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 . KidsWorldFun Short Story Contest
Calling all young writers from around the world! It’s time to release your creativity and share your incredible stories with us. KidsWorldFun presents the ultimate Short Story Contest, open to young people of all ages.
Two Modes of Entry
● Free Entry: get the chance to win a certificate and have your story published on our website.
● Entry Fee of $10: get the chance to receive a cash prize as well as a certificate and have your story published. Payment links will be sent via email for these entries.
Amazing Prizes Await
First Prize: $100, certificate and publication;
Second Prize: $75, certificate and publication;
Third Prize: $50, certificate and publication.
Highly commented stories will also be published for the world to enjoy.
Contest Categories and Word Limits
To ensure fairness, we have set three categories for writers to choose from and minimum and maximum word limits for each category.
Categories | Ages | Word Limits | |
Minimum | Maximum | ||
Sub-junior | 7-9 | 300 words | 1000 words |
Junior | 10-12 | 500 words | 1000 words |
Senior | 13-16 | 700 words | 1000 words |
Submission Guidelines
● Include proof of age with your entry (scan or take a photo of your identity card). Entries without proof of age will be disqualified.
● Your story must be original and unpublished.
● Type your story out.
Our judges will evaluate each story based on content, language and writing style. Their decision will be final. For more information, please contact us at enquiry@kidsworldfun.com. We’re here to assist you every step of the way.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to showcase your talent and win amazing prizes! Enter the KidsWorldFun Short Story Contest today!
1. What may a free entry second prize winner get?| A．A reward of $10. | B．A certificate and publication. |
| C．Prize money and honors. | D．$75, certificate and publication. |
| A．A handwritten draft. | B．A science fiction of 1500 words. |
| C．An award-winning essay. | D．A printout of a 900-word original story. |
| A．To promote a reading website. | B．To appeal for participation. |
| C．To explain an application process. | D．To teach kids writing principles. |
A lot of digital publishing products
The collection, which
4 . Top 4 Writing Contests of 2023
The Betty Award
As one of the few competitions for elementary and middle school students, The Betty Award grants (授了) cash prizes for written pieces below 1,000 words. The Betty Award has both a Spring &. Fall contest.
Top prize: $ 300
Entry fee: S 20
Deadline: April 30, 2023
100-Word Writing Contest
100 words or less per entry is a must. Submit as many entries as you’d like. All ages, genders, nationalities and writers are welcome. The theme is using humor as healing (治愈)。
Top prize: $ 800
Entry fee: $ 10
Deadline: May 13, 2023
Teen Writing Contest
The Ann Arbor District Library is excited to host its 30th annual Teen Writing Contest in Winter 2023! Young adult authors take part as judges each year, who then read and select the winning stories. Stories are judged in three different categories: Grades 6—8, Grades 98.10, and Grades 11812.
Top prize: $ 250
Additional prizes: 2nd/ $ 150; 3rd/ $75
Entry fee: FREE
Deadline: August 15, 2023
Bennington Young Writers Awards
Bennington College has a unique literary legacy (遗产), including 12 Pulitzer Prize winners, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. In celebration of this legacy， Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote excellence in writing at the high school level.
Top prize: $ 1,000
Additional prizes: 2nd/ $ 500; 3rd/ S 250
Entry fee: FREE
Deadline: September 10，2023
1. When can participants submit their entries for The Betty Award?| A．On April 28. | B．On May 13. | C．On August 15. | D．On September 10. |
| A．It is free of charge. | B．It is open to all ages. |
| C．It partners with a library. | D．It requires 1000-word entries. |
| A．The Betty Award. | B．Teen Writing Contest. |
| C．100 Word Writing Contest. | D．Bennington Young Writers Awards. |
5 . Move over soccer, basketball and football, there’s a new competition sweeping Australia. It’s competitive bird calling. Yes, bird calling!
