1 . The 2024 Science Fiction Short Story Contest

The 2023 Science Fiction Short Story Contest just came to an end. Welcome to our 2024 Science Fiction Short Story Contest sponsored by Science Fiction Association in our city. The contest is to encourage amateur and semi-professional writers to reach the next level of proficiency. We will look for engaging openings, good character development, well-structured plotting, powerful imagery, humorous language, unique word or phrasing choices, and convincing endings. Come to show the world your fantasy imagination and storytelling talents!

Requirement

A qualifying story must have strong science fiction or fantasy elements and must be shorter than 7,500 words. Your entries must be original works of fiction. If you have received prizes for your fiction writing from any source or your story has been published in any paying publication, you are no longer qualified.

Past winners of our contest are no longer qualified.

No reprints, fan fiction or poetry, please.

Judge and Prize

Judges will provide feedbacks for all qualifying contest entries. First-round judges will consist of Science Fiction Association members and volunteers. The professional writers’ decision is final.

The champions, runners-up and honorable mentions will receive prizes including cash prize, a certificate of achievement, Science Fiction Association Press books, and a free membership to Science Fiction Association, All winners can select their books and either take them immediately or ask for them to be shipped later.

Deadline

The contest will be limited to the first 60 qualifying entries. While the submission deadline is September 30th, 2024, we may close off the entry for the year sooner if the response is larger than expected. The winners will be published on December 31th.

Notice

Please place your contact information for possible awards.

There is no entry fee. Please submit only one entry per author.

1. What is the activity about?

A．Story telling.	B．Story writing.
C．Writer training.	D．Writer recommending.

2. What is a requirement for the science fiction of the contest?

A．It can come as the form of a poem.	B．It should be over 7,500 words long.
C．It must be the author’s original one.	D．It is supposed to be published before.

3. Who will finally determine the winners?

A．Professional writers.	B．Amateur writers.
C．Science Fiction Association members.	D．Science Fiction Association volunteers.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Saturday afternoon at the Main Media Center, six front-line workers of the Hangzhou Asian Games     1     (invite) to talk about their work experience during the event.

The spotlight may not shine as     2     (bright)on them as it does on the     3     (compete) in the race course, but most of them have been offering support and help to the 12,000 athletes, nearly 5,000 technical officials and thousands of media personnel, making     4     (they) own extraordinary contributions (贡献) to the Games.

At the conference, Asiad Daily’s very own Shi Futian, a sports reporter and new media personality at English-language newspaper China Daily, shared the inspiration     5     he had drawn from people he had interviewed, including Uzbekistan’s artistic gymnast Oksana Chusovitina and Chinese swimmer Wang Shun. “I feel very lucky     6     (take) part in such a huge event as a reporter,” he said. “I also hope that through our media coverage,     7     (many) people will get to know the athletes and understand their stories.”

Lyu Shuyi, a security staff member at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, has been responsible     8     the protection of rifle and pistol ammunition for events such as     9     (shoot) and modern pentathlon (五项运动). As of Friday, the security team had ensured the safety of ammunition in 139 batches, and not a single piece was lost or damaged. “Due to the varied gun control policies in different countries, we worried that athletes might not understand the local rules     10    , those concerns were reduced when everyone showed understanding and cooperation.”

3 . As with every World Cup, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar the players will be using a new ball. The last thing competitors want is for the most important piece of equipment to behave in unexpected ways in the most important tournament of the world’s most popular sport, so a lot of work goes into making sure that every new World Cup ball feels familiar to players.

Between shots on goal, free kicks and long passes, many important moments of a soccer game happen when the ball is in the air. So one of the most important characteristics of a soccer ball is how it travels through air.

As a ball moves through air, a thin layer of mostly still air called the boundary layer (边界层)surrounds some part of the ball. At low speeds this boundary layer will only cover the front half of the ball before flowing air peels (划过) away from the surface. In this case, the wake of air behind the ball is somewhat regular and is called laminar flow. When a ball is moving quickly, though, the boundary layer wraps much farther around the ball. When the flow air does eventually separate from the ball’s surface, it does so in a series of chaotic swirls (不规则气旋). This process is called turbulent flow.

