For many students，it is a great honour     1     (participate) in all kinds of     2     (compete). Some regard competitions     3    a good chance to improve themselves while others complain that on such     4     (occasion), they have no freedom and there     5     (exist) stress. In my opinion, when an opportunity comes, you should embrace it and make every effort     6     (make) it. If you fail, it is all right, because you lose nothing. Instead, during the process, you harvest experience and courage.

For many years, the Future City Competition has brought together young people to create visionary(幻想的) designs,     1     (require) skill and imagination. This year’s theme, “The Age-Friendly City,” invited students to design small cities,     2     would enable older people to live     3     (independent).

The competition, which     4     (encourage) students to hone (磨炼) their engineering skills while working to create a better world, is open to kids in    5     (grade) six through eight. After more than 44, 000 students participated in regional competitions, finalists    6     (choose) for the top competition.

The grand prize went to “Halona,” a city of the future    7     (create) by students from Edlin School in Reston, Virginia. The team researched and developed their model city     8     the help of teacher Vasantha Ayala and volunteer mentor ( 导师) Nandhini Kuntipuram. For their grand prize,     9     Edlin students won $7, 500 for their school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program.

Tom Chmielenski, a computer software engineer, served as a judge. “It’s very nice as an engineer to see young people have these futuristic ideas,” he said. “We can’t wait     10     (see) what the future holds.”

6 . Benefits of Walking in Cold Weather

As winter blankets the world in a coat of ice and fresh cold air, the idea of going outdoors fora walk might seem less attractive.     1     Walking in cold weather comes with a lot of health benefits that might just make it the perfect season to put on your shoes and hit the roadway.

Strengthened Immune System

Remaining in colder temperatures can actually improve your immune (免疫的) system. As your body adapts to the cold, it produces more white blood cells.     2     Regular cold-weather walks might help make a strong er immune reaction, letting you stay healthier throughout the winter season.

High Spirits

The winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can affect many individuals during the colder months. Fortunately, walking in cold weather has been linked to improved emotion and reduced signs of sadness. The fresh air and physical activity inspire the production of endorphins, the body’s natural emotion enhancers (增强剂).     3    

Improved health and energy level

Cold-weather walking can provide an excellent heart workout. The combination of light movement and the body’s reaction to the cold increases heart health by improving circulation (血液循环) and lowering blood pressure. Over time, this can make your blood system healthier.

    4     Instead, walking in the fresh air can make your senses energetic and increase overall energy levels. The physical activity and stay in natural light work together to reduce feelings of tiredness, leaving you feeling more active and ready to deal with the day.

So, as the winter winds blow and snowflakes fall, consider wearing your warm clothes and taking a walk outside.     5     It is also helpful to mental wellbeing and overall energy.

8 . We love the idea of writing contests, but we hate con test fees. That’s why we’ve rounded up these 4 writing contests that all have no entry or reading fees. Some end soon, so be sure to apply for those right away if you’re interested.

The Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry is currently open for submissions. Poets can submit a book-length manuscript, but there is no page requirement. The winner will receive $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions. Deadline is March 1. To learn more, click the prize submission guidelines.

The Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award is currently accepting nominations (提名，推荐). Indiana-born or Indiana-based Authors may nominate themselves or be nominated. There are several award categories. The cash awards range from $6,000 to $10,000. Deadline for nominations is March 18. To learn more, click the award guidelines.

Winning Writers is currently hosting its Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Poets can submit one humorous poem for consideration. The first place winner will receive $1,000; second place will receive $250; and 10 honorable mentions will receive $100 each. All winners will be published online. Deadline is April 1. To learn more, click the contest guidelines.

The Griffin Poetry Prize welcomes poets and translators to submit their work. Two prizes will be awarded. The Canadian Prize will go to a Canadian poet or translator who has published or translated a work. The International Prize will go to a poet or translator from any part of the world. Each prize winner will receive $65,000 CAD. Deadline is June 30, with a second deadline of December 31. To learn more, click the prize guidelines.

9 . When handball was introduced to Sri Lankan schools in 2010, I wanted to bring it to my school in a remote village. This became a(n) _______ task as the sports teacher was unwilling to initiate anything _______ traditional sports like basketball. Despite being an English language teacher before _______ my post as deputy principal (副校长), I was _______ to start this game at any cost.

40 students aged between 13 and 19 _______ to play. I had the support of their parents but I still couldn’t _______ the sports teacher to agree. _______ , I used my position to get the game going.

Heshan Pradeep, an alumnus (校友) and member of the Air Force handball team, volunteered to _______ the team. Although handball is an indoor game, we trained outdoors due to limited _______. Training started early in the morning before class and ________ after school until it was dark. The boys loved the game and were ________ training. After three months of devoted training, we were able to send an under-19s boys’ team to ________ with 50 other schools. Our boys played remarkably well and ________ the semifinals. The following year, nobody could ________ our team from winning the all-island schools handball championship.

The ________ sent the whole village into carnival mode. Heshan and I were much honored to have shown the boys that dreams can be fulfilled.