【推荐1】Our 100-word-story competition is your chance to show the world your storytelling talents!

Rules

Entries are now open. Multiple entries are allowed per person. We are unfortunately only able to consider UK-based entries.

Please ensure that submissions are original, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title). Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number when filling in the form.

Terms and conditions

The competitors are divided into three categories: adults, children aged 12-18 and children under 12. The only adult winner will receive £1, 000 and one runner-up will receive £250. The 12-18 child winner can get a £200 book voucher (代金券) and a £100 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up in this category will receive a £100 book voucher for themselves. In the under-12 category, the winner will receive £100 of book vouchers and £100 of book vouchers for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £50 book voucher.

Please submit your stories by 5:00 pm on January 5, 2024 either online or by post.

The editorial team will pick a shortlist (入围名单) of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online on February 1, 2024.

You can vote for your favorite, and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on February 29, 2024 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 issue, and posted online on April 16, 2024.

1. What is requested for the entries?

A．They are limited to 100 words.	B．They can be co-authored.
C．They must be from the UK.	D．They must be submitted in person.

2. What’s the submission deadline for the entries?

A．January 5, 2024.	B．February 1, 2024.
C．February 29, 2024.	D．April 16, 2024.

3. What do we know about the winning entries?

A．They will be available in print only.

B．They will be selected by popular votes.

C．They will be polished by the editorial team.

D．They will be on a shortlist of no more than three.

【推荐2】The Olympic Games are seen as the greatest test of an athlete’s ability and are supposed to celebrate the spirit of fair play. But in fact, sportsmen have been using drugs to cheat their way to victory since the Games first began.

In the early years, athletes ate mushrooms(蘑菇)and plant seeds to improve their performance. Nowadays, this kind of cheating has a name doping(服用兴奋剂).

Just last month, Britain’s top sprinter(赛跑选手) Dwain Chambers and several American athletes tested positive(呈阳性)for the drug THG. Until a coach secretly gave a sample of THG to scientists, no one knew how to test for it.

“We’re like cops(警察)chasing criminals—athletes are always adapting and looking for areas we haven’t investigated,” said Jacquew de Ceaurriz, a French anti-doping expert.

Since the first drugs test was carried out at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, many cheats have been caught out. The most famous case in history is that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. He broke the 100 meters world record in winning gold at the 1988 Seoul(汉城)Olympics. But days later, he tested positive for drug use, lost his gold medal and was banned from the sport. Five years later, he returned to action—only to be found positive again and banned forever.

China has also had problems with drug cheats. At the 1994 Asian Games, 11 Chinese athletes—seven of them swimmers—tested positive for banned drugs. Sports organizations promised that cheating on this scale would not happen again.

Experts are also worried that doping can damage a person’s health. It is believed to increase the risk of liver and kidney(肝肾)diseases, and women may experience reproductive(生育) problems. As long as they can stay ahead of the scientists, it is unlikely the cheats will stop. But experts say there is a limit to what can be achieved and that athletes will not be able to change their bodies using gene(基因)technology.

“For the moment, genetic doping does not exist,” said de Ceaurriz. “Even in 10 or 15 years it will not be done easily—the scientific community(界)will not let it happen.”

1. Which of the following is not the way that some athletes cheat to their better sports achievements?

A．Eating mushrooms.	B．Taking drug THG.
C．Taking genetic doping.	D．Eating plant seeds.

2. How many countries are mentioned in the passage in which there were athletes doping?

A．Two.	B．Four.
C．Six.	D．Eight.

3. We can infer from the passage that ____.

A．scientists get a lot of information about drugs before the athletes take doping

B．taking doping will never happen again because of the serious test

C．few athletes used drug cheats before the first drugs test was carried out at the 1968 Olympics

D．problems with drug cheats are still serious though they are severely tested

4. Which statement of the following is true?

A．Many police are sent to chase criminals of taking doping during the Olympic Games.

B．The drug test was carried out until the 1968 Olympics.

C．There is the possibility that women athletes taking doping will give no birth to a child.

D．Ben Johnson was banned from sports forever for being tested positive for drug use at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

【推荐1】Places for holidays

What Central Europe lacks in glitz (奢华) more than makes up for it in scenery and adventure. And in these parts-from Poland to Slovenia, your money will go further, too.

Slovenia: Friendly farm stay

Surrounded by grasslands, Dolinar farmhouse offers simple double rooms with wooden furnishings as well as larger apartments. Outside, crickets (蟋蟀) sing at sunset, and guests can help milk the goats if they wish, or even join in with haymaking.

● Double rooms from £44 B&B, apartment for four £70 a night, dolinar-krainer.com. Flights as previous

Croatia: Cycle Istria

The Istria peninsula’s coast attracts crowds of sunseekers, but travel inland and it’s more about hilltop villages. It is also a paradise with fresh seafood.

● From £895pp for seven-nights’ B&B, three dinners, cycle hire, maps and notes and luggage transfers, but not flights, inntravel.co.uk .Jet2, and TUI fly to Pula from several UK airports.

Czech Republic: Three-country tour

Families who want to mix some urban exploration into a rural getaway might like Families Worldwide’s eight-day Prague and Tatras Adventure (for children aged 8 and over). Crossing the Polish border, it takes in Niedzica castle and boating in the Dunajec gorge.

● From £1,099 (£999 children) including B&B and activities, but not flights, familiesworldwide.co.uk. Fly to Prague and back from Krakow.

Poland: High Tatra trek

Between Poland and Slovakia, the High Tatras has some of the finest wilderness in Europe and is home to wolves, brown bears and golden eagles.

● £685pp including transfers, accommodation and meals but not flights, departures June to September, keadventure.com. Jet2, easy Jet, and Ryanair fly to Krakow from several UK airports.

1. Which is the best place to experience a natural life like a farmer?

A．Croatia: Cycle Istria.	B．Slovenia: Friendly farm stay.
C．Poland: High Tatra trek.	D．Czech Republic: Three-country tour.

2. How much will you pay for your accommodation and activities if you want to enjoy seafood?

A．£999.

B．£1,099.

C．£895pp.

D．£685pp.

3. What will you do in the High Tatra trek?

A．Explore the wilderness.	B．Milk the goats.
C．Go boating.	D．Appreciate sunbathing.