1 . The 2024 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners across the Globe—Calligraphy and Painting Challenge has been officially announced.
This competition invites painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language enthusiasts from all around the world to take part in this exciting event.
Participants are encouraged to submit their creative themes for the contest, with the theme selection process being determined through public nominations.
If you’re interested, feel free to submit the theme that you believe fits best with the requirements of the competition.
Here are the requirements:
Who Can Apply
The call for creative themes for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge is open to any Chinese language enthusiasts worldwide, with no limit to age or nationality.
Submission Dates
Submissions will be accepted from June 15, 2024, to 12:00 PM on June 30, 2024(Beijing Time.)
Announcement Date
The selected theme for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge will be announced on July 1, 2024, which also marks the official start date of the submission period for works under the selected theme.
Submission Methods
Participants can send their theme and related information to chinesebridge@chineseplus.net. “Chinese Bridge” also accepts direct messages on its official account on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, and Weibo.
1. Who can be invited to the competition?| A．Tom who is crazy about Spanish. |
| B．Sandy who is creative in writing. |
| C．Lucy whose nationality is Chinese. |
| D．Bill who loves Chinese and calligraphy. |
| A．June 12, 2024. | B．July 1, 2024. |
| C．June 20, 2024. | D．July 15, 2024. |
| A．To build a competition organization. |
| B．To provide information about a competition. |
| C．To announce the opening of a competition. |
| D．To collect creative themes for a competition. |
2 . Regular physical activity had nearly doubled cardiovascular (心血管的) benefits in individuals with depression or anxiety, compared with individuals without these diagnoses, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session.
The research findings add to mounting evidence that exercise improves cardiovascular health by helping to activate parts of the brain that counteract stress. Overall, the study found that people who achieved the recommended amount of physical activity per week were 17% less likely to suffer a major harmful cardiovascular event than those who exercised less. These benefits were significantly greater in those with anxiety or depression, who had a 22% risk reduction vs. a 10% risk reduction in those without either condition.
“The effect of physical activity on the brain’s stress response may be particularly relevant to those with stress-related mental conditions,” said Hadil Zureigat, MD, postdoctoral clinical research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and the study’s lead author. “This is not to suggest that exercise is only effective in those with depression or anxiety, but we found that these patients seem to get a greater cardiovascular benefit from physical activity.”
Rates of both depression and anxiety have risen during the outbreak of flu, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. The study findings underline the important role of exercise in maintaining heart health and reducing stress, according to the researchers.
“Any amount of exercise is helpful, particularly for those with depression or anxiety,” Zureigat said. “Not only will physical activity help them feel better, but they will also significantly reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. It can be hard to make the transition, but once achieved, physical activity allows those with these common chronic (慢性的) stress-related mental conditions to hit two birds with one stone.”
1. Who can get the most cardiovascular benefit from regular exercise?| A．Someone with little brain capacity. | B．Someone with abnormal heart rates. |
| C．Someone diagnosed with depression. | D．Someone with fear-related mental conditions. |
| A．Double. | B．Resist. | C．Awaken. | D．Transport. |
| A．Physical exercise is vital to mental health. |
| B．Physical exercise can cure those people of flu. |
| C．Exercise merely works for those with depression. |
| D．Exercise accelerates the recovery of all mental patients. |
| A．Physical Activity Can Prevent Chronic Disease |
| B．Heart Disease Remains the Leading Cause of Death |
| C．Rates of Depression Have Risen During the Outbreak of Flu |
| D．Workout Is Very Good for Stress-related Patients’ Cardiovascular Health |
Curly the robot beats athletes at curling
A robot has beaten top-class humans at the sport of curling (冰壶运动). Klaus-Robert Muller at the Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany and his workmates built the robot,
In curling, players slide heavy stones down an icy path towards a target (宫垒). Players compete in two teams of four, with most players
Curly won three out of four
Placed on wheels, the robot has
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词.
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉.
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词.
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分.
Last Friday's afternoon witnessed the annual English Speech Contest at school, which was such great that many students thought highly of it. Over twenty students took the part in the competition. As the competition began, participants gave speech and answered a few questions for judges. In the last hour, three participants in the final competed fiercely, offer excellent performances. The results came out soon and the winners awarded.
The competition is really meaning and inspirational. Actually, it is not just a simple competition and an important platform where students can express them in English and build up their confidence in English learning.
5 . Nature soothes(抚慰)our stressed-out souls. We know that nature is the best prescription, and new research suggests we can gain benefits while visiting parks.
"In general,we found park visitors reported an improvement in emotional well-being(幸福感)after the park visit.”the study's lead author and University of Alabama at Birmingham professor Hon K. Yuen said in a statement.“
For the study, 94 adults visited three city parks in Mountain Brook, Alabama, completing a questionnaire about their subjective well-being before and after their visit.
