1 . Dave Williamson Short Story Competition
By Manitoba Writers’ Guild
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild was started in August 1981 at Aubigny, Manitoba, as a grassroots organization for and of Manitoba writers. Our annual Dave Williamson Short Story Competitions open to writers across Manitoba. We actively encourage submissions from those who are 18+ years of age.
Prizes
Top prize: $ 1, 000 CAD
9 runners-up: $ 500 CAD
9 honorable mentions: Publication
All works from 10 prize winners and 9 honorable mention winners will be published in an e-book collection by the Manitoba Writers’ Guild. Proceeds from the sale of the e-book will be used to support future Manitoba Writers’ Guild writing competitions. Winners will be announced via e-mail a few weeks after the contest deadline.
Entry
Entry is free of charge to all writers. However, writers looking to improve their writing may choose to purchase an assessed entry ($ 10 CAD). With this option, you will receive a Google document with comments and suggestions on how to improve your writing on a sentence level, as well as a personal e-mail guiding you in growing as a writer.
Rules
Follow all the rules carefully to avoid being disqualified.
◆Write between 2, 500 and 5, 000 words and submit only your original, unpublished work.
◆Your submission will include a covering letter that contains your name, address, telephone number, and birth date.
◆We are accepting only e-mail submissions for this contest. Please make sure the file is sent as a. pdf,. doc/. docx or. txt document.
◆The deadline to submit your writing is December 19, 2023.
1. Who is the competition organized for?A.University students. | B.Local writers in Manitoba. |
C.Middle school students. | D.Writing enthusiasts in Canada. |
A.They can receive a cash prize. | B.They are given guidance on writing. |
C.They can have their entries published. | D.They are free to download e-books. |
A.Posting your writing by express delivery. | B.Sending your entry on December 18, 2023. |
C.Typing out a story of 4, 500 words. | D.E-mailing your entry as a. pdf document. |
2 . The Best Writing Contests of 2023
A.No entry fee is required. |
B.Local culture is the focus. |
C.There is maximum word count for entries. |
D.One entry per person for each week is allowed. |
A.Top prize winner will be awarded $300. |
B.It is open to anyone from across the world. |
C.Children’s stories on any theme are greatly appreciated. |
D.Contest entries should be submitted before July 31, 2023. |
A.Weekly Writing Competition. | B.Anthology Travel Writing Competition. |
C.Fiction Factory Flash Fiction. | D.Imagine 2200. |
3 . What Are the Physical Benefits of Exercise?
Exercise is often thought of as activities that help a person lose weight or prevent weight gain. Having a body that is slimmer and trimmer is certainly one of the physical benefits of exercise, but there are many others.
Exercising can help strengthen the muscles.
Diet pills may help a man shed weight but they will not help him build or strengthen his muscles. The physical benefits of exercise are generally experienced simultaneously.
Working out can make the bones stronger.
Exercise also strengthens bones, which becomes more important the older a person gets. Bones go through a natural process of breaking down the rebuilding.
Many people are concerned with looking older. Slowing and reversing the effects of aging are benefits of physical exercise. Cellulite (皮下脂肪团), for example, can make a young woman appear older than she is.
A.Many people want to change or improve their bodies. |
B.Taking regular exercise can reduce the effects of aging. |
C.As people grow older, however, the rebuilding process slows unless it is stimulated. |
D.Training also reduces the negative physical effects which a person feels when he ages. |
E.Exercise has the ability to help a person change his body shape, and make him stronger. |
F.The appearance of cellulite can be diminished with basic exercises such as walking or jogging. |
G.These include strengthening the bones, strengthening the muscles, and reducing the effects of aging. |
4 . Exercising regularly not only helps you keep slim, but also improves your overall health and well-being. Different exercises produce different results, as they focus on alternate parts of the body. There are four broad exercise categories: endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. Many people often only focus on one exercise type, but including all four in your workout will produce better results and reduce your risk of injury.
Endurance
Endurance exercises increase your breathing and heart rate. By doing endurance exercises, you are working to keep your heart, lungs, and blood-flow system healthy while improving your total fitness. Over time these activities will make everyday activities seem easier.
Strength
If you want to build up your muscles, then strength exercises, which are also known as “resistance training”, are right for you. Even the slightest increase in strength can make a huge difference in your ability to carry out daily tasks. Developing strong muscles also reduce your risk of weak bones.
Flexibility
Flexibility exercises help stretch your body’s muscles. This allows for more freedom of movement for other exercises and can also improve your range of motion, posture, ability to breathe deeply, and blood flow. Also, it reduces the muscle tension caused by stress.
