1 . The Best Computer Science Competitions for High Schoolers
Imagine Cup
Microsoft runs the competition, and each year, students around the world compete in it. Students work in teams of up to three members to design a tech solution to a social or health problem.
Qualification: Student must be 16 or older.
Prizes: Each winning team is awarded $100,000.
First Robotics Competition
Students work in teams of at least 10 along with 2 adult mentors to design and build an industrial-sized robot. They then must program the robot to compete in a sophisticated field game at competitions. Annual team registration fees are usually about $5,000.
Qualification: High school students in the U.S.,
Prizes: Various scholarships and cash prizes for top scorers.
Technovation Challenge
It is designed to get more girls worldwide interested in coding and computer science. Girls work in teams of 1-5 and with volunteer mentors to use technology to design an app that helps solve real world problems such as climate change and hunger.
Qualification: Must identify as female and be between 10 and 18 years old.
Prizes: Prizes and scholarships up to $2,000.
American Computer Science League
To compete, your school has to have registered and paid the registration fee. Before the competition, the coach teaches coding with a focus on ACSL exam categories. Then, students work in teams of 3 or 5 students to complete four tests. Students can code in Python 3, Java 8, or C++ as defined on the programming platform. Top-scoring teams advance to regional, statewide, and eventually global competitions.
Qualification: Students whose schools have registered for the competition.
Prizes: Winners of the ACSL All-Star Contest receive prizes.
1. Which competition has the largest number of students in a team?| A．Imagine Cup. | B．First Robotics Competition. |
| C．Technovation Challenge. | D．American Computer Science League. |
| A．It is run by Microsoft. | B．It is only for U.S. students. |
| C．It has a gender limitation. | D．It allows mentors to assist. |
| A．Register for the competition independently. |
| B．Have chances to take higher-level competitions. |
| C．Design an app using programming knowledge. |
| D．Receive various scholarship and cash prizes. |
1. How often is the Noetic Learning Math Contest held?
| A．Twice a year. | B．Once a year. | C．Once every two years. |
| A．Solve 15 problems in 45 minutes. |
| B．Solve 20 problems in half an hour. |
| C．Solve 30 problems in 45 minutes. |
| A．A “Team Winner” medal. |
| B．A “Team Achievement Plaque” medal. |
| C．A “National Honor Roll” medal. |
3 . Ready to show off your art to the world? Check out our guide to some of the best art contests to enter this year.
Watermedia Showcase
Prize: $2,500 first prize, $1,250 second prize.
Entry Fee: $35.
Requirements: Open to international artists 18 years of age and older.
The Watermedia Showcase awards original art created primarily with water-based media. Judged by the editors of Watercolor Artist, all winners will have their work featured in the magazine.
The Lumen Prize for Digital Art
Prize: $4,000 first prize, with a $13,500 total prize fund.
Entry Fee: $40.
Requirements: Open to artists worldwide.
This digital art competition is organized by Lumen Art Projects Ltd, which provides new opportunities for digital artists around the world. Categories include Still, Moving Image, XR, 3D/Interactive and Artificial Intelligence.
World Illustration Awards
Prize: A cash prize of $2,540 and more publicity opportunities.
Entry Fee: $37.
Requirements: Open to artists worldwide.
Illustrators are invited to submit works to 8 different categories. Winners will win not only a cash prize, but also a feature in a major exhibition in central London, and an invitation to the Awards Evening in October.
Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing
Prize: $2,000 first prize, $1,000 second prize.
Entry Fee: $45.
Requirements: Open to artists in the United States.
The Strokes of Genius Competition celebrates original work made in drawing mediums, including pencil, charcoal and even some wet paint mediums. Winning entries (参赛作品) will be published in a special edition publication, The Best of Drawing.
