1 . Our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition is back! Enter for the chance to win prizes of up to £1,000. It is a chance to show the world your storytelling talents! Entries (参赛作品) are now open.
Rules and conditions
Please ensure that entries are created by yourself, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title)—not a single word shorter or longer! Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number. We may use entries in all print and electronic media. Multiple entries are allowed per person. We are unfortunately only able to consider UK-based entries. Please submit your stories by 5pm on January 5, 2024 either online or by post.
Terms and prizes
There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12. The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at our website on February 1,2024. You can vote for your favourite and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on February 29, 2024 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 issue, and posted online on April 16, 2024.
★In the adults category, the winner will receive £1,000 and one runner-up will receive £300.
★In the 12-18s category, the winner will receive£200 or a Kind le Paperwhite, and the runner-up will receive a £100 books voucher.
★In the under-12 category, the winner will receive £100 or a Kindle Paperwhite and £100 of book vouchers for their school, and the runner- up will receive a £50 books voucher.
1. To meet the competition rules, the entry must be ______.| A．created originally | B．published openly |
| C．less than 100 words | D．based on the US |
| A．In January. | B．In February. | C．In April. | D．In May. |
| A．£100. | B．£200. | C．£300. | D．£1,000. |
2 . NPR’s STUDENT PODCAST CHALLENGE IS BACK — WITH A FOURTH — GRADE EDITION!
Microphone? Check. Headphones? Ready. A story you just can’t stop talking about? Got it! Yup, it’s time again for NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge. And we’re here to announce the opening bell of year six of this annual competition.
In our first half-decade, we’ve listened to podcasts from more than 80,000 young people all over the country. Students have deeply poured into their microphones personal stories about their families or their identities and serious issues, like how changing climate is impacting lives. On our end, we’ve listened to your feedback each year — great suggestions that have brought our ongoing College Podcast Challenge, and a special prize last year for the best podcast about mental health.
This year, we’ve got a big new change: Since the beginning, the contest has been open for students in grades five through twelve. But this year we are introducing our first-ever fourth grade contest! The sixth annual Student Podcast Challenge is now open for entries and will close on May 3, 2024. Our judges will choose winners in three categories: grade four, grades five through eight, and grades nine through twelve.
As in the past, entries must be submitted by a teacher, educator, or tutor who is 18 years or older. And don’t forget all the tips, advice and lesson plans we’ve compiled over the years, especially the rules around the maximum length of eight minutes, and about the use of music. The podcast should be completed independently. After years of listening to student podcasts, we’ve learned that shorter is better.
1. What is the theme of best podcast of the 5th Podcast Challenge?| A．Climate issues. | B．Identity crisis. | C．Mental health. | D．Family matters. |
| A．The fourth grade contest is set. |
| B．Grade five have their own category. |
| C．Elementary teachers’ entries are welcome. |
| D．The feedback for the programme is required. |
| A．The length of 7 minutes. | B．Submission by your tutor. |
| C．Being accompanied by music. | D．Being created with your friends. |
The boiling hot sun beamed onto us as we walked out for the state-cup finals. The mix of excitement and nervousness created tension in the air as everyone walked out onto the football field. I could feel my heart pounding everywhere in my body as both teams lined up.
Starting midfield, like always. 90-minute game, like always. But this was the most extraordinary stage we’ve ever played on. All parents of us were invited to watch the match. As we got ready for kickoff, fear took over my body. Coach says confidence is the biggest part of the game, but for me, it’s my biggest enemy.
My thoughts were interrupted as the high-pitched whistle stabbed my ears, and the game began. The ball came straight to me. I drove forward, slipped around a defender (后卫), and lost it. On the very next play, I gave it straight away again. I could feel my confidence just seeping away. I told myself I wouldn’t lose it again.
“Come on, Aidan, keep the ball!” shouted Griffin, my teammate. It wasn’t mean or anything. We’ve known each other for years and played together for a long time. But it was not helping. I just played it safe next time and passed it back. Barely even on target, I was losing it. I could feel our coach, Caden’s eyes burning into the back of my head.
“Aidan, stay out wide on the start and get up that field. You’ve done it before, it’s coming to you on this kickoff. Use your speed.” once again shouted Griffin. But I didn’t feel fast enough. I felt like there were rocks tied to my ankles when I ran.
The whistle blew twice for halftime. The score was still 0-0. It was a bad game on our part, sun peeked through my hair into my eyes. My mouth was as dry as a desert.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按下列格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Are you OK?” Griffin passed me a bottle of water.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Exchanging a high-five with the coach, we walked back onto the field.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 大赛目的；
2. 作品要求(如标题、内容、字数等)；
3. 提交方式(Englishelub@163. com) 及截止日期。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：the poster design competition 海报设计大赛； slogan n. 标语；口号
Dear Alan,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours
Li Hua
5 . You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression — this was the theme of this year’s International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC), held in London from May 11 to 12. Thirty-three young speakers aged 16 to 20 from around the world gathered at The English Speaking Union to tell their stories, including Wu Dongxu, 19, a student from China. To him, the event wasn’t just about giving a speech on first impressions. It also made a strong impression on him.
“Rather than a competition, the experience was more like an inspiring research trip to me, a trip that allowed me to see firsthand the differences and similarities between Chinese and foreign cultures,” said Wu.
Apart from the obvious differences in food, transportation and climate, what impressed Wu most was the different styles of Chinese and foreign public speaking.
