Change and Beyond -- Junior High School Group (Special Edition of CCTV's 5th "Hope Star" English Talent Competition)

Author: Organizing Committee of the 5th CCTV "Hope Star" English Talent Competition
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Dear readers, thank you for choosing this book. The CCTV "Hope Star" English Talent Competition is a high-level English competition for students across the country. By this year, it has successfully been held for five editions. Anyone who has watched the competition will sincerely admire the quick-witted responses, authentic pronunciation, and fluent language of these contestants. Last year, at the conclusion of the 4th competition, our China Renmin University Press compiled and published the series "Change and Beyond – Stories Behind the CCTV 4th 'Hope Star' English Talent Competition," divided into three volumes for primary school, secondary school, and university/adult groups. The content includes introductions to all contestants who entered the national finals, articles by parents or teachers introducing how the contestants learned English, as well as live recordings of the competition, competition rules, and behind-the-scenes highlights. This series was well-received by students and parents, and "Change and Beyond" became a powerful slogan. Indeed, from the growth stories of these contestants, we deeply feel that mastering English can change lives and even personalities; learning English well not only helps overcome one's environment but also helps overcome oneself. Now, the larger, more widely covering 5th competition has concluded. Building on last year's experience, we have compiled and published this new series, "Change and Beyond – Special Edition of the CCTV 5th 'Hope Star' English Talent Competition," divided into four volumes for primary school, junior high school, high school, and university/adult groups, with a stronger focus on introducing contestants and their English learning methods. In addition to articles by parents or teachers on how the contestants learned English, there are also articles written by the contestants themselves about their learning experiences, making it more personal, engaging, and persuasive. To give you a more intuitive and clear understanding of the entire competition, we have also compiled and published VCD series "CCTV 5th 'Hope Star' English Talent Competition" to accompany the books. The content includes live recordings of all semi-finals and finals at the national finals, allowing you to thoroughly understand the competition rules, content, and procedures, as well as the on-site performances of all contestants. It is the best competition guide and essential reference material. At the same time, watching the contestants' performances will surely greatly inspire your interest in learning English and boost your confidence in mastering it. In short, if you gain inspiration and benefits from reading this series or watching the competition VCD series, it will be our greatest comfort and encouragement.
Competition History (Preface)
The CCTV "Hope Star" English Talent Competition is a large-scale television English competition organized by the Education and Science Program Center of CCTV. The competition follows the principle of "cultivating interest, boosting confidence, and setting role models," providing a stage for English enthusiasts to improve themselves, showcase their talents, and seize opportunities, which has been widely welcomed by the audience. Since 2000, the competition has been held annually for five consecutive years. Contestants come from various industries, primarily students, representing all administrative regions in mainland China. It has influenced over 20 million people. The competition process is divided into two stages: the national selection and the national finals. The national selection is conducted through establishing sub-regional competitions in each administrative region, with three rounds of selection: preliminary, semi-final, and final. Contestants register according to their regions and compete in the corresponding sub-regional competition. Contestants from regions without sub-regional competitions are selected by the competition organizing committee. The national finals are held at CCTV, with champion contestants from different groups of sub-regions traveling to Beijing to compete. The national finals consist of two stages: semi-finals and finals, with judges selected from authoritative experts in the English field and foreign teaching experts. CCTV provides a live recording of the national finals and the award ceremony. The competition organizing committee welcomes enterprises and institutions in education, culture, publishing, and other industries across mainland China to organize and host sub-regional competitions under the unified leadership of the organizing committee. They are responsible for promoting the competition, seeking sponsors, registration, and competition organization, focusing on education, partnering with CCTV, and developing together with "Hope Star."
From February to July 2000, the first competition was held, with the country divided into seven sub-regions. Twenty contestants participated in the national finals without being grouped. In the end, Zhan Ying from Shanghai International Studies University won the first prize, while Han Jiang from Beijing Foreign Studies University and Shao Wei from Shanghai International Studies University won the second and third prizes, respectively. The broadcast of the first competition added fuel to the fervent wave of English learning across the country. Its flexible and diverse competition format, dazzling visual effects, relaxed and enjoyable style, as well as the contestants' youthful charm and high English proficiency, left a lasting impression on the audience.
From February to August 2001, the second competition was held, with 54 contestants from 19 administrative regions participating in the national finals. Sun Zheng from Peking University won the adult group championship, while Zhong Yurou from Hangzhou Xuejun Middle School won the junior group championship. The contestants not only gained experience but also formed deep friendships. This competition generated a strong response in society, with enthusiastic registrations. Statistics show that the oldest registrant was 86 years old, while the youngest was a 3.5-year-old toddler.
From February to July 2002, the third competition was held, with 36 contestants emerging from 16 administrative regions to participate in the national finals in Beijing CCTV. Yang Jin from Qingdao De County Road Primary School, Liu Hongyue from Changchun Foreign Languages School, and Ding Yuanyuan from Beijing Language and Culture University won the championships for the primary school, secondary school, and university/adult groups, respectively. The registration phase of this competition was even more intense, with long queues at registration points in Hubei, even causing traffic congestion. This competition also received attention from relevant leaders, with the Assistant Minister of Education and the Deputy Director of CCTV observing the competition and awarding prizes to the winners.
From January to May 2003, the fourth competition was held, with 45 contestants from 21 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions competing for the championship title of the 4th "Hope Star." Zhao Wei from Wuhan University, Li Laiyin from Shenzhen Donghu Middle School, and Jia Rushin from Shijiazhuang Beixin Street Primary School won the championships for the university/adult group, secondary school, and primary school groups, respectively. The fourth competition coincided with the time when the country united to fight the SARS epidemic. All contestants, judges, and staff persevered and achieved success, composing a song of praise for fighting SARS with their actions.
From April 22 to April 29, 2004, the finals of the 5th competition were held at CCTV, with 90 contestants from 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions gathering in Beijing to compete for the championship title of the 5th CCTV "Hope Star."