“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.

    Bandhavgarh National Park in India is best known for its amazing setting, as well as having the highest concentration of tigers in India. In addition to tigers, there are also bears, deer, wolves, birds, etc.

    Location: In Madhya Pradesh state, almost 200 kilometers northeast of Jabalpur. The nearest village is Tala, which is the access point of the park.

    Opening Hours and Safari（打猎）Times

    Safaris operate twice a day, starting at dawn until late morning, and mid afternoon until sunset. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or after 4 p.m. to spot the animals. the park is closed from July 1 to September 30 due to the monsoon season（季风季节）.

    Bandhavgarh Zone

    Bandhavgarh is divided into three main zones: Tala (the park's best zone, with the most tigers), Magdhi (the second best zone to see tigers), and Khitauli (scenic and less visited, although tiger sighting do occur there; particularly good for birding).

    Entry Fees and Charges for Jeep Safaris

    Bandhavgarh has become expensive to visit in recent years. Entry fees have increased since October 2014. When going on a safari, separate fees must be paid for park entry and jeep hire. Entry tickets are priced per vehicle (up to six people). For 2015-16, park entry tickets cost as follows:

    Tala Zone: 2,400 rupees for Indians, 4,800 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    Other Zones: 1,200 rupees for Indians, 2,400 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    Jeep Hire

    Expect to pay about 2,200 rupees to hire a jeep, in addition to the entry cost. This can be done at the park entrance. All hotels can arrange jeep hire and tours, but at a higher rate. It's much less trouble though. Besides, unlike many national parks in India, it's possible to take private vehicles into Bandhavgarh.

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) is one of the world's largest and finest art museums. Following the suggested route will help you explore the museum.

    The Temple of Dendur

    This 2000-year-old building stood near the Nile River, surrounded by a wall that no longer exists. But you can still peek through the gateway. Whose "house" is this? It's not for people. It's for gods. Can you identify them? They face out. A king faces in, bringing offerings.

    MetSpeaks

    Bringing together some of the most respected thinkers on a given subject, MetSpeaks features lectures, discussions, talks, films, and forums in which compelling voices explore timely issues that connect to the Met's exhibitions and permanent collection. Program times, audiences, and topics vary.

    Time to Sketch

    Settle down for a few minutes, pick something in this gallery, and have fun drawing it. Enjoy the chance to look carefully as you create your own sketch. You'll be surprised at how much more you notice, thanks to exploring art by sketching.

    MetAccess

    Make the Met yours! Choose from a variety of services and exciting programs that are tailored to meet the needs of visitors with disabilities. Program times, audiences, and topics vary.

    Ask for the Access Information brochure and Access Calendar at Information Desks, download the Access Calendar (PDF), or call 212-650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org.

    Admission

    Fee includes admission to the Main Building and same-week admission to the Cloisters museum and gardens.

    In the short time Steve and Zach had been inside their tent packing their tools, wind-blown flame had skipped from the top of one tree to another. The long dry summer had turned the forest into a tinderbox.

    "Let's go! We can make it back to the river we crossed today!" Steve kept Brady on the lead and their heads down against the fire-wind. But Brady barked a sharp warning. Ahead of them lay a thick curtain of smoke across the track. They would never make it through that. The dog was pulling at his lead trying to draw them away from the smoke, and yet Steve was uneasy. It seemed to him that they were moving away from the river.

    Suddenly, Zach cried. "Zach!" Steve shouted. "Are you OK? Where are you?" Then Brady pulled Steve down a sharp slope(坡). At its base, Zach was rubbing his ankle.

    As Steve helped his friend to his feet, Brady lifted his head and snuffed(嗅) the smoke-laden wind. Next moment, the dog bounded away and disappeared. The boys shouted for him, but he didn't come back. Steve couldn't blame Brady for panicking. He himself wanted to run even though he didn't have a clue which way.

    Steve and Zach hadn't gone far when there was a familiar bark, and Brady came bounding, stopped directly in front of Steve and hit him with his head, pushing him back toward the slope they'd just climbed. But Steve didn't get it. Then Brady grabbed the boy's jeans and started pulling. The message was clear, but Steve hesitated. Of course he remembered Brady saving his uncle's life when the dog was much younger. Was he still sharp enough to get them through this?

    Nearby, a pine went up in a whoosh of smoke. Brady pulled again, urgently. "OK, big guy," Steve gritted(咬紧牙关). Brady led them back down the slope and into the trees. Not far from them fire was touching underbrush. Several times the big dog stopped. Often he changed directions. Steve was so tired that he just wanted to rest, but Brady wouldn't have it. The dog bullied both boys to go on. How long they'd walked Steve had no idea. He was almost numb when he heard it—the wonderful sound of rushing water!

    Next month, I'm traveling to a remote area of Central Africa and my aim is to know enough Lingala — one of the local languages — to have a conversation. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage this — until I discovered a way to learn all the vocabulary I'm going to need. Thanks to Memrise, the app I'm using, it feels just like a game.

    "People often stop learning things because they feel they're not making progress or because it all feels like too much hard work," says Ed Cooke, one of the people who created Memrise. "We're trying to create a form of learning experience that is fun and is something you'd want to do instead of watching TV."

    Memrise gives you a few new words to learn and these are "seeds" which you plant in your "greenhouse". When you practice the words, you "water your plants". When the app believes that you have really remembered a word, it moves the word to your "garden". And if you forget to log on (登录), the app sends you emails that remind you to "water your plants".

    The app uses two principles about learning. The first is that people remember things better when they link them to a picture in their mind. Memrise translates words into your own language, but it also encourages you to use "mems". For example, I memorized "motele", the Lingala word for "engine", using a mem I created — I imagined an old engine in a motel (汽车旅馆) room.

    The second principle is that we need to stop after studying words and then repeat them again later, leaving time between study sessions. Memrise helps you with this, because it's the kind of app you only use for five or ten minutes a day.

    I've learnt hundreds of Lingala words with Memrise. I know this won't make me a fluent speaker, but I hope I'll be able to do more than just smile when I meet people in Congo. Now, I need to go and water my Vocabulary!

    I am afraid of heights but two summers ago I climbed to a high place. Most of our high school had come along on a day trip to a beautiful beach village in Peru. After eating our lunches, many of us wanted to make the climb to an area around the village.

    Do I turn back? "Yes!" Will I regret (后悔))it later? I really want to get to the top, but... At last, I decided at least to have a try.

    My friend Tom was in front of me. Then, suddenly, he slipped (滑倒))and was about 10 feet back! My heart was beating faster until he stopped himself. Knowing that my friend Seth would be right behind me, I began the climb. I was soon past the first challenge safely, but not feeling much better about the rest of the climb. Looking down, I saw rocks everywhere. My breathing sped up, and my heart beat even faster, growing loud in my ears.

    My friends kept climbing. But they did not forget me. Someone was always behind me to help hold my feet when necessary, and someone else was always in front to offer a hand up. With friends helping me by words and actions, I slowly gained ground.

    Then we came to the worst part. The climb looked very close to vertical (垂直的). To me, the wise choice was to go back down. Melody encouraged me to go on and she made it safely first. I stopped, unsure of my footing. "You can do it, Jean! I'm right here," Melody called. She waited patiently, not asking me to hurry. I took a few deep breaths and kept climbing.

    With no more mistakes, we came to the top finally. I was dirty and tired. But it didn't matter. I was at the top! I had never felt so alive.