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                   US National Spelling Bee Holds Final Round

   by VOA News

   Washington, D.C. is a city full of celebrities, most of them of the
   adult variety.

   However, for several days each year at the end of May, some adolescents
   get celebrity treatment in the U.S. capital -- at the annual spelling
   bee.

   Ten contestants from several U.S. states took the stage in a suburb of
   Washington Thursday to compete in the final round of the Scripps
   National Spelling Bee, a competition that rewards one winner per year
   with a $40,000 prize and plenty of media attention. The finals are
   televised on the sports network ESPN.

   Contestants advance from local contests to regional ones, and finally
   to Washington for a chance to compete in the prestigious competition.
   The spellers come from U.S. states and territories as well as military
   bases overseas. Most of the spellers are 13 or 14 years old.

   The bee has been held annually since 1925, except during World War II,
   when travel and resources were restricted to support the war effort.

   Last year, two Indian American teenagers became the first contestants
   since 1962 to tie for the championship. Sriram Hathwar of New York and
   Ansun Sujoe of Texas were declared co-winners, each taking home $30,000
   in cash and prizes.

   Over the years, the winning words have gotten more and more obscure,
   making the final round of competition a tense couple of hours for its
   young competitors. If a speller's face is particularly expressive,
   video of it is likely to circulate on the Internet the next day --
   increasing the pressure, certainly, but also the prestige that comes
   with competing in a legendary event.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-national-spelling-bee-holds-final-
   roudn/3348291.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-national-spelling-bee-holds-final-roudn/3348291.html