To enrich our after-class activities, this term our junior middle school organized a chorus competition that consisted of two rounds — the preliminary and the final. All the Junior 1 and 2 classes prepared for it by practicing hard after class.

    On December 22, the final was held in the gym and 14 classes competed. All the Junior 1 and 2 students, the teachers and many parents watched. The performances were great because there was also dancing, piano playing, poetry readings, calligraphy demonstrations and a drama going on at the same time.

    My class was one of the best classes in the final. We won the first prize in the preliminary round. We had the confidence to win the first prize in the finals. You don’t know how hard we have worked. We practiced almost twice a day. We sang the song “Serving Our Country With Unreserved Loyalty”(《精忠报国》). When we stood on the stage under the colorful lights, all of us did out best and sang loudly. We won the audience’s applause.

    We were happy as we waited for the judges to announce the results. However, the result was unsatisfactory. It shattered our expectations. We just won second prize. We could do better! We all felt sad. The teacher asked us not to be self-reproaching and told us we were the best. She said, “If you try your best, you shouldn’t be sad. No regrets, no youth!”

    Yes, I thought she was right. Although we had a little regret, at least we tried our best. It was an unforgettable experience in our youth.