“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.

    Welcome to Arundel Castle which is situated in West Sussex, England. The castle has a history of nearly 1,000 years and has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world. Arundel Castle also plays a starring role in many films.

The Gardens

    The White Garden is planted with soft white iceberg Roses, and Snow White Lilies.

    The Rose Garden is newly planted with lovely old-fashioned English roses that are at their very best in June and July.

    The Organic Kitchen Garden produces a wide range of seasonal fruits and vegetables, pears, cherries and apples.

The Castle Shop

    In the Castle Shop, you will discover a wide and interesting range of gift ideas for everyone. It offers gifts and souvenirs designed to appeal to all tastes and pockets. Foods, china, books, and stationery (文具) are all available. Many are sold in this Castle Shop only.

    At Arundel Castle we pride ourselves on supporting local suppliers and actively encourage environmentally friendly products.

The Arundel Festival

    Saturday l6th to Monday 25th August

    The annual Arundel Festival gets bigger and better every year. It is one of the most amazing, diverse and easily accessible arts festivals in the UK, offering a mix of visual arts, music, theatre and street entertainment.

Parking

    Coaches and mini-buses can drop off at the main Castle entrance in Mill Road and park in the main town car park that is opposite the Castle entrance. Please inform us when making your booking of how many parking permits are required.

    We have a strange obsession with the concept of perfection. “If I have the perfect parents and perfect grades, then I would be happy.” Under cultural influence, we seek what we can't have without remembering that we don't actually need to be perfect. Imperfection allows us to be human.

    Parents, teachers and other high-achieving peers will have us believe that we must be perfect if we wish to remain competitive. However, what job or school requires you to have a 2400 SAT, 4.0 GPA and develop a cure for some form of cancer by the age of 18? Although these would be great achievements, are they worth the cost of sleep? We feel like we need the perfect grades to get into the perfect college that will provide us with the perfect education necessary to obtain the perfect job. With this misconception, when writing our resumes(简历), we then seek out experiences that we think may help build a good name for ourselves. Feeding on our thirst for perfection, some college and career industries have been set up claiming to help us reach our goals.

    The truth is, you only need to be good enough. Don't worry about anything secondary to your passions. You won't become an expert at anything if you spend your time trying to succeed in everything you do. You only become an expert when you devote your time to the one or two projects that truly bring you joy.

    As members of this society, we have a responsibility to be excellent in what we do, not perfect. Although perfection can be a goal, it should not be the only goal. We only have 24 hours in a day. Thus, we need to prioritize(优先选择)what we want to do and cut out the activities we cannot do. If you enjoy debating, take a law class and see how it suits you. If you enjoy cooking, experiment in the kitchen and see what you can make!

    Try as hard as you can and let your future worry about itself. Worry about your task at hand and you will be successful in achieving your dreams. Above all, remember that you are going to be okay.

    On Thursday night my two adult children took us out to dinner as our daughter lives in Bathurst and she will be there for Father's Day with her husband's side of the family. Two of our grandchildren were able to join us.

    Having pre-celebrated my Father's Day and it being on our minds, my wife asked this question only this morning:

    "Do you remember anything about your father?"

    While this subject had come up before, however, the question had not been put so bluntly(直率的). I answered "No. My only memory is of the few photos outside." You see, my father died when I was only four years old.

    Many people have lost their father early in life and it is easy to feel somewhat sorry for having to deal with such a situation, especially when the death has occurred when you are at an early age. On reflection, I think I do not remember anything because he passed away when he was a member of the Royal Australian Air Force. He was a Corporal(下士) doing land based duties, however, a medical condition took his life. It was 1942.

    The 2nd World War was in full battle and Australia was being attacked. My Mum and I with my younger brother, were living with my grandparents and I can only imagine the emotional circumstances that existed in the household at that time. Probably not something that would leave a memory.

    What I would like to say at this time, as the question is often asked, "What did you learn from your father?" The thing I learnt from his passing, at the age of 28, is a love of life. What I do remember is growing up wondering if I would live to his age, and after I did, thinking each year the bonus(津贴) of life I had been blessed with when compared to my father.

    I have sometimes felt disappointment in not knowing my father but life has moved on. However, can I say to those who do have fathers, celebrate today with him and return him all the love and happiness he has given to you.

    Li Hua is currently studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.

    Introduction

    A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150, 000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.

    Basic Security

    Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when youleave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddlesleave（车座）.

    Locks

    Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.

    Marking

    Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.

    Registration (登记)

    There are a number of security companies who will help mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.

    Finally

    Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its maker, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.

    It has been described as art by some people, but to others it's an ugly part of modern life. What is it? Graffiti (涂鸦), of course. Look around cities in the UK today and you can see graffiti on buildings, walls, doors and even on buses or trains that have stayed in one place for too long. But where modern technology creates a problem, it also finds a way to deal with it. Last week, The Weekend West was shown around the factory of a small but successful company, Hubdean.

    Hubdean's achievement is a series of special paints which are graffiti-resistant. How do they work? It couldn't be simpler. Take any graffiti-covered surface. First, a treatment called Agproclear is used. Then, using a very hot pressure jet (压力喷嘴), this treatment is taken away and the graffiti disappears at the same time. Now you have a clean wall. But before this clean wall can be painted on by graffiti lovers, a new product, Agproshield, is used. This paint has a special surface which gives it two important advantages. Firstly, spray paint (喷雾颜料) won't stick to the surface very well, and secondly, the whole surface can be cleaned very easily, just using water. Once the surface is painted, no specialist equipment is needed to keep the area clean and graffiti-free.

    Not surprisingly, Hubdean's products are used by both local governments and private companies all over the UK, and now orders are being received from around the world. This brings the company a problem, however. Can they increase production to satisfy the needs? Of course, they can build a second factory or work with a large international company to make their products. The future is looking good for Hubdean!