1 . Two new residents in Aarwangen, a small village in Swiss, complained that the constant ringing of cowbells affect their life. They asked for the cows’ bell to be _______ at night so they could sleep.

Long-term residents, and the village’s remaining farmers were _______ . They thought it was a (n) _______ on their traditional culture. “We want to _______ and keep our lived traditions in the future,” they say.

Cowbells have been used in rural Switzerland for centuries. They were once useful for _______ cows on the hill side in summer. Farmers say they can_______ each cow by the sound of its own bell. _______ in modern times, many farmers have switched to using electronic chips _______ bells.

Over the past few decades, many new_______ have arrived here from large cities and they are not so________ to the traditional way of rural life.

This year’s battle is not the first time that residents have ________ cowbells. In 2005, a Zurich appeals (呼吁) court ________ a farmer to remove the bells from his 27 cows from 10: 00 to 7: 00 am, because the cows were safe in a small farm and the neighbors could sleep ________ .

Next month, Aarwangen’s villagers will gather for a public meeting to vote (投票) on the ________ of their bells. They will decide how the sound of the bells can ________ without breaking noise pollution laws.

2 . Last year, Doctor Steve Lome came to truly understand what it means to be at the right place at the right time. During a half-marathon, he found himself in the position to _________ not one, but two runners. Things had been going _________ up to that 3-mile mark, but that’s when Steve noticed a (n) _________ runner named Gregory.

Gregory had just reached the peak and was _________ to see that he would run downhill for a bit. This was the last thing he _________ before collapsing. Meanwhile, Steve saw this happen, and he could _________ it wasn’t a simple fall. Steve stopped immediately to perform CPR. Once it was _________ that Gregory was doing well and an ambulance took him away, Steve continued the race.

The rest of the race itself was _________ but when Steve crossed the finish line, his life-saving _________ was needed once more. A man named Michael began to feel dizzy moments after crossing the finish line. Then, just like Gregory, he __________.

“I never expected something like that would happen to my life, let alone in the same __________,” Steve said. The __________ of this entire situation is truly remarkable. Had Steve not __________ to help Gregory, he would have crossed the finish line much sooner than Michael, __________ he wouldn’t have been around to save him, too. Thankfully, the events had a happy __________. Now the three remain good friends.

5 . 2024 Illustration Competition

Enter the competition most respected and admired in the industry for creativity in illustration, the Communication Arts Illustration Competition. Selected by distinguished professionals, the winning entries will be distributed worldwide in the Communication Arts Illustration Annual and on commarts.com, ensuring important exposure of the creations. Each winner will receive a professionalized Award of Excellence, made from solid aluminum, and an award certificate. Communication Art’s Award of Excellence is one of the most desired awards. If chosen, winning places you in the highest ranks of your profession.

What To Enter With

Any illustration first published or produced from Jan. 2023 to Jan. 2024 is qualified. Entries may originate from any country. Descriptions in English are necessary for the judges to read.

Entries Can Be Submitted In The Following Formats

Digital Images: RGB images in JPG format with a maximum file size of 2 MB. GIF images may be livelier, but would be turned down, and so would the PNG ones.

Motion Entries: In MOV, MP4 or MPG format, with a maximum file size of 500 MB.

Illustration Competition Categories & Entry Fees

For more categories, please download the category PDF.

Late Fees

Entries must be registered no later than Jan. 13, 2024. Entries registered after that date will be charged a fee of $10 each. No entries can be registered after Jan. 27, 2024.

6 . A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has revealed that listening to music at work promotes accuracy and speed, The Telegraph reported. Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, insisting, “Switch off the music and concentrate!” Well, if that’s the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.

The company gave 26 participants a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.

The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, “Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state…they are going to become more positive about the work.”

However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cuts mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.