A young welder named Zhao Qiansen grew up in a small mountain village in Sichuan Province. This week he stood on a stage in Shanghai as one of 71 Chinese competitors at the 48th WorldSkills Competition. Born in 2004, he joined a construction company after finishing school in Panzhihua. For months he practised the same movements again and again, because one weak point in a weld can ruin a whole piece of work.
WorldSkills is often called the Olympics of vocational skills. The competition opened in Shanghai on September 22 and runs until September 27. This is the first time the event has been held in mainland China, and it is the largest one so far. About 1,385 young competitors from 68 countries have come to take part, and 64 skills are on the list. Zhao competes in welding, while a twenty-year-old girl named Li Xin competes in hairdressing.
One rule makes this competition unusual. In most events, competitors must be 22 years old or younger, and each person may take part only once in a lifetime. The average age of the Chinese team is 21, and most members were born after 2000. Some grew up in poor villages, while others left ordinary schools to learn a trade with their hands. Skills gave them a path that exams could not offer.
The opening ceremony sent a clear message. The theme is that skills can change the world and light up a future. Six former world champions carried the Chinese flag into the hall, and one of them said he hoped his students would see that a skilled worker can also stand on the world stage. In many families, a vocational school is still seen as a second choice, but events like this slowly change that idea.
The competition also shows how work itself is changing. Seven new events have been added this year, including rail vehicle technology and smart security. Trades that once meant simple repeated labour now demand digital design and teamwork with machines.
Words to know:
- welder (焊工)
- vocational (职业的，职业技能的)
- competitor (参赛者，选手)
- ceremony (典礼，仪式)
- champion (冠军)
- trade (手艺，行业)
- demand (需要，要求)
- average (平均的)
长难句拆解 · 省略 that 的宾语从句
原句：Six former world champions carried the Chinese flag into the hall, and one of them said he hoped his students would see that a skilled worker can also stand on the world stage.
主干：Six former world champions carried the Chinese flag, and one of them said (that) … 结构：and 连接两个并列分句。前半句主语是 Six former world champions。后半句 said 后省略了引导词 that，里面又套了 he hoped (that) his students would see (that) … 两层宾语从句。 语法点：英语常在 say、think、hope 后省略第一层 that，但嵌套的第二层 that 通常保留，用来划清句子边界，避免读者误把 can also stand 当成 said 的直接宾语。 直译：六位往届世界冠军把中国国旗抬进会场，其中一位说，他希望他的学生能看到，一位技术工人同样可以站在世界舞台上。
再看一句：Trades that once meant simple repeated labour now demand digital design and teamwork with machines. 主干：Trades demand design and teamwork. 结构：that once meant simple repeated labour 是定语从句，修饰主语 Trades，把泛指的「手艺」限定为「过去只意味着重复劳动的手艺」；主干只剩两个并列宾语。 直译：曾经只意味着简单重复劳动的手艺，如今需要数字设计和与机器协同工作的能力。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
同一个意思，原文和题干常用不同的词表达，认得出替换就等于认得出答案。
- took part → joined in / attended / competed（参加活动、比赛）
- a weak point → a small flaw / a minor defect（一处瑕疵、一个弱点）
- runs until September 27 → lasts through September 27 / continues to September 27（持续到某日）
- the largest one so far → the biggest ever held / the biggest to date（迄今为止规模最大的）
- only once in a lifetime → just one chance in your whole life（一生仅一次）
- is still seen as a second choice → is still regarded as a backup option（仍被视为次要选择）
- no matter which school you started from → regardless of your educational background（无论你从哪所学校起步）
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断题：根据第二段，这是世界技能大赛第一次在中国大陆举办。请判断 True / False / Not Given。
- 简答题：According to paragraph 3, how many times may a competitor usually take part in this competition in a lifetime?
- 选词填空（从 brand、demand、average、tradition 中选）：The ____ age of the Chinese team is 21, and new events such as rail vehicle technology ____ skills that are more digital than before.
参考答案与解析
- True。第二段原句 This is the first time the event has been held in mainland China 与题干直接对应。干扰项套路是「偷换范围」：把 mainland China 改成 the world，看似相近，实则把范围扩大了。
- Only once / one time。第三段 each person may take part only once in a lifetime 就是答案。紧跟的 There is no chance to come back and win again 只强调不能再来夺冠，若把它读成「一生只能赢一次」，就把范围从「参赛」偷换成了「夺冠」，这是典型的偷换结论。
- average；demand。第一空对应第三段 The average age of the Chinese team is 21；第二空对应末段 Trades … now demand digital design and teamwork with machines。brand 与 tradition 在文中没有同义落点，属于词形迷惑类干扰项。
中文译文
一位名叫赵钱森的年轻焊工在四川省的一个小山村长大。本周，他作为第48届世界技能大赛71名中国参赛选手之一，站在了上海的舞台上。他出生于2004年。在攀枝花完成学业后，他进入一家建设公司，成为一名焊工。几个月里，他把同样的动作一遍又一遍地练习，因为焊缝上任何一处薄弱都可能毁掉整件作品。他在全国选拔考核中夺得第一名，赢得了代表国家出战的机会。
世界技能大赛常被称为职业技能领域的奥林匹克。本届大赛于9月22日在上海开幕，将持续到9月27日。这是该赛事首次在中国大陆举办，也是迄今为止规模最大的一届。约1385名来自68个国家和地区的青年选手前来参赛，赛项共64个。赵钱森参加焊接项目，而来自四川的20岁女孩李锌参加美发项目。两人都在各自的全国比赛中获得第一名。
有一条规则让这项赛事与众不同。在大多数项目中，选手参赛当年的年龄上限为22岁，而且每人一生只能参加一次。没有回来再赢一次的机会。中国代表团平均年龄21岁，多数成员是2000年以后出生的年轻人。他们中有些人来自贫困山村，也有些人离开普通学校，用手艺学一门技能。技能给了他们一条单靠考试无法提供的路。
开幕式传递出明确的信息。本届大赛的主题是「技能改变世界，技能照亮前程」。六位往届世界冠军护送中国国旗入场，其中一位说，他希望自己的学生能看到，技术工人同样可以站上世界舞台。在许多家庭里，上职业学校仍被视为第二选择。像这样的赛事正在慢慢改变这种观念。
这场比赛也显示出工作本身正在发生改变。今年新增了7个赛项，其中包括轨道车辆技术和智慧安防技术。曾经只意味着简单重复劳动的手艺，如今需要数字设计和与机器协同工作的能力。一门学得扎实的技能就能打开一扇门，无论你是从哪所学校起步的。