13．Ellie Makes the Team
　　Ellie was an outstanding gymnast (体操运动员). She could do the gymnastic moves very beautifully. The trouble was that she knew it. When she tried out for the gymnastics team, she put on a (1)       performance. The other girls told her she was amazing. "See if you can do that!" Ellie said. The coach said nothing, and thought hard.
　　The next week, when the list of the team members was posted, Ellie's name wasn't on it. She turned to the girls standing around her. "I'm better than all of you!" she shouted (2)      . "It's unfair!"
　　She went to see the coach. He explained, "You're very talented, but your (3)       is terrible."
　　"What do you mean?" Ellie asked. "I know I am the best, and I prove it every time."
　　"Making the gymnastics team isn't just about gymnastics," the coach said. "It's also about being on a team. You can't make the team if you don't recognize how much everyone has to contribute (做贡献), and (4)       them to do it."
　　Ellie did not think about what the coach said. Instead, she expected the team to lose that year, and it would be the coach's fault (过错), for not picking her.
　　But Ellie still practiced at the gym every day, carefully staying out of the team's way. At first, she felt very happy to see the girls on the team struggling (艰难地训练). But then it started to (5)       her. One day, after watching Kim fall off the uneven parallel bars again and again, Ellie came to her, and told her what she should do. Kim accepted Ellie's suggestion, and did much better. Ellie felt very (6)      . She didn't notice the coach looking on from across the room.
　　Over the next few weeks, Ellie tried to help the other girls. The team (7)       each time they competed, and they even won once!
　　The following year, Ellie tried out for the gymnastics team again. This time, her name was on the list. She knew that it was her (8)       of becoming a better team player that was responsible for her success.

14．　　Kids can make a difference to the world. Here are stories about four amazing kids.

15．Emma Dreams Big
　　It was warm outside. Emma was looking through the window and thinking of riding her horse Star after school.
　　"Emma! Could you please turn in your homework?" Mrs. James called her.
　　"I don't have my homework with me," Emma turned back and said. "I forgot to put it in my schoolbag after I did it."
　　"Emma, you're such a smart girl, but you're always daydreaming. I may have to talk with your parents," Mrs. James said. "Now, class, clear your desks. Let's welcome our guest, Doctor Landon. He is a vet and he came here today as part of our Career Explorations (职业探索) program."
　　Doctor Landon talked about how important grades were and how he tried hard with math when he was a kid. But Emma didn't listen carefully until a word caught her attention—horse.
　　"On most days of a week, I travel across the county to take care of horses. It is a lot of work, but I love it."
　　Emma's mouth fell open. "What a life that is," she thought. At that moment, Emma could see her future. She was going to be a vet and take care of horses, too!
　　After school, Emma made new plans. She would spend an hour studying math before riding Star. She also decided to spend half an hour every night studying science even if she didn't have any homework. Doctor Landon said those were important subjects to study if you wanted to be a vet.
　　When Emma walked into the house, she told her parents about her new plans. They were both surprised. "I had a talk with her last week. I told her she needed to work harder if she wanted to get into a good college. I guess she is taking my advice." Her dad said to her mom.
　　Emma smiled. She didn't remember what her dad said. Maybe she would tell them about her dream tomorrow.

16．　　Many studies have shown the learning-by-teaching effect. Students who spend time teaching what they've learned show better understanding and ability to remember knowledge than students who simply spend the same time re-studying. But why does teaching help?
Researchers led by Aloysius Wei Lun Koh did a study to test their idea that teaching improves the teacher's learning because it forces the teacher to retrieve (检索) what they've learned. In other words, they believe that bringing to mind what we've learned leads to deeper and longer-lasting acquisition (获得) of that information than spending more time re-studying.
　　The researchers asked 124 students to spend ten minutes studying a text with numbers on a topic which is completely new to them. They told the students they could take notes while studying, but would teach the material afterwards without notes. After studying the text, the students were divided into four groups. In one group the students spent five minutes delivering a lesson on the study material without notes. The other groups either spent the same time completing arithmetic (算术) problems, teaching with a script (讲稿) or writing down all they could remember from the text—a form of retrieval practice. A week later, all the students returned to the lab for a surprise test of their knowledge and understanding of the text.
　　The important finding is that the teaching-without-notes group and the retrieval-practice group outperformed the group that completed arithmetic problems and the group that taught with a script. In fact, the performance of the teaching-without-notes group and the retrieval-practice group was comparable.
　　The researchers said the result shows that the benefits of the learning-by-teaching method are caused by retrieval practice; that is, the learning-by-teaching method works only when the teaching involves retrieving the taught materials.
　　The new findings have a practical suggestion for how the learning-by-teaching method is used in education. In order to make sure that students learn and remember an educational material, they should internalize (内化) the material before presenting it to others, rather than depend on notes during the presentation process.