1. Which competition is related to technology?| A．Watermedia Showcase. | B．The Lumen Prize for Digital Art. |
| C．World Illustration Awards. | D．Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing. |
| A．To host the Awards Evening. | B．To hold art exhibitions globally. |
| C．To sell their entries at high prices. | D．To become known to the public. |
| A．It is free of charge. | B．It awards the largest prize in amount. |
| C．It is a national competition. | D．It has an age limit for participants. |
4 . The Best Writing Contests of 2024
Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest
The Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest, an annual contest, is designed to highlight Kentucky’s rich literary talent and celebrate the best in short fiction written by Kentuckians or about our beloved Bluegrass State.
Top prize Best entry: $500
Entry requirements
Fee: FREEDeadline March 31, 2024
Fiction Factory Flash Fiction
This is an international competition—we welcome entries from around the world. Maximum word count: 1,000, Stories may be on any theme. Entries must be previously unpublished. Results will be announced by April 2024. Minimum age: 16 years. Children’s compositions cannot be accepted sadly.
Top prize Best entry: £500
Entry requirements
Fee: FREEDeadline March 31, 2024
Journalism Competition 2024
What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? This month, involve yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country, and invite us there through your written reporting.
Top prize Best entry: $100
Entry requirements
Fee: FREEDeadline July 22, 2024
Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024
“Poetry lays the foundations for a future of change,” wrote Audre Lorde. This month, sow your own seeds of change into poetry, or else write and perform an original piece of spoken word(poetry performed aloud). We’ll award two top prizes-one for a written poem, and one for a recorded performance.
Top prize Best entry: $100
Entry requirements
Fee: FREEDeadline May 27, 2024
1. Which contest accepts entries both at home and abroad?
| A．Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest. | B．Fiction Factory Flash Fiction. |
| C．Journalism Competition 2024. | D．Poetry&-Spoken Word Competition 2024. |
| A．It offers two first prizes. | B．It only requests written compositions. |
| C．It provides the highest awards. | D．It inspires students to perform actively. |
| A．To compare some writing contests. | B．To recommend good writing contests. |
| C．To share tips on winning writing contests. | D．To remind students to enter writing contests. |
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
The Hangzhou Asian Games is a significant sporting event. It was held in 2023 in Hangzhou China. It
7 . The Olympic Games are old and so are the fans. The median age (中位年龄) of American viewers of the games in Barcelona in 1992 was 39. That increased to 53 for the Rio de Janeiro games of 2016. Overall viewing figures are sinking, too. At the most recent games in Tokyo in 2021, they were a third lower than in 2008.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has admitted that the games risk losing connection. To keep connected with society, the Olympics are expanding, adding what Mr Bach described as “youth-based” sports. In Tokyo, climbing, skateboarding and surfing were put on the schedule. In Paris this year, breakdancing will feature for the first time. Undoubtedly the youth will be excited. But if Mr. Bach wants the Olympics to become more relevant to more people, the best idea would be to include e-sports.
So far the IOC has approached e-sports like an uncool dad. An inaugural (首次的) Olympic E-sports Week took place in Singapore in June. But the choice of events puzzled fans. The archery game, for instance, had been downloaded only 100 times before the tournament was announced. The most recognisable event, ”Just Dance“, is not considered an e-sport by fans. The experiment resulted in widespread doubt. Peak viewership was only more than 22,000.
E-sports command a huge audience. Attracting a big audience matters for the Olympics, which have seen the costs of infrastructure (基础设施) in recent years. The inclusion of e-sports would add income from media rights and sponsorship. Besides, the IOC has other reasons for changing its stand. For one, e-sports may bring Olympic glory to a more diverse group of countries and just like traditional sports, it can show three of the Olympic values: excellence, friendship and respect.