Balance
Balance exercises help prevent falls and are especially important to older adults, helping them stay independent. Most good balance exercises are ones that keep you constantly moving with your feet on the ground. Heel-to-toe walking and standing on one foot are simple ways to improve balance.
1. How can a person benefit most from their exercise routine?A.By combining different exercise types together. |
B.By having enough rest between their workouts. |
C.By concentrating on one training aspect at a time. |
D.By increasing the frequency of their training gradually. |
A.Strength and Balance. | B.Flexibility and Balance. |
C.Endurance and Strength. | D.Endurance and Flexibility. |
A.Arms. | B.Legs. | C.Waist. | D.Neck. |
5 . Rollerblading is an excellent sport that just about anyone can enjoy. After you have mastered the basics of rollerblading, you can begin to master the sport. There are a variety of different methods and styles that you can try.
Some types of rollerblading, including free skating and aggressive skating, have a heavy emphasis on tricks. Free skating is a type of rollerblading that is primarily about getting from start to finish as fast as possible.
Some inline skaters prefer to go the way of inline speed skating.
Each of these sports requires different skills and is comprised of a different group of people.
A.Inline speed skating is all about racing |
B.Many people enjoy rollerblading just for the simple pleasure of exercise |
C.In addition to emphasizing speed, free skating often includes different tricks |
D.Free skating is set in an urban setting and participants must travel through streets |
E.Roller hockey is of course another, yet completely different form of rollerblading |
F.Those inline skaters can also try sports like inline figure skating and speed skating |
G.Each sport requires skill, and experience, as well as having different equipment requirements |
6 . Once popular sports in ancient capital Xi’an
As the capital of 13 dynasties throughout Chinese history, Xi’an has never been far from sports.
Cuju: Origin of modern soccer
Cuju first appeared in the anetent Chinese historical work Zhan Guo Ce, which described cuju as a form of entertainment. Later, cuju was played in the army for military training purposes. The earliest record of women cuju players can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Cuju was listed into China’s intangible cultural heritages in 2006.
Jiaodi: Chinese-style wrestlíng
Sumo, known as Japan’s “national sport”, actually originated in ancient China. Sumo was called jiaodi in ancient times. Jiaodi was performed by athletes wearing ox horns and wrestling with each other. In the Tang Dynasty, jiaodi was part of military training and a kind of entertainment and athletic sports.
Jiju: Ancient polo
Jiju is a sport which uses a stick to hit balls while riding on a horse, pretty similar to modern polo. It was popular in the Tang Dynasty. And it was also a major military training program in the army. There is a famous painting unearthed in a prince tomb in Shanxi province in 1971, which shows more than 20 men riding on horses playing polo.
Archery
The origin of archery was closely related with hunting and defense. Ancient archery was not only an athletic event and a military training program, but also part of education. In Zhou Dynasty, the archery was listed as one of the Six Arts. During the Tang Dynasty, archery was an important part of the Wuju Imperial Examinations, and five kinds of archery skills would be tested, including on-horse shot and flat shot.
1. Which sport is mentioned to be played by women?A.Jiju. | B.Jiaodi. | C.Cuju. | D.Archery. |
A.It was applied to education. |
B.It was similar to modern polo. |
C.It originated from horse riding. |
D.It was only performed by athletes. |
A.They are ball games. |
B.They had a military purpose. |
C.They date back to the Tang Dynasty. |
D.They were listed into China's cultural heritages. |
7 . Once Popular Sports in Ancient Capital Xi'an
The ancient capital Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province is holding the National Games. As the capital of 13 dynasties throughout Chinese history, the ancient city has never been far from sports. Starting from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the city has held many sports events.
Cuju: Origin of modern soccer
Cuju was an ancient Chinese competitive game involving kicking a ball through an opening into a net. As the ancestor of soccer, it first appeared in the renowned ancient Chinese historical work Zhan Guo Ce(“Strategies of the Warring States”), which describedCuju as a form of entertainment among the general public. Later, cuju was commonly played in the army for military training purposes, during the Han Dynasty.
Jiaodi: Chinese-style wrestling
Sumo, known as Japan's “national sport”, actually started in ancient China. Sumo was called jiaodi or jiaoli in ancient times. Ancient jiaodi,a Chinese-style wrestling, was performed by athletes wearing ox horns and wrestling with each other imitating wild oxen. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, jiaodi was highly favored by emperors. In the Tang Dynasty, jiaodi was part of military training and a kind of entrainment and athletic sports.