17．　　Technology has done our world wonders: from development in medicine, travel, communication, to our day-to-day lives. It has undoubtedly changed the way our society works, and how we communicate with one another and ourselves. However, by completely welcoming technology as a part of everyday life, are we losing our ability to create?
　　Technology presents a new platform for creativity to exist (存在) on. Through technology, ideas can be set free and come to life in the physical world. We have the necessary tools for greater possibilities and new solutions. For example, businesses now have the opportunity to improve themselves more creatively through websites, film advertisements, social media or radio.
　　However, when we look more closely, it's easy to notice some disadvantages. For example, many of us depend so heavily on automated calculations (自动计算) nowadays, rather than taking the time to work it out for ourselves. Another obvious situation is that a lot of people are spending too much time on screens. As a result, they are reducing the opportunities to come up with their own creations.
　　Is there a way to find a balance between technology and human creativity? I think so. It is simply a matter of making sure that creativity is not deterred by technology. The first way is to reduce our usage of digital devices (数字设备) by setting limits on when, where, and how long we use them, turning off the notifications (通知) on your phone, or putting your phone on "Do Not Disturb". Once you become used to these, you will feel surprised how little you think about your phone.
　　Another wonderful way is to take daily walks in the nature. It can help you reset, rebalance, and keep going. In the long run, a daily walk can not only influence our creativity and imagination but further our physical and mental (思想的) health. We can also develop our creativity by doing yoga, keeping a journal, or reading.
　　The key to the survival (生存) of our creativity starts with us. Will you put your phone away when spending time with friends? Will you try to find happiness and purpose outside of a screen? The actions you choose to take will help change the relationship between creativity and technology for the better.

18．　　On March 2, 2022, world leaders at the 5th meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) reached a historic agreement to solve the problems of plastic. They agreed that by 2024, they would create and sign a new treaty (条约) on plastics. The new treaty would create international laws that could help bring plastic waste under control.
　　Because plastic is useful for so many purposes, it has become a part of nearly all areas of our lives. It's hard to look anywhere without things made of plastic. It's reported that now 400 million tons of plastic is produced every year. By 2040, the number is expected to double. Although there's a lot of talk about recycling, only 9% of all the plastic ever created has been recycled.
　　Almost all kinds of plastic are made from some kind of oil. It gives off dangerous gases (气体) when it's produced and also when it's burned or buried (掩埋) in the ground. Scientists say plastics are responsible for 4.5% of the world's greenhouse gases.
　　Plastic doesn't break down like natural materials, such as wood. Instead, it just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces, and finally tiny bits of plastic called microplastics. In recent years, microplastics have been found almost everywhere, from the North Pole to Antarctica, from the top of the Earth's tallest mountain to the deepest point in the sea. They've even been found in the bodies of animals including humans.
　　The treaty is expected to cover the whole plastic "life cycle", including making it, reusing it, recycling it, and getting rid of (处理) it. The treaty will also cover how to deal with microplastics in the oceans, on land, and in the things we eat. It is expected to lay out rules to get rid of single-use plastics as well.
　　Deciding on the specific rules and goals that will go in the treaty will probably be difficult. The treaty is likely to require all countries to take their own steps to meet the treaty's goals, and offer poorer countries money to help them meet the goals.

19．中国有一些传统节日，如春节、中秋节和端午节 (the Dragon Boat Festival)。每个节日都有不同的习俗和意义。
假如你是李华，你校英语社团正在开展线上国际交流活动，其公众号计划推送有关中国传统节日的系列内容。请你用英语给公众号写一篇文稿，介绍一个中国的传统节日，包括时间、庆祝方式以及这个节日的意义。
提示词语：get together, dinner, enjoy, wish
提示问题：
•When is the festival?
•How do people usually celebrate the festival?
•Why is the festival important?
　　There are some traditional festivals in China. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20．设定目标对每个人都很重要。有了明确的目标，才有努力的方向，并产生前进的动力。
某英文网站正在开展以“明确目标，全力以赴”为主题的征文活动。假如你是李华，请用英文写一篇短文投稿，谈谈你近期的一个目标是什么，你为什么确定这个目标，以及为实现这个目标做出的努力。
提示词语：make progress, practice, keep, effort
提示问题：
•What is your goal?
•Why do you set this goal?
•What do you do to achieve this goal?
　　Setting goals is very important for everyone. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________