1. What can we know from Paragraph 1?| A．The viewing number of the Olympics is reducing. |
| B．The Olympic Games are always popular in America. |
| C．The IOC didn’t realize the problems of the Olympics. |
| D．The median age of Olympic viewers remained the same. |
| A．By focusing on more popular and contemporary events. |
| B．By adding more sports attracting the younger generation. |
| C．By cutting down the number of traditional sports in the Games. |
| D．By hosting the Olympics in more countries with diverse cultures. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Satisfied. | C．Tolerant. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Differences between traditional sports and e-sports. |
| B．Advantages of culturally diverse nations in e-sports. |
| C．Potential benefits of including e-sports in the Olympics. |
| D．Suggestions on building a safe gaming environment for e-sports. |
1. What is this competition about?
| A．Saving energy at home. | B．Reducing noise pollution. | C．Using technology creatively. |
| A．Starting the machine. | B．Increasing air pressure. | C．Producing carbon dioxide. |
| A．To discuss the way of writing a paper. |
| B．To find the right material for a model. |
| C．To study the approach to detailed drawings. |
9 . Kangaroo Kids
Fall Jump Rope Workshop
Invited: All skill levels, kids ages 6 and up
Skills Taught: Single / Long Rope, Speed, and Double Dutch (交互花式跳绳)
Learn new skills with nationally recognized jumpers!
Jumpers must be willing to learn and have fun!
Saturday, November 9, 9:00-16:00
North Laurel Community Center
9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd • Laurel, MD 20723
Participant Fee: $55 by 10/21 ($65 after 10/21)Judge’s Clinic Fee: $25 by 10/21 ($35 after 10/21)
How to Register (register by 10/30)
Use our online registration system for all event registrations, T-shirt orders; and lunch orders. Please register and pay at http://registration. kanagrookids.org/FallWorkshop. First-time users will create a user account to register for the Fall Workshop as a participant. Please create only one user account per household. All members of a family will be part of one account.
NOTE: PLEASE REGISTER AS EARLYAS POSSILE, ASPACE IS LIMITED.
T-shirt OrderWorkshop T-shirts: $18, order by 10/18. Shirt Size (please circle during order): YS/ YM /YL/AS/ AM /AL
Jump ropes, T-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and water bottles will be available for sale at the event on November 9. There will be instructors helping adjust the length of your jump ropes.
Lunch OrderSubway lunch (sandwich or salad, fruit drinks and cookies): $8, order by 10/30.
Workshop Hours: 9:00-12:00 and 1:30-4:00
Lunch: 12:00-1:30
1. What is the early bird participant fee?| A．$25. | B．$35. | C．$55. | D．$65. |
| A．Bring their own lunch. | B．Create one registration account. |
| C．Register for the same instructor. | D．Adjust the length of their jump ropes in advance. |
| A．10/18. | B．10/21. | C．10/30. | D．11/9. |
10 . In the Commonwealth Games England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate Olympics teams, unlike the Olympics where they compete together as Britain.
What are the Commonwealth Games?
The Commonwealth Games are held every four years between members of the Commonwealth of Nations—a group of independent countries, most of which used to be part of the Britain. The Games were first held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The event was named the Commonwealth Games in 1978.
The history of the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games have been held every four years since they started and have grown much bigger. At the first Commonwealth Games, only 11 nations and 400 athletes were involved in six sports. For a long time, the Games only included individual sports such as athletics, boxing and swimming. In 1998, team sports such as cricket, hockey and netball were introduced. The Commonwealth Games have featured many fantastic feats and the athletes have broken a wide range of records.
Paralympic progress
At the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, Canadian athlete Chantal Petitclerc became the first athlete with a disability to win a gold medal in the wheelchair 800-meter race. She said, “It meant so much to me that the Commonwealth Games decided that a performance is a performance-and it doesn’t matter if you accomplish it in a wheelchair. Paralympic athletes continue to take part in the Commonwealth Cames’ main sports programs, and many have broken records and made history.
1. Which countries take part in the Commonwealth Games?| A．Independent countries. | B．Members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| C．The former members of the Britain. | D．All the countries from around the world. |
| A．11. | B．4. | C．6. | D．400. |
| A．To make historic records. | B．To enjoy sports programs with other athletes. |
| C．To show their disabilities. | D．To prove themselves with good performance. |