Scores of kids in New South Wales are spending their spare time practicing for the Bournda Bird Olympics, an event that aims at young bird-callers against each other to see who can deliver the clearest, most enthusiastic and most accurate bird call. The principal of the Bournda Environmental Education Centre, Doug Reckord, encourages the kids to listen to bird calls on YouTube to prepare for the event. The children also work on identifying birds by their beaks, claws and calls.
Surprisingly, the Bournda Bird Olympics isn’t Australia’s first competition with competitive bird calling. The first competition took place in Sydney in 1912. It was supported by the Gould League of Bird Lovers, a foundation that encouraged children to bird watch and learn about birds.
Even back then, New South Wales was the country’s bird calling leader. Students from the New South Wales region had access to much more bird sounds than city kids. They won the Dawson Memorial Shield for best bird calling six times between 1953 and 1962. Today, New South Wales is bringing back the bird calls. Led by the Bournda Environmental Education Centre, the Bournda Bird Olympics renewed in 2018. The event now features former bird calling champion, Bruce Chapman, as the “celebrity” judge.
When showtime finally arrives, three judges at the Bournda Bird Olympics rate people taking part on their enthusiasm, accuracy and clearness. The players can earn a maximum of three points in each type. Some 45 children took part in the 2022 event. The most popular bird call to imitate (模仿) was the kookaburra’s unique laugh. But the winner that year came from a girl copying a king parrot. Her call sounded so accurate that a king parrot in the trees actually called back to her.
1. What’s Doug Reckord’s attitude to bird calling?| A．Curious. | B．Positive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Objective. |
| A．A project. | B．A school club. | C．A game. | D．An organization. |
| A．The basic rules of bird calling. | B．The bright future of bird calling. |
| C．New South Wales’ participation. | D．New South Wales’ training. |
| A．It was true to life. | B．It was the sweetest. |
| C．It was the most popular. | D．It was full of enthusiasm. |
6 . Want to know how you can win a camera of your choosing - either a Sony A7 Ⅲ , a Canon EOS R, or a Nikon Z6? Well, come and join in our contest! It’s easy! All you have to do is to share your favorite memory from Photoshop World with us on Instagram. Whether you attended last year, 7 years ago, or even 20 years ago, we want to know what made the event special to you.
How do you enter?
※ Go to Instagram.
※ Upload your Photoshop World photo and tell us about your favorite Photoshop World experience.
※ Include the hashtag #MyPhotoshopWorld in your post.
※ Publish the post.
※ The post must be made after 12:00 p. m. on July 8 and before 11:59 p. m. on July 28, otherwise it will be counted as an invalid entry.
That’s it! No detailed form to fill out. No email sign-up needed. Simply post and cross your fingers for a chance to win a camera in our My Photoshop World Experience Contest.
Register for Photoshop World.
There’s still time to sign up for Photoshop World, so don’t miss your chance to experience this fantastic event! We’ve got 20 world-class instructors coming to each show to tell their best tips and tricks to anyone looking to apply themselves to the photography world. With over 100 classes and live shoots, there’s a little something for everyone!
1. What should you share to join in the contest?| A．Your experiences of using cameras. | B．Your memories of Photoshop World. |
| C．Your unforgettable travel experiences. | D．Your images processed with Photoshop. |
| A．Posts made on Instagram. | B．Posts uploaded at 10 a. m. on July 8. |
| C．Posts with the hashtag #MyPhotoshopWorld. | D．Posts of years-old memories of Photoshop World. |
| A．A photography event. | B．A photography program. |
| C．A piece of photography advice. | D．A piece of photography software. |
7 . 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. |
| A．It is important to run. | B．Craig was running well. |
| C．Running is easy for Craig. | D．Craig succeeded in Tokyo. |
| A．He had a positive attitude. | B．He performed well in the game. |
| C．His team played in Canada. | D．His supporters were disappointed. |
| 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. |
Emma was very excited Today was the championship baseball game! The winners would all get trophies(奖杯) and be the number one players in the town. Emma decided to bring home a trophy to put on her shelf. She had never won a trophy before.