Although still a teen, Wu is no stranger to the public speaking podium (讲台). He has participated in many speaking competitions since 2017. But on the stage of the IPSC, speakers had no podium to stand behind. They just had to face the audience.
“This was the first time that I gave a speech without a podium, which made me realize how important eye contact and body language are,” said Wu. “It also gave me more freedom to convey more information with my body language instead of just with words.”
Another difference that caught Wu’s attention was the evaluation criteria (评价标准). According to him, in every speaking competition he had participated in in China, things like pronunciation, fluency and quality of language are always important. But to his surprise, in the IPSC accents and grammatical mistakes are not considered in the evaluation process. It is the story itself that matters most.
“Audiences are eager to hear powerful stories, no matter where they are from. That’s because the emotions expressed in them are shared by all human beings although there are the cultural differences.” said Wu. “Diversity, respect, tolerance and understanding — these are what the IPSC really wants to stress and spread.”
1. What is the topic of this year’s IPSC?| A．Cultural difference. | B．First impression. |
| C．Body language. | D．English education. |
| A．The food culture. | B．The transportation means. |
| C．The climate. | D．The public speaking style. |
| A．Speakers are allowed to use podiums. |
| B．Body language plays an important part. |
| C．Pronunciation and fluency matter a lot. |
| D．Language quality is considered the most important. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Opposed. |
6 . Enter to Win Scholarship for College
The American Fire Sprinkler Association created the college scholarship program to help with the educational and training pursuits of students just like you. So, if you meet the contest requirements, please enter and good luck!
Applicant Requirements
The High School Senior College Scholarship Contest is open to high school seniors who are citizens legally living in the USA. Home-schooled students may apply as long as the course of study is equal to that of a senior in high school. Relatives of AFSA staff or NATIONAL board members may not enter.
Scholarship Contest Deadline
Scholarship contest entries will be accepted from September 1, 2023 until January 1, 2024.
Entry Details
Scholarship entries are ONLY accepted online through the AFSA scholarship website (www. afsascholarship. org).
Entrants must submit a completed entry form with all required information. If ANY false or misleading information is submitted on the form, the student will be disqualified.
Each entrant is allowed only ONE ENTRY submittal. Any attempt to enter again under a different name, address, etc. will automatically disqualify the entrant.
Prizes
A total of $5,000 is awarded. Five winners will receive a scholarship of $1,000 each. The scholarship is paid directly to the educational institution in the student’s account to be used to cover tuition fees. The scholarship may be used over a period not to exceed four years. AFSA will contact each winner by email and phone within 12 days of contest end-date, using the contact information given by the entrant during the application process.
1. Who is likely to enter the contest?| A．A college senior living in the USA. |
| B．A close relative of an AFSA employee. |
| C．A member working in NATIONAL board. |
| D．A homeschooler learning high school courses. |
| A．Hand in your entry on the website. |
| B．Sign your name on the entry form. |
| C．Apply for the scholarship once again. |
| D．Submit your entry in February 2024. |
| A．Each winner will get an award of $ 5000. |
| B．The winners will be contacted in two weeks. |
| C．No limit is set to the duration of the scholarship. |
| D．The scholarship is used for educational expenses. |
Many of the Chinese athletes
China won
The academy’s tunnels have greatly helped Chinese athletes, some of
8 . Being seventeen without money can be depressing. When the opportunity arrives to earn some needed cash, it would be foolish to pass it up. It is for this reason that when the opportunity to referee elementary basketball came my way, I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be a fun way to earn some “easy money”.
During the years I played on the court and watched the games, I often found myself criticizing the referees. I was completely convinced that I could do a much better job because of my love for basketball and my familiarity of the game. How difficult could it be, especially with a bunch of third graders?
I looked forward to my first night as a referee, but all of my fantasies wore off from the beginning of the game. These sweet and innocent third grade boys immediately transformed into horrible creatures right before me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine the extent of competitiveness in the game. A battle was in progress on the court while the inhumane bystanders cheered and yelled from the stands. My only companion, the whistle, suffered from a severe case of stage fear, filling my head with doubt every time I wished to blow it. My lack of action fueled the heartless crowd. Even on the rare occasions when my whistle gained enough courage to pause the fighting, the pitiless bystanders still couldn't calm. The sense of failure flooded every inch of my soul. With only five minutes remaining, Michael, another referee, came in time, saving me from losing my mind. In a flash, I passed my whistle and quickly ran to the safety of the stands.
I realized just how difficult refereeing was. I could have let this heartbreaking evening ruin my future on the court, but instead it stimulated a sense of determination in me to do it better. I still hope to become a great referee someday. In order for this to become a reality, it will take many hours of practice and hard work. No matter how much I wish the cash would be handed to me without requiring any effort, I learned from this experience that there is no such thing as “easy money”.
1. What made the author accept the offer to serve as a basketball referee?| A．His desire for money. | B．His passion for basketball. |
| C．His poor family background. | D．His academic qualifications. |
| A．Lovely. | B．Mature. | C．Impolite. | D．Competitive. |
| A．He was too nervous to blow the whistle. |
| B．He was at a loss how to announce the results. |
| C．He couldn't avoid the bystanders' physical attack. |
| D．He couldn't handle the tough situation on the court. |
| A．Lazy hands make for poverty. | B．Money does not grow on trees. |
| C．Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
