From September 22 to 27, Shanghai will host the 48th WorldSkills Competition. About 1,400 young competitors from nearly 70 countries and regions will come together to show their skills. This is the first time China has hosted the world’s largest skills event.
Recently, the Chinese team for the competition was announced. It has 220 members, including 71 competitors. They come from 21 provinces, and their average age is only 21 — the youngest is 18, the oldest is 25. The team will take part in all 64 events, from cooking and hairdressing to welding and robot programming.
Why do skills matter so much today? In the past, many people believed that only university students could have a bright future. But times have changed. A strong country needs not only scientists and engineers, but also skilled workers who build houses, fix machines, design clothes, and cook delicious food. Young people with good skills can find good jobs and live a good life.
The competition also gives young people a stage to grow. For a competitor, the months of training are as valuable as the medals. They learn to focus, to solve problems under pressure, and to improve a little every day.
WorldSkills is more than a contest. It tells us that every kind of work can be done with pride, and every young person can shine with his or her own hands. When hard work meets skill, success is never far away.
Words to know:
- host (举办；主办)
- competitor (选手；参赛者)
- average (平均的)
- province (省；省份)
- event (比赛项目)
- engineer (工程师)
- valuable (宝贵的；有价值的)
- pride (自豪；骄傲)
长难句拆解 · 定语从句与 as…as 比较
① A strong country needs not only scientists and engineers, but also skilled workers who build houses, fix machines, design clothes, and cook delicious food. 主干是 A strong country needs…（一个强大的国家需要……）。宾语由 not only…but also… 连接，两部分都要与 needs 搭配；but also 后接的 skilled workers 被 who 引导的定语从句修饰，从句内四个动词短语 build / fix / design / cook 并列，共用同一个 who，用来具体说明「技能人才」指哪些人。
② For a competitor, the months of training are as valuable as the medals. 主干是 the months of training are as valuable as the medals（数月的训练与奖牌同样珍贵）。as + 形容词 + as 是同级比较结构，第一个 as 是副词、第二个 as 是连词，后接比较对象 the medals；比较双方一个是「训练时间」、一个是「奖牌」，看上去性质不同，但用 as…as 可以表达「价值相当」，是作者做价值判断时的常用句式。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
题干与原文之间隔着一层「同义变装」。先抓信号词，再回原文找替身，定位更快更稳。本文可迁移的替换组：
- host the competition → stage the contest
- come together → gather in one place
- was announced → was made public
- take part in → participate in
- skills matter → skills count
- can have a bright future → can look forward to a promising future
- solve problems under pressure → cope with problems under pressure
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The Chinese team will take part in all 64 events.
- 简答（不超过 6 个词） — How old is the oldest member of the Chinese team?
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The writer believes only university students can succeed in the future.
参考答案与解析
- T — 原文「The team will take part in all 64 events」，all 与 64 一一对应，属原文直述。
- 25. — 原文「the youngest is 18, the oldest is 25」，用 oldest 单点定位，注意不要答成 18（那是最小年龄）。
- F — 原文明确说「In the past, many people believed that only university students could have a bright future. But times have changed」，作者否认了这一旧观点，属典型的「偷换结论」式干扰项。
中文译文
9月22日至27日，上海将举办第48届世界技能大赛。来自近70个国家和地区的约1400名青年选手将齐聚一堂，一展身手。这是中国首次承办这项全球规模最大的技能赛事。
近日，本次大赛的中国参赛队名单公布。队伍共有220人，其中包括71名选手。他们来自21个省份，平均年龄仅21岁——最小的18岁，最大的25岁。队伍将参加全部64个比赛项目，从烹饪、美发到焊接、机器人编程，无所不包。
为何技能在当下如此重要？过去，许多人认为只有大学生才有光明前途。但时代变了。一个强大的国家不仅需要科学家和工程师，也需要建造房屋、修理机器、设计服装、烹制美食的技能人才。技能过硬的年轻人能找到好工作，过上好的生活。
这场大赛也给年轻人提供了成长的舞台。对一名选手而言，数月的训练与奖牌同样珍贵。他们学会专注，学会在压力下解决问题，学会每天进步一点点。
世界技能大赛不只是一场比赛。它告诉我们，每一种工作都可以带着尊严去完成，每一个年轻人都能用自己的双手发光。当汗水遇见技能，成功便不再遥远。