When calculating how much force moving air imparts on a moving object — called drag — physicists use a term called the drag coefficient (系数). For a given speed, the higher the drag coefficient is, the more drag an object feels.

It turns out that a soccer ball’s drag coefficient is approximately 2.5 times larger for laminar flow than for turbulent flow. Though it may seem counterintuitive, roughening a ball’s surface delays the separation of the boundary layer and keeps a ball in turbulent flow longer. This fact of physics that — rougher balls feel less drag — is the reason why dimpled (坑坑洼洼的) golf balls fly much farther than they would if the balls were smooth.

1. What can be inferred from the passage about footballs in the World Cup?

A．Unexpected ways of playing them will come into view.

B．They make sure of long passes to be performed by players.

C．They’ll be judged by their quality when kicked off in the air.

D．Their importance explains why the World Cup is famous globally.

2. What does the passage mainly focus on in Paragraph 3?

A．Changes of the football surface.	B．A wide variety of airflows.
C．Formation of the boundary layers.	D．A broad range of football's speed.

3. By mentioning “counterintuitive” in Paragraph 5, the author shows that                 .

A．the result seems unlikely at first sight	B．the prediction lacks explanation
C．the research requires further investigation	D．the method of study isn’t proper enough

4. Why are golf balls mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To compare the speed of different golf balls.

B．To encourage more footballs to be made as such.

C．To apply the research result to explain another phenomenon.

D．To explain clearer the function of separating boundary layers.

4 . Antoine Craig, a blind athlete, has been blind since 2010. He gradually lost his sight due to a genetic disease. Working through difficulties, Craig says, he has found his value. “Once I lost my eyesight, I began the process of rediscovering myself.” he says.

Craig, now 40, heard from a friend about people running at the school’s gym with their hands linked by shoestrings (鞋带). Craig decided to give it a try. “In the beginning, it was pure coping (应对).” he says. “It allowed me to do something I could be proud of. More importantly, here people became my friends, who were always ready to help me. These people became my family.”

In 2017, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter race at the 2017 US Paralympic Nationals. In 2019 he competed at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. In 2021, running for a chance to compete in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo — delayed for a year, he finished second in the 100.

Learning a US national team was forming for blind soccer, he went for it. Last fall. Craig was named to the team, which will play in the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. On March 19 and 20, 2023, the team hosted its first two “international friendly” games against Canada in Chula Vista, California. Craig couldn’t play as planned due to a concussion (脑震荡) in practice before the games. He spoke with his teammates before both games and, on his Facebook page, asked friends and supporters to lend support. When asked how the team performed, Craig answered cheerfully, “You know, we won!”

Craig finished a psychology degree from VCU in 2016 and completed his master’s degree in mental health counseling (咨询) in December 2022. Now he has his own business, LegendaryU Counseling. focusing on athletes with disabilities. He also regularly posts videos to his Instagram, hoping to inspire others.

1. Why did Craig want to try running at first?

A．To meet friends.	B．To help others in need.
C．To find himself.	D．To escape from his family.

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

A．It is important to run.	B．Craig was running well.
C．Running is easy for Craig.	D．Craig succeeded in Tokyo.

3. What can we learn about Craig from paragraph 4?

A．He had a positive attitude.	B．He performed well in the game.
C．His team played in Canada.	D．His supporters were disappointed.

4. Why does Craig start his company?

A．To make improvements to himself academically.

B．To help people see beyond their challenges.

C．To win more medals in the competitions.

D．To post videos to the disabled people.

5 . My family first moved to Colorado 22 years ago. Los Angeles was too expensive and it was difficult to find well-paying jobs and affordable housing. Colorado became our next dream place. Settling into a small town in the Front Range, my parents found hard jobs.

Growing up in this small town, I remember my parents working hard to get past the language barrier. My mom, especially, tried her best to ensure she knew all that she needed to know about like my parent-teacher meetings and extracurricular (课外的) activities. One of those extracurricular activities that I signed up for was football. At that age, football was cool and all, but I was more into playing Pokémon and other video games. Football didn’t draw me in.

