The Big Science Fair

In the bustling town of Brightsville, a big event was coming up: the annual science fair. All the children were excited to show their projects, and everyone worked hard to prepare.

Among the participants were two best friends, Emma and Jack. Emma was known for always planning everything well in advance. She started working on her volcano project weeks before the science fair. She made sure to gather all the materials, read books, and practice her presentation.

One day, as Emma was painting her volcano, her little brother, Ben, asked, “Emma, why are you working so early? The fair is still two weeks away!”

Emma smiled and said, “I’m getting ready ahead of time, Ben. It means I’m doing everything early so I don’t have to rush later.”

Meanwhile, Jack, who loved playing soccer, kept putting off his project. He decided to make a solar system model, but he waited until just three days before the fair to start. Jack thought he had plenty of time, but soon realized he had a lot to do.

The night before the science fair, Jack was in a panic. “Oh no, I’m running out of time! I need to finish my project against the clock!” he exclaimed.

Jack’s mom came to help. “You can do it, Jack. Let’s work quickly and try our best.”

Jack and his mom worked late into the night, gluing planets and painting stars. By the time Jack went to bed, he was exhausted but relieved that his project was finished just in time.

The next day, at the science fair, Emma and Jack set up their projects. Emma’s volcano worked perfectly, and she was calm and confident. Jack’s solar system looked great, but he was tired and nervous from staying up so late.

When the judges came by, they were impressed with both projects. They asked Emma how she managed to be so prepared.

“I started ahead of time,” Emma said proudly. “It means I worked on my project early so I wouldn’t have to rush.”

Jack learned an important lesson that day. After the fair, he told Emma, “Next time, I’ll start my project ahead of time too. I don’t want to work against the clock again!”

Emma nodded. “It’s always better to be prepared. That way, you can enjoy the process and not feel stressed.”

Jack smiled and said, “Fortunately I managed to beat the clock this time. I finished just in time!”

From then on, Jack made sure to start his projects early, just like Emma. They both realized that being prepared ahead of time was much better than working against the clock, and they could still beat the clock without the stress.

Idioms Used:

Ahead of Time: Doing something before it is due or needed, allowing for plenty of time to complete the task without rushing.

Against the Clock: Working very quickly because there is not much time left to complete something.

Beat the Clock: Finishing a task or project just before the deadline, often just in time.

 Editor’s Note : Idiom Explorers