A crisis is on the way．Global warming? The world economy? No，the decline of reading．People are just not doing it anymore，especially the young．Who's responsible? What is responsible? The Internet，of course，and everything that comes with it—Facebook，Twitter，etc..

    There's been a warning about the coming death of literate civilization for a long time．In the 20th century，first it was the movies，then radio，then television that seemed to end the written world．None did．Reading survived；in fact it not only survived，it has developed better．The world is more literate than ever before — there are more and more readers．and more and more books．

    The fact that we often get our reading material online today is not something we should worry over．The electronic and digital revolution of the last two decades has arguably shown the way forward for reading and for writing．Interconnectivity allows for the possibility of a reading experience that was barely imaginable before．Where traditional books had to make do with photographs and illustrations，an e-book can provide readers with an unlimited number of links：to texts，pictures，and videos．

    On the other hand，there is the danger of trivialization(碎片化)．One Twitter group is offering its followers single-sentence-long“digests”of the great novels．War and Peace in a sentence? You must be joking．We should fear the fragmentation(碎片)of reading．There is the danger that the high-speed connectivity of the Internet will reduce our attention span—that we will be incapable of reading anything of length or which requires deep concentration．

    In such a fast-changing world，in which reality seems to be remade each day，we need the ability to focus and understand what is happening to us．This has always been the function of literature and we should be careful not to let it disappear．Our society needs to be able to imagine the possibility of someone entirely in pace with modern technology but able to make sense of a dynamic，confusing world．

    Amazing Kids!Wild Jungle Writing Contest

    Amazing Kids!Magazine is proud to announce that we will be hosting a Wild Jungle Writing Contest this fall! Send us your best jungle-themed stories.This contest is open to grades K-12,with three groups of K-3,4-8,and 9-12.

    Three winners from each age group will be chosen to win Amazing Kids!prizes,along with an official certificate verifying their winning entry.All participants will receive a certificate of participation in the contest.

    Submit（提交）all entries by NOVEMBER 30 to be considered!Please look below for rules—if your entry does not comply with（与一致）our rules,it will not be considered in the contest!Email editor@amazing-kids.org or more questions about rules.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q:What are the age limits?

    A:This contest is limited to grades K-12,with a K-3,4-8,and 9-12 age group.

    Q:How should I format my entry?

    A:Stories should be written in English,with submissions of up to 1,200 words.Stories exceeding（超出）this length will not be considered.Please submit your entry as a Microsoft Word document.Also be sure to include all essential information,including your name,grade,address,phone number(s) and e-mail address in the body of the e-mail.

    Q:How do I submit my entry?

    A:E-mail your submission to editor@amazing-kids.org.Each e-mail submission will receive a return message saying that the essay is received.

    Q:Is there just one prize?

    A:No.Nine separate prizes will be given out,with a cash value of $ 20 for first place,$15 for second place,and $10 for third place in each age group.Certificates of participation will also be awarded to each participant in the contest.

    Spend any time in London, England's capital, and you'll quickly gather that it's a multicultural (多元文化的) community. Look around at your fellow passengers on the Tube（地铁）or the bus. They're of every skin color and dress differently to one another. Listen, and you'll hear many other languages besides English spoken. Some of these people, no doubt, will be tourists who are in London to see the sights. But others – in fact probably most – will be living their lives there, along with millions of others.

    Along with white British people, there are Britons from, or with parents and grandparents from, the Caribbean, India, China and most other places. This makes London a fascinating place in which to live. The reason is that when people settle in a place, they don't just buy a house and live there, but bring aspects of the culture of their “old country” with them.

    The most visible sign of this is the number of restaurants offering dishes from different parts of the world. In a city in which it's estimated 250 different languages are spoken, you can expect a similarly wide range of foods to be available. You would expect in one of the world's leading cities to encounter(遇到) French, Italian, Chinese and Indian eateries. But in London you'll also find Polish, Patagonian and Palestinian restaurants.