Big football tournaments (联赛) would come around like the World Cup, the Copa América and the Gold Cup, and the Mexican National Team would play in these tournaments. I would sit there in our living room and unmindfully watch the games while my parents would go crazy with enthusiasm ( 热情). I would sit there and play my game. My dad would look over and tell me that I should be paying attention carefully to the game and that I should care more about whether Mexico would win the match than my video games.

Both of my parents’ workspaces were crowded (占满的) with other workers. My mom worked with people from all over Latin America. Everyone’s topic of choice at work would always turn to how their national football team was doing. It was a way to show pride in the countries where they had grown up.

I grew up loving football more and more. The more I learned about my Mexican roots (根), the more I tried to find ways to express pride in them in the United States.
1. Why did the author’s family move to Colorado?

A．To make a better life.

B．To attend more activities.

C．To follow their football dream.

D．To receive a better education.

2. How did the author feel about football at first?

A．It was amazing.	B．It was important.
C．It was uninteresting.	D．It was difficult.

3. What would the author’s father do when watching football games?

A．Remind the author to watch them carefully.

B．Play video games with the author.

C．Learn English in their living room.

D．Guess who would be the winner.

4. The author’s mom and her workmates talked about football in order to _________.

A．build a closer friendship

B．express their homesickness

C．share a common topic

D．show their pride in their motherlands

6 . Nowadays, in many places of the world, kids play soccer less than before.     1     Besides, many parents don’t know soccer’s real help to kids. Here are some reasons why kids should play the beautiful game.

Soccer is a team sport.

Teamwork is a life skill that kids need to learn. Being part of a team isn’t just about learning how to work together and share talents. It’s also about teaching kids how to face failure. It doesn’t end there, either. Being part of a team lets kids know how to take responsibility for their behavior.    2    

Soccer shapes motor skills (运动技能).

Nowadays, many kids prefer to stay in their rooms to have fun through TV, video games and smartphones.    3    It can cause them to lose out on valuable motor skills. By playing youth soccer, kids get a chance to develop their physical strength and motor skills.

    4    

Soccer can improve students’ concentration (专注) in the classroom. Besides, soccer is a fast-paced game, so kids can learn how to solve problems quickly. Plus, soccer is a sport which involves getting the ball from point A to point B. So kids’ visual-spatial (视觉空间) ability can be improved when they play the game, which can help them learn subjects like Physics.

Soccer improves the personal character.

The World Health Organization recommends kid get at least 60 minutes of exercises daily. This isn’t only for the physical benefits but also for the benefits to the personal character.     5     And these kids often have more self-confidence.

A．Youth soccer helps improve family relationships.

B．So they have less time outdoors for sports.

C．Soccer plays a part in school performance.

D．Being part of a team can help you make many friends.

E．One cause is that many kids are busy with their studies.

F．Usually kids who like sports such as soccer are more outgoing.

G．After all, if one player performs badly, the rest of the team will suffer for it.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

My mum and grandma drove me to a 5km race. There was a fierce thunderstorm, and when we got there, I had to wait for it to pass beneath an overhang (屋檐) with the other runners. I started to feel a little nervous, because some of the people there looked really fast. They had proper running shoes and long skinny legs. They were all different ages. I wasn’t wearing running clothes; just a normal T-shirt and shorts.

An hour after the official start time even though it was still raining, the race organisers said we could go. That morning, I was running confidently and feeling strong. The route went through a neighbourhood and there were quite a few people cheering us on, but I didn’t see any faces I knew. It started to pour again, but I love running in the rain: It keeps me cool and I can keep going for longer, even when I get tired, when I run, I don’t wear a watch to see what distance I’m at；I just focus on moving, breathing and how my body feels.

At one point, I came to a split (分叉) in the course. A woman who was directing us blocked off (封锁) the route which I was meant to take and told me to go the other way, so I followed her directions.

I was confused, but just kept running. I knew I must be close to finishing the 5km, but I couldn’t see the finishing line. After a while I saw route directions for a 10km race. I was worried and thought I was lost, but had to keep going. My body started to get tired and my muscles a little sore. I said to myself, “You’re almost there. Just keep breathing.” Eventually I saw the finishing line and spotted my mum. She looked angry. I got past the line and she was yelling, “Why did you do this, Kade? You are in so much trouble.”

