write a story.	D．They only accept entries from individuals.

2 . In the sport of track and field, athletes compete not only with one another but against themselves to achieve a new personal best. Aiming to ______ his own record, Cerveny pushed himself hard. However, his legs cramped(抽筋)and ______   him with only 200 meters to go. Determined to ______, Cerveny rose from the ground and continued on, only to fall again after another 50 meters.

______, his coach asked Cerveny if he wanted to stop. He didn't. With great ______ Cerveny pulled himself up and with a(n)   ______ pace, moved forward for one final push. ______, it wasn't enough. 100 meters from the finish line, his legs simply ______ .

Before his coach could ______ him, another runner- Brandon-was at his side to help. His first attempt to get Cerveny up failed, but he   ______ to quit too. With a second pull, Cerveny was ______. At a measured jog, the two completed the final 100 meters of the course, with Cerveny holding Brandon for ______ Brandon even made sure Cerveny crossed the finish line first,securing his______a faster time

In today’s ______ world in which the emphasis in athletics is so often put on breaking records, it was ______ to see that for an athlete like Brandon, the value of true sportsmanship still had legs.

1.

A．play

B．beat

C．check

D．measure

2.

A．failed

B．warned

C．dragged

D．raised

3.

A．rest

B．win

C．leave

D．finish

4.

A．Relieved

B．Exhausted

C．Concerned

D．Disappointed

5.

A．luck

B．effort

C．passion

D．respect

6.

A．rapid

B．relaxed

C．unsteady

D．impatient

7.

A．Normally

B．Eventually

C．Unbelievably

D．Unfortunately

8.

A．gave out

B．broke up

C．fell down

D．slowed down

9.

A．guide

B．reach

C．serve

D．blame

10.

A．refused

B．hesitated

C．regretted

D．pretended

11.

A．in his hand

B．out of breath

C．on his feet

D．out of danger

12.

A．direction

B．support

C．courage

D．comfort

13.

A．assistant

B．teammate

C．follower

D．opponent

14.

A．diverse

B．well-developed

C．competitive

D．ever-changing

15.

A．urgent

B．common

C．confusing

D．inspiring

3 . 语法填空

Every March, sports fans across the United States get a special treat – the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Basketball Tournament (竞标赛). In this tournament, the best college basketball teams take part in the     1     (compete). It’s nicknamed “March Madness”     2     the tournament always happens in March,

With fans     3     (come) from across the country, the games gain great popularity. One of the     4     (many) exciting aspects is the concept (概念) of “upsets”, when an underrated team defeats a team that is very     5     (high) ranked (排名). Upsets are very inspiring because they show that any team that tries hard enough can become a champion. This year, for example, a small team defeated     6     highest-ranking team in the country. This game surprised almost everyone, because it’s very rare for that team     7     (defeat) by anyone, especially by a small team.

Upsets often define March Madness,     8     (provide) inspiration for us in our daily lives. We’re all on the way to     9     (become) the champions of our own lives, and events such as March Madness     10     we can see young adults from all backgrounds compete at a national level show us that our goals are achieved.