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. |
| 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. |
| A．Professional writers. | B．Amateur writers. |
| C．Science Fiction Association members. | D．Science Fiction Association volunteers. |
2 . Nowadays, in many places of the world, kids play soccer less than before.
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.
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.
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.
| 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. |