    However, London's multiculturalism isn't just about food. Many types of people are gathered in one space, but the way they live differently shows in that space. They worship(崇拜)differently, for one thing. Alongside the famous old English churches by Nicholas Hawksmoor and Christopher Wren – responsible for one of the capital's most famous landmark, St Paul's Cathedral—you'll find mosques(清真寺), temples and synagogues (犹太教堂).

      London even speaks its own special kind of English. Language experts created the term “Multicultural London English” to identify the dialect of English that appeared at the end of the last century.

    All of this makes London a very surprising and varied place to call your home. But, in a way, this has long been true. In the 18^th century, the compiler(编纂者) of the first English dictionary, Samuel Johnson, once said: “ He who is tired of London is tired of life.”

    In many situations, the quality of your travel experience is directly affected by your ability to understand the local language. For some travelers, the challenge of learning a new tongue is one of the joys of travel, and as a result, they spend much of their time in conversations with local citizens. Others will find that just learning to read the most common signs and use every-day greetings is enough.

    No matter which view you agree with, it's necessary to take some time to learn some of the simple phrases of the new language before you go. One way of finishing this task is by listening to the new language. A phrase book can help expand your vocabulary, but hearing the sounds of the different spoken words is an excellent activity that can be done right in the comfort of your home. You can see movies in the new language or listen to the tapes or CDs. You can also download some listening material from the Internet. Just spending 15 minutes a night will improve your language skills.

    When you arrive in the new land, begin by greeting new friends in their own tongue. This may come easy or it could take some time to learn, but it's interesting. If you can't do this, then it means that you will need more practice and patience to learn these very important words. You can go out during the day and begin one-on-one conversations with shop owners, business-men and taxi drivers. This should not be done until you have learned some of the most common phrases, but once you begin to go shopping in a second language your communication skills will start to improve rapidly. You can also watch the local TV or listen to the local radio. For example, the advertisements will help you recognize the correct pronunciation of local street names.

    Thirteen can be a challenging age. Not only did I have to adapt to my changing body, I also had to deal with my parents' bitter divorce, a new family and the upsetting move from my country home to a crowded town.

    When we moved, my beloved companion, a small brown pony had to be sold. I was heartbroken and terribly lonely. I couldn't eat or sleep and cried all the time. Finally, realizing how much I missed my pony, my father bought me another horse, Cowboy.

    Cowboy was without doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn't care. I loved him beyond all reasons.

    I joined a riding club. When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse was judged by appearance, we were quickly "shown the gate". I knew nothing could turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the timed speed events. I chose the jumping race.

    For the whole next month we practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home, totally exhausted.

    All of our hard work didn't make me feel confident by the time the show came. One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. I sat at the gate and sweated all out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the court and finish in first place.

    My turn finally came. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped over it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line.

    No cheers filled the air. The end of our run was met with surprised silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds.

    I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I'd always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it. I can be the owner of my fate.

It is believed that Chinese knotting, also known as zhongguojie, originated for recording information and exchanging messages {#blank#}1{#/blank#} writing was invented. Over the past thousands of years, knots {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (play) an important part in the life of Chinese. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (initial), Chinese knots acted as good -luck charms to drive away evil spirits. Today, Chinese knots are widely used to decorate homes during festivities.

A major characteristic of Chinese knots is that they are often tied from a single continuous length of string. The knots are commonly named {#blank#}4{#/blank#} the shape it takes. Chinese knots are created in a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (various) of colors such as gold, green, blue, or black, though the most commonly used color is red, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} symbolizes good luck and prosperity.

Crafting the Chinese knot is a three-step process {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (involve) tying knots, tightening them and adding the finishing touches. The knots {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (pull) tightly together and are strong enough to be used for binding or wrapping, making them very practical.

Today, most of such knots are often mass manufactured in factories. Skilled knot artists weave complex knots that you might see {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (sell) as souvenirs that you can take back with you. If you have time, why not try your hand at it? Perhaps these age-old charms can add {#blank#}10{#/blank#} touch of good luck to your daily life?