Jiju: Ancient polo
Jiju is a sport which uses a stick to hit balls while riding on a horse, pretty similar to modern polo. It was popular in the royal court and among common people in the Tang Dynasty. There were many fields for playing polo in the court and it was also a major military training program in the army. In the Tang Dynasty capital, there were formal polo courts, such as the stadium pavilion in Chang' an palace.
Archery
During ancient times, the origin of archery was closely related with hunting and defense. Ancient archery was not only an athletic event,a military training program, and an entertainment activity, but also part of education. As early as in Zhou Dynasty, the archery was listed as one of the six practical disciplines, also called the Six Arts, becoming an important and competitive form.
1. Which was popular in the army during the Han Dynasty?A.Cuju. | B.Jiaodi. |
C.Jiju. | D.Archery. |
A.Only by riding a horse. |
B.By hitting balls wearing ox horns. |
C.By kicking a ball through an opening into a net. |
D.By hitting balls while riding on a horse with a stick. |
A.They were only for entertainment. |
B.They all disappeared late gradually. |
C.They were military training programs. |
D.They all originated from Han Dynasty. |
8 . After getting married, I moved to an absolutely new town.
This could explain my enthusiastic “Count me in!” when
After the initial shock wore off, I found comfort in burying myself in
Mile after mile, I managed to step beside my running partners. We talked about our favorite music and
I have participated in multiple races since. Although running started as a
A.Relaxed | B.Excited | C.Embarrassed | D.Confused |
A.reputation | B.identity | C.connections | D.routines |
A.allowed | B.asked | C.reminded | D.required |
A.grateful | B.confident | C.awkward | D.crazy |
A.impossible | B.urgent | C.rewarding | D.pleasant |
A.socializing | B.studying | C.training | D.sharing |
A.high | B.climate | C.view | D.race |
A.listened to | B.made up | C.spread | D.exchanged |
A.stopped | B.deepened | C.returned | D.concluded |
A.new | B.more | C.lifelong | D.demanding |
A.Unfortunately | B.Obviously | C.Naturally | D.Finally |
A.failed | B.continued | C.paid off | D.caught on |
A.companions | B.opponents | C.coaches | D.judges |
A.series | B.means | C.habit | D.tradition |
A.chosen | B.forbidden | C.spread | D.replaced |
9 . BEST BODY FITNESS
About us
You don’t want just gym membership. You want membership that means something. And that means you need support, expert help and a community.
Best Body Fitness isn’t just a gym: it’s full-service fitness membership made for you.
Here’s how it works:
STEP ONE: Your assessment
We begin with an assessment session. This is a chance for you to see what we do at Best Body. Our assessment plans are no-cost and no-risk. We’ll also make a training plan specifically for you.
STEP TWO: Your training
When you decide to become a Best Body member, we show you what to do, how to do it and why you are doing it. After a few sessions with an expert private trainer you will feel comfortable working out on your own. But don’t worry, we’ll always be nearby if you have questions.
STEP THREE: Your membership
Membership works on a month-to-month basis. There are no sign-up fees and no cancellation fees. Start and stop whenever you want. And the best part? Our fees are the most competitive in the whole downtown area.
STEP FOUR: Your community
At Best Body Fitness, we see everyone as part of a big team. And when you work with a team, you can do great things. Join any of our specialized classes, led by expert instructors. Come to our nutrition classes. Participate in our regular social events. Everything is included in your fee.
Finally, share some reasons why our members have chosen us over any other fitness centre in the city.
It’s so EASY
Easy to start, stop, cancel or refund membership
Easy to access — we’re open 24/7, we never close
Easy to do exercise — we have lots of equipment, no long wait
Easy to find — in the centre of town, near public transport and with parking
1. Which statement about Best Body Fitness is correct?A.It provides you with a fitness assessment after training. |
B.It offers you a customized training plan. |
C.It allows you to work out without any fees. |
D.It asks you to work out on your own. |
A.Its price is quite good. | B.Its time is enough. |
C.Its classes are no-risk. | D.Its trainers are experienced. |
A.News report. | B.Speech. |
C.Announcement. | D.Advertisement. |
10 . Water skiing
Water skiing is an exciting water sport that can be a ton of fun. You will get to have a happy and joyful adventure every time you go out on the water.
For your first time water skiing, you may want to either take a lesson from an expert or find a friend that has experience and is willing to teach you.
A.It’s no hard task to learn. |
B.It takes a little patience to learn. |
C.Of course, no one can water ski alone. |
D.Once prepared, a skier can start the game on his own. |
E.You will also need a water skiing cable and a life jacket. |
F.Before you start water skiing, there are a few supplies you’ll need. |
G.Of your two helpers, you need one to drive the boat and one to observe. |