“Write All About It”

Centerville High School Essay Contest

Rules

1). Students are asked to hand in essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material copied from another source will be disqualified.

2). Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student's name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.

3). Essays must be turned in by 4:00 P.M. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.

Essay-Writing Tips

1). Catch your reader's interest—Your opening should immediately pull your reader into your essay. Asking a question or starting with a story, or surprising statement are some good ways to do this.

2). Create a picture—Use active words that show your reader what is happening. Instead of telling your reader that “the room was disordered,” paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.

3). Have a purpose—Well-written essays do more than just describe an event or express a viewpoint; they also communicate a message.

4). Check for mistakes—Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you have missed.

5). Format your essay—Neatly type your essay on white paper. Choose an attractive cover for handing in. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45 P.M. each day this month so that students can use the computers.

Prizes

Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year.

First Prize: $50 savings bond

Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book

Third Prize: Pen set and journal

Special thanks to the Centerville Writers' Association for the prizes to help encourage our aspiring authors. Good luck to all contestants.

    Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mum, you must come and see the daffodils(水仙花)before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Lake Arrowhead. "I will go next Tuesday," I promised, a little unwillingly, on her third call.

    The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible (看不见的) in the cloud and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see!"

    My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this weather all the time, Mum. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

    After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read "Daffodil Garden."

    We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up amazed. Before me lay the most beautiful sight. Flows of flowers of different colors seemed poured down the peak and slopes. There were five acres of flowers! A sea of daffodil! It was like a fairyland all beyond description.

    "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one woman." Carolyn answered. "That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio (露台), we saw a poster." Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline.

    The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs (鳞茎)" it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

    I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun one bulb at a time to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top. Just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world where she lived and created something of magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

    When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small amounts of daily effort, we too can accomplish great things. Everyone can do something to change the world.

     “Let's have a journey. Why not fly out and meet me, Dad?” I say one day.

    My father had just retired after 27 years as a manager for IBM. His job filled his day, his thoughts, and his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I screamed under a freezing waterfall in Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.

    My father sees me drifting aimlessly, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down, but now I want him to find an adventure.

    He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City.

    “What's our first stop？” asks my father.

    “What time is it？”

    “Still don't have a watch？”

    Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite(花岗岩), his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of a little boy.

    “Unbelievable,” he says. “How was this done？”

    A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son.

    We stare up and I ask myself, “Would I ever devote my life to anything？”

    No directions, no goals. I always used to hear those words in my father's voice. Now I hear them in my own.

    The next day we're at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic.

    “Did you ever travel with your dad？” I ask.

    “Only once,” he says. “I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other — but never said it. Whatever he could give me, he gave.”

    That last sentence — it's probably the same thing I'd say about my father. And what I'd want my child to say about me.

    In Glacier National Park, my father says, “I've never seen water so blue.” I have, in several places of the world. I can keep traveling, I realize — and maybe a regular job won't be as dull as I feared.

    Weeks after our trip, I call my father.

    “The photos from the trip are wonderful,” he says. “We've got to take another trip like that sometime.”

I tell him I've decided to settle down, and I'm wearing a watch.

    Many Years ago three soldiers,hungry and tired of battle,came upon a small village.The villagers,suffering a bad harvest and the many years of war,quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three in the village square, shaking their heads and sighing,"Well,we are starving."The soldiers communicated with each other quietly and then the first soldier turned to the villagers.“Your poor fields have left you nothing to share,so we will share what little we have: the secret of making soup from stones.”

    Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was built to the village's greatest pot,and then the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones.

“Now this will be a fine soup,”said the second soldier,"but a handful of salt and some parsley（香芹）would make it wonderful!"Up jumped a villager,crying “What a piece of luck!I've just remembered where some has been left!”

    And off she ran,returning with parsley.As the pot was boiling,the memory of the villagers improved: soon carrots,beef and cream had found their way into the great pot.They ate and danced and sang well into the night, thrilled about the feast and their new-found friends.In the morning the three soldiers awoke,finding all the villagers standing before them.At their feet lay a bag of the village's best bread and cheese.“You have given us the greatest gift,”said an elder,“and we shall never forget.”The third soldier turned to the crowd,and said,“There is no secret,but this is certain: people working together can accomplish great things.”At last the light dawned on villagers.Off the soldiers wandered,down the road.

    Disney World is a very popular attraction. But going there can be costly. Here are some suggestions that can help you save money.

    Instead of eating at the park, get premade food from a nearby grocery store or even make your own lunch. Also, make sure to take your own water with you because spending $3 on water will make your stomach hurt. Another idea is to pack snacks or quick and cheap pick-me-ups as you make your way around the park.

    Of course you're going to want to take some Disney souvenirs home with you, but you'll quickly realize that it comes with a price. Before buying anything, make sure you have a plan. Some suggestions for keeping costs down include picking your own pearl at the Japan store at Epcot, which is all about the experience and only $15.95 plus tax, or even getting special tradable collection pin that you can trade with Disney cast members or other guests.

    When you go to Disney World on rainy days, you may catch a lot of showers. But you don't have to. Go to a local Dollar Tree and buy disposable ponchos（一次性雨披）for $1. The ponchos at Disney are probably more durable（耐用的）, but they cost $9. For a family of five, the Disney ponchos would cost $45 versus spending $5 at the dollar store.

    It costs $17 to park in Disney for a day. Luckily, most non-Disney resorts offer free shuttles（来往的班车）to and from the park and all Disney resorts offer free transportation for guests as well. If you like to be on your own schedule without worrying about when the shuttle comes, then parking is your only choice. But waiting for the shuttle and going by a schedule isn't really difficult, either.

Online jobs have opened the door for many people to earn a living (谋生) or make some extra money from the comfort of their homes.This includes teens as well.If you're looking for such a job, here are some choices you can consider.

Customer Service

If you are 16 years old and over, you have a chance to work with Uhaul as a customer service person.You just need to have a good pair of head－phones and high－speed Internet in order to do this job.Basic pay starts at $7.50 an hour.

Sell Items Online

Selling items online is one of the easiest ways to make quick cash.Teens can turn it into a good business by selling things on Bonanza.You need to start sorting through (分类) items at your home that are no longer being used and list them for sale.

Take Surveys

Another easy task teens can do to earn money is to take surveys online.You don't need any work experience to do this and can be as young as 13 years old to get started.Survey sites like VIP Voices，Swagbucks，Harris Poll, E－Poll, and Paid Viewpoint allow teens to start taking surveys for cash and gift cards.And your opinions should be expressed clearly in English.

Etsy

Do you love to make new things? You can open up an Etsy shop to share your works.Etsy is great for DIYers who can create new products.If you are under 18, you just need a parent who is willing to help manage your shop.