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

Author: Organizing Committee of the 5th "Hope Star" English Talent Show of CCTV
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2004
Features: Dear readers, thank you for choosing this book. The CCTV "Hope Star" English Talent Show 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 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 Show," 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 written by parents or teachers about how the contestants learned English, as well as live recordings of the competition, rules of the competition, and behind-the-scenes highlights. This series was well-received by students and parents, and "Change and Beyond" became a catchy slogan. Indeed, from the growth experiences of these contestants, we deeply feel that learning English well can change lives and even personalities; mastering English not only helps overcome circumstances but also surpasses oneself. Now, the 5th competition, which is larger in scale and covers a wider range of provinces and cities, has come to a close. Building on the experience of last year, we have compiled and published this new series, "Change and Beyond: Special Edition of the CCTV 5th 'Hope Star' English Talent Show," 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 written by parents or teachers about how the contestants learned English, there are also first-person accounts by the contestants themselves, making the content more personal, engaging, and persuasive. To give you a more intuitive and clear understanding of the entire competition, we have also compiled and published a companion VCD series, "CCTV 5th 'Hope Star' English Talent Show," which includes live recordings of all semi-finals and finals at the national finals. This allows you to thoroughly understand the competition rules, content, and procedures, as well as the on-site performances of all contestants, making it the best guide for participation and an essential reference material. At the same time, watching the contestants' performances is sure to greatly inspire your interest in learning English and boost your confidence in mastering it. In short, if you find inspiration and gain something from reading this series or watching the competition VCDs, it will be our greatest comfort and encouragement. The CCTV "Hope Star" English Talent Show 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 all English-loving TV audiences to improve themselves, showcase their talents, and seize opportunities, and has been widely welcomed by the audience. Since 2000, the competition has been held annually for five years. Contestants come from various industries, primarily students, from all administrative regions of 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 by setting up sub-regional competitions in each administrative region, with three rounds of selection: preliminary, semi-final, and final. Contestants register according to their region and compete in the corresponding sub-region. Contestants from regions without sub-regions 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 field of English and foreign teaching experts. CCTV provides a live recording of the national finals and the award ceremony. The organizing committee welcomes enterprises and institutions engaged in education, culture, publishing, and other industries within the administrative regions of mainland China to organize and host sub-regional competitions under the unified leadership of the organizing committee. These sub-regions will be responsible for promoting the competition, attracting sponsors, registering contestants, and conducting the competition, with a focus on education, collaborating 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, vibrant visual effects, and relaxed and enjoyable style, combined with the contestants' youthful charm and high level of 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 registrations across 16 administrative regions to compete in the national finals in Beijing. 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 forming at registration points in Hubei, and traffic congestion occurring several times. 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 Ruxin from Shijiazhuang Beixin Street Primary School won the championships for the university/adult, 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 to the fight against SARS through 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."