1 . We’re launching our 100-Word-Story Competition with prizes of up to £1,000 to be won. Our competition is your chance to show the world your story-telling talents. The editorial team will pick a shortlist of three in each category and post them online.
Competition Rules:
● Submissions are original, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title). Don’t forget to include your full name, address, e-mail and phone number when filling in the form. We may use entries in all print and electronic media.
● There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12—18 and one for children under 12.
● Please submit your stories online by 5p.m. on 1st May 2022 or send an entry via post addressed to:
Warners Group Publications, West Street Bourne，PE10 9PH.
Prizes:
● In the adult category, the winner will receive £1,000 and a Serious Readers High Definition Floor or Table Light (value up to £399.99) and one runner-up will receive £250.
● In the 12—18s category, the winner will receive £200 or an 8GB Kindle Paperwhite and a £100 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £100 book voucher.
● In the under 12 category, the winner will receive £100 or an 8GB Kindle Paperwhite and a £100 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £50 book voucher.
Allow more time for postal entries to arrive by 1st May 2022, and insure you include your full name and address, and also clearly state the category you are entering.
1. What may disqualify a candidate from the competition?| A．Mailing the story in printed form. | B．Submitting the story in March 2022. |
| C．Submitting a story of a friend. | D．Writing a story about someone else. |
| A．£1,899. 99. | B．£1, 300. | C．£1,599. 99. | D．£1, 100. |
| A．The prizes in cash are equal for the three categories. |
| B．Three of each category will be selected and posted online. |
| C．The entry with a title must be not more than 100 words. |
| D．It is designed to find talented storytellers around the world. |
2 . Sobhi from Egypt, who has worked as a bodybuilder for almost 60 years, often says that age is just a number. Whenever people ask him when he is going to retire, his only answer is “never”.
It is generally accepted that people grow less active and lose passion for life as they age. However Sobhi believes that age can never block ambitions if people still have strong wills.
Sobhi’s love for sports started when he joined his school gymnastics team. He once won the third place in Cairo’s Gymnastics Championship. In university, he started to pay more attention to bodybuilding, not only for a better shape, but also for a better health.
His body is so well-shaped that it even helped him appear in a famous film. Sobhi played a minor role of a muscleman in the film, which was filmed in Egypt and tells the story of an Ancient Roman soldier who was sent to Egypt by Julius Caesar to monitor one of his commanders.
As an 80-year-old man, Sobhi said training hard and having a good exercise schedule as well as a healthy diet are the real foundations of bodybuilding. He warned young people that taking bodybuilding supplements (补充剂) can lead to health risks. He recommended them to go for vitamins and other all-natural supplements that do not cause harm.
“Sobhi is 40 years older than me, but he does his exercises as if he is much younger than me,” Gabr, an athlete, said. He also said Sobhi is a great example for all athletes at the club, where Sobhi has been working out for the past 40 years. They are lucky to do sports with such a “hero” “We watch him working out in shock. We wish we could just be like him when we are at his age,” Gabr added.
1. What does the underlined word “passion” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Production. | B．Encouragement |
| C．Love. | D．Dislike. |
| A．An advisor. | B．An actor. |
| C．A teacher. | D．A fitness trainer. |
| A．Train as hard as they can. | B．Exercise whenever they like. |
| C．Pay more attention to body shape. | D．Take all-natural supplements. |
| A．Admiration. | B．Indifference. |
| C．Dissatisfaction. | D．Disagreement. |
3 . Love to write? Want to see your work published and win some cash along the way? Then read on. The national Spark a Story writing contest is calling in all young storytellers!
Who can participate?
The contest is open to students in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12, or those who are being home-schooled in the United States.
Deadline and requirements
You’re able to send your short story up to October 7th. It will be judged on creativity, originality and overall quality of writing. Your story must be original works and should be no longer than 5000 words. There is no minimum length requirements.
How can I send my short story?
There are three easy ways to send your short story:
*Online at http: // learn.hmhco.com/hmhsparkamind
*Send your short story as a PDF or Microsoft word document to Sparkahmhco.com
*Send your short story via US Mail to: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
222 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116
What will I win?
The best stories will be published next year. Winners will receive a free copy of the book and cash price of $100.
1. Which of the following children can take part in the contest?| A．Maria, grade 7, from New York. |
| B．Justin, grade 9, from London. |
| C．Catherine, grade 11, from Washington. |
| D．C.D. Bastian, home-schooled from Paris. |
| A．longer than 5,000 words. |
| B．shorter than 5,000 words. |
| C．an original work. |
| D．sent before October 7th. |
| A．Sending it online. |
| B．Sending it by email. |
| C．Sending it by US Mail. |
| D．Sending it by fax. |
4 . Lovell Camps Kids’ Club in Switzerland
Lovell Camps Kids’ Club is an English language Montessori（蒙台梭利）style club. Children will enjoy a wonderful and safe learning experience which includes language activities, cooking, arts and crafts, singing, dancing, etc.
Learning outside the classroom plays a necessary role at Lovell Camps, making children experience the outdoors. During the summer months this can include visits to local playgrounds, farms and indoor or outdoor swimming pools. Winter time gives children the chance to go skiing and play outside in the snow.
Admission:
The Lovell Camps Kids’ Club is for pre-school children aged between 2 and 5.
What’s included:
Fees include: Healthy snacks and school equipment. If you choose the skiing activity, fees include transportation to and from the ski hill and professional ski instructions.
Fees do not include: Ski rentals, round-trip transportation from Kids’ Club to home and medical insurance.
Time:
Kids’ Club is open from December to March and in July and August. It is closed on Mondays during the year.
1. What is the special activity in summer?| A．Getting close to animals. | B．Swimming in the pool. |
| C．Singing and dancing. | D．Visiting farms. |
| A．who are good at swimming | B．who enjoy outdoor activities |
| C．who want to learn skiing | D．who are interested in playing sports |
| A．Medical insurance. | B．Healthy snacks. |
| C．School equipment. | D．Transportation to the ski hill. |