The study group was truly small. as the study's co-author and another UAB professor, Gavin Jenkins, acknowledges.
| A．Something was used to track their physical activity. |
| B．You usually visit a small green space in your neighborhood. |
| C．However, its findings pointed out the importance of city parks. |
| D．If you want to feel happier, you just need to exercise for 20 minutes in a park. |
| E．The best part is that you needn't visit a national park or go far out of your way. |
| F．This means people can benefit from visiting a nearby park, regardless of physical ability. |
| G．But we didn't find levels of physical activity are linked to improved emotional well-being. |
1. 活动过程；
2. 你的感受。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
An Experience of Chinese Paper-Cutting
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7 . The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included on December 17, 2020 China's Tai Chi on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was announced during the online meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held from December 14 to 19 in Kingston, capital of Jamaica.
“Born in the mid-17th century in a small village named Chenjiagou located in Central China's Henan province, Tai Chi is not only a kind of traditional Wushu integrated with slow movements and deep breathing, but is also deeply rooted in many areas of Chinese culture, such as medicine and philosophy,” Zhu Xianghua says, who is the son of the famous Tai Chi master Zhu Tiancai.
Although it has spread to more than 150 countries and regions, attracting more than 100 million people to practice, the idea that Tai Chi is for the elderly has stopped many young people practicing the ancient Wushu. They think of it as a slow exercise, which is specially made and better suited for their grandparents. Instead, many young people are turning to the Indian practice of yoga to relieve stress, which was placed on the UNESCO's List in 2019.
In order to promote Tai Chi, joint efforts have been made from individuals and the Chinese government in the last decades. Xi'an Jiaotong University requires students to learn Tai Chi. Wang Yunbing, a professor in the university's sports center, stressed that Tai Chi is not only good physical exercise-researchers from the American College of Rheumatology find that it can help manage several diseases but is also conned ted to ancient Chinese civilization. Since 2014, the World Tai Chi Championships have been held every two years by the International Wushu Federation. It provides a platform for communication and learning between the Tai Chi masters and Tai Chi lovers around the globe. In January 2020, Tai Chi became an official event in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.
1. What does Zhu Xianghua say about Tai Chi in paragraph 2?| A．It originated from fast Kung Fu action. |
| B．It was born around the 1750s in a village. |
| C．It is related to other cultural fields of China. |
| D．It integrates Chinese medicine and western philosophy. |
| A．They think it easier to practice yoga to keep fit. |
| B．The elderly stop young people practicing Tai Chi. |
| C．They consider Tai Chi is custom-built for old people. |
| D．Yoga was included in the world culture earlier than Tai Chi. |
| A．To promote contemporary Chinese civilization. |
| B．To show many efforts made to popularize Tai Chi. |
| C．To stress the importance of Chinese Tai Chi masters. |
| D．To advise people to practice Tai Chi to cure diseases. |
| A．Tai Chi Steps on the UNESCO's List. |
| B．Tai Chi is Competing against Yoga. |
| C．Tai Chi Has Regained populate Globally. |
| D．Opinions Greatly Differ on Tai Chi and Yoga. |
8 . Grace Brown leads a busy school life. Apart from the many
The school day
“Virtual” P. E. is becoming more and more
As for Grace, she has
| A．reviewed | B．evaluated | C．required | D．recommended |
| A．lasts | B．begins | C．happens | D．breaks |
| A．meetings | B．ceremonies | C．parties | D．activities |
| A．choice | B．time | C．rest | D．gift |
| A．precious | B．ample | C．specific | D．own |
| A．available | B．apparent | C．suitable | D．familiar |
| A．approaches | B．directions | C．technologies | D．lessons |
| A．playing | B．exercising | C．cycling | D．studying |
| A．records | B．copies | C．searches | D．spots |
| A．give away | B．hand in | C．take in | D．pick up |
| A．pleasant | B．vital | C．awkward | D．popular |
| A．Previously | B．Temporarily | C．Usually | D．Presently |
| A．setting | B．kicking | C．scoring | D．sending |
| A．optional | B．challenging | C．favorite | D．diverse |
| A．seek | B．analyze | C．distribute | D．meet |
| A．applied | B．added | C．offered | D．mentioned |
| A．invention | B．experience | C．tradition | D．trend |
| A．examination | B．education | C．health | D．development |
| A．knowledge | B．ability | C．body | D．league |
| A．move | B．learn | C．compete | D．build |
9 . 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. |
Martial Arts had its origins in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. During the following Qin and Han Dynasties, wrestling, swordplay and spear skills became well developed and were popular among civilians and troops. In the Song Dynasty, various schools, boxing styles, movement sets
Martial Arts is a series of fighting styles
Although being fighting styles, Gong Fu