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右。
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

I learned why my mum was angry later.

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My mum went up to the lady who was timing the race.

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8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

I'm crazy about running. Sometimes the pain of running can have a magic influence on a runner. Throughout any given race, you are suffering. Your lungs feel like they're being squeezed   (挤压) by something unseen. But it is in this pain that a great runner is created.

My first cross-country coach told me that every race is run with patience and determination. I've carried this advice with me for hundreds of miles. I especially remember the 5 miles of running in one race, where his words encouraged me a lot.

That day the weather was perfect. I and dozens of runners gathered at the starting line to do some last-minute preparations for the running. Then, we lined up and got ready to start. There was a brief moment before the gun gave a signal of running. In that moment of great stress, I determined to push myself to run as fast as possible, hoping to make my coach proud, who was waiting for me at the finish line. When the sound of "Bang" came up, we were off.

Running between runners, I managed to work my way up in the first 400 meters and passed many racers on my sides. But out of good sportsmanship, we each said a "good job" or "keep up" to every person we passed. Although we were competitors, running was a connection we all shared.

The first mile passed quickly in a feeling of excitement. It was not challenging in the beginning of the running. But I knew it would be harder and harder in the following miles. I made full use of the running skills that my coach had taught me. I checked that I was doing everything right, breathing in through my nose, keeping my hands relaxed and pumping (快速摆动) my arms. However, the shadow of tiredness danced before me. Anyway I tried to push it out of my mind.

With time going by, the competition became fiercer. Every runner tried their best to run in order to gain a good place in the race. Audience along the track shouted and cheered us.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Eventually I reached the final mile.

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Unfortunately, I suddenly fell down.

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9 . Table tennis may not seem a reasonable option for someone with no arms — but Ibrahim Hamadtou doesn't believe in limits. The 48-year-old Egyptian Paralympian breaks the barrier by holding the paddle (球拍) in his mouth and using his right foot to serve the ball.

Hamadtou, who lost his arms in a train accident at the age of ten, was drawn to table tennis after being challenged by a friend. "I was once watching a match between two of my friends," Hamadtou explains. "They disagreed on a point, When I counted the point in favor of one of them, the other player told me, 'Mind your own business as you will never be able to play.' It was that statement that fired me up to decide to play table tennis."

It took Hamadtou three years to master the sport. He says the biggest challenge was figuring out the best way to control his body. "I was trying first to use the bat under the arm, and I also tried using other things, which weren't working so well. Finally, I tried using my mouth. It took me nearly a year of practice to get used to holding the paddle with my mouth and making the serve. With practice and playing regularly, this skill was improved."

The Egyptian's incredible talent came to light in 2014 when he was awarded the best Arab Athlete of the year. He won a silver medal at the 2016 African Championships, qualified for his first Paralympics in 2016 at 43, and then again for the 2020 Tokyo Games at 48.

The inspiring athlete says, "The disability is not in arms or legs but to give up in whatever you would like to do."

1. What made Hamadtou take up table tennis?

A．His passion for table-tennis.	B．His ambition to prove himself.
C．His willingness to inspire others.	D．His suffering in a train accident.

2. What was the most difficult for Hamadtou to play table tennis?

A．Serving the ball with his mouth.	B．Holding the paddle under his arm.
C．Practicing strengthening his muscles.	D．Playing the game with the right body parts.

3. What can we learn about Hamadtou from the text?

A．He was recognized as a gifted player at 41.

B．He was awarded the best athlete in Africa.

C．He won a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.

D．He realized his dream of winning a gold medal.

4. What message does the story convey?

A．Well begun is half done.	B．Love breaks down barriers.
C．Success gives people delight.	D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

10 . 假如你是李华，你在网上获悉“汉语桥”世界大学生中文比赛初试（the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students）将在下个月当地电视台举办。你的外国朋友Frank正在大学学习中文，你建议他去试一试，并表示可以提供帮助。
报名时间：5月20日截止；报名地点：所在大学的学生会。
注意：1.词数80左右
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Frank,
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Yours,

Li Hua