Kate :

My sister in the US, Sarah, is taking part in a spelling bee this Sunday!//

Wataru :

Spelling bee?// ①( What’s ) that?//

K :

②(    It’s    ) a spelling contest.// People compete to spell words correctly.// For example, if the word “soccer” is read aloud, the participant on the stage would say, “S-O-C-C-E-R.”//

W :

Does that mean the participants need to remember the spellings of words?//

K :

Exactly.// They must remember a wide variety of words, including some technical terms.//

W :

Wow!// Who can join the contest?//

K :

In Sarah’s competition, anyone younger than 15 can participate.// Usually, over 50 students participate in the first round.// But only eight students can go to the final round after winning a lot of rounds.//

W :

③( That’s ) hard, isn’t it?// I hope ④(   she’ll   ) do her best and win the contest!//