She put on her red uniform and pulled her hair through the back of her baseball cap. She picked up her gloves and looked in the mirror. “I hope I get a hit today,” she said to herself.
On the way to the field, Emma felt nervous.
“Are you feeling OK, Emma?” her mother asked.
“I really don’t want to strike out(三击不中出局),” Emma said.
“Just keep your eye on the ball and don’t feel afraid. You can do it,” Emma’s mother said.
Emma was a great hitter in practice, but she had never hit a ball during a game. She always struck out.
When the game started, Emma cheered loudly for her friends. She caught a fly ball in the Outfield, and everyone cheered for her. Emma struck out when it was her turn to hit the ball, but her team was doing well.
The game was tied(平局), and it was her team’s last chance to score. The team’s coach encouraged, “Believe in yourselves, and you are the best.” Frankie was up first, and he hit the ball hard to get on base(垒). Next up was Henry, but he struck out. Kara hit the ball, but she was tagged out at first base. Frankie was able to run to third. That meant he could score and win the game if the next batter(击球手) got a good hit. Emma was the team’s last hope.
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。
Emma stepped up to the base.
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Emma’s team won!
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9 . There are some great winter sports that are just waiting to be explored. Some or more extreme than others, but still definitely worth a try...
Ice SkatingInvented more than 4000 years ago by the Finnish, it remains loved by so many all over the world. People of all ages can take advantage of this fun sport, as it is a great way to be outdoors and get a bit of exercise. Experts say that the more you practice, the belter your balance, co-coordination, and flexibility will become. So put on a pair of skates and get moving on the rink.
SnowcrossSnowcross is a sport suitable for people who are a bit more adventurous. Over the last several years, snowcross has increased in popularity and is one of the most sought-after forms of snowmobile races and a really trendy winter sport. Snowcross is popular in the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. Sound fun? Why not give it a try?
Ice HockeyIce hockey is not just one of the most popular winter Olympic sports but has also recently become a common international sport. Ice hockey is fast passed and full of energy that also involved numerous intricate (复杂精细的) tricks and movements. It doesn’t only have a competitive side, it also is super fun!
SnowboardingSnowboarding is another really fun snow sport that is definitely worth trying this winter. It’s not the same as skiing, the main difference between snowboarding and skiing is that snowboarding does not use poles and most people use softer boots for flexibility. Snowboarding has only recently been added to the winter Olympics. There are hundreds of different resorts around the world that allow you to experience this popular sport.
1. What can we know about Snowcross?| A．It needs more practice. | B．It suits those willing to take risks. |
| C．It covers numbers of tricks and movements. | D．It is popular only in Europe. |
| A．Ice Skating. | B．Snowcross. | C．Ice Hockey. | D．Snowboarding. |
| A．They have a long history. | B．They appeal to people of all ages. |
| C．They are full of fun. | D．They are more extreme than any other sport. |
10 . Sports day! These two words can inspire both joy and terror in the hearts of students everywhere. For many, sports day can be a great day of fun and the chance to bag a prize or two.
Today, more and more schools have recognized the importance of exercise.
However, some people feel that it’s important that sport has winners and that learning to lose is just as important as learning how to win.
There are lots of people who agree with the idea—parents in particular! According to a 2017 survey by Families Online, 82% of parents say they prefer “traditional” competitive sports days.
People have different ideas about whether it is the winning or the taking part that counts when it comes to school sports days. So, should School Sports Day be competitive or not? We want to know your ideas.
| A．What’s the point if no one wins? |
| B．Should sport just be about winning? |
| C．Many of them have “non-competitive” sports days. |
| D．Everyone should be celebrated for trying and playing their part. |
| E．Many adults are worried that their kids can get injured when doing sports. |
| F．For others, it might feel like having to take part in something they aren’t good at. |
| G．Many adults feel that children can learn valuable lessons in both winning and losing. |
