Essay Contest winner

JHS Essay Contest, tied for 4th Prize:  A Good End to the Year

I sometimes play tennis with my friends. It has been three years since I started playing tennis, and I am becoming good at playing. I enjoy playing tennis very much, but these days it is getting cold, and my body doesn’t move very well. Especially in the morning, I cannot move. The other day, when I played tennis with a friend, I got very excited because everyone was very cold and moving strangely. They were all moving like robots and old men, including me. For the first time in a long time, I was able to laugh a lot. It was a good end to the year.     By Hayato

Readers' Corner

Readers’ Corner: Dictionaries or Smartphones?

A new school term has started, and I guess high school students are interested in buying a new dictionary. Actually, I bought a new electronic dictionary for myself last month. It’s been about 20 years since I bought the old one. Recently I have had a bit of trouble with it, so I decided to buy a new one. The screen is clear and easy on my eyes. The dictionary contains a vocabulary book for the STEP test, so you can study with it. I don’t fully make use of all the new features, but it is very convenient. These days, you can search for words or phrases just by using your smartphone. I wonder whether high school students are still using dictionaries. I’m sure that the number of students who use paper dictionaries is very limited.   (137 words)