The 2024 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners across the Globe — Calligraphy and Painting Challenge has been officially announced (宣布), which will start   on April 1, 2024.

This competition invites painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language lovers from all around the world to take part in this exciting event.

Here we are calling on those who have interest to turn in their creative topics for the competition, with the topic selection process being decided by the public.

If you’re interested, feel free to turn in the topic that you believe fits the requirements of the competition.

Here are what you should follow:

Who can take part

The call for creative topics for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge is open to any Chinese language lovers worldwide, with no limitations on age or nationality.

When to turn in

If you’d like to take part, you’d better hand in between Jan. 15, 2024 and Mar. 30, 2024 (Beijing Time).

Announcement date

The selected topic for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge will be announced on Mar. 31, 2024, which also marks the official start for handing in calligraphy and painting works under the selected topic next day.

Methods to hand in

Participants (参与者) can send their topics and related information to Chinesebridge@chineseplus.net. “Chinese Bridge” also accepts direct messages on its official account on Facebook, Instagram, We Chat, and Weibo.

Tennis is an incredibly mental sport. 【小题1】 But it is also an incredibly difficult sport to play well.

It is very easy to self-destruct (自我毁灭) when playing tennis if you let your expectations and ego get the better of you. So, simply playing the ball that is in front of you is the simplest way to approach the game, along with taking each point at a time.

That being said, it is much easier said than done. 【小题2】 Even if it is as simple as playing to your opponent’s backhand as much as possible, or aiming to hit as many cross court (对角线球) balls as you can, it is important to have a plan of attack if you want to be successful on the court.

【小题3】 You may have the best plan in the world, but if you aren’t performing well enough to execute it or your opponent cottons on (领悟) what you’re trying to do, you’ll need to adapt, improvise and overcome. Adapting to new conditions, court surfaces, balls and playing styles is all part of becoming a better tennis player!

【小题4】 This means you need to be incredibly resilient (坚韧的) to play good tennis and overcome hardship. Don’t be too much bothered by some points you lose. Just learn from your mistakes but not let them get you down.

Tennis is also about playing the big points well and understanding that not all points hold the same weight across the course of a match. Putting disappointment behind you and trying to play the next point with a positive attitude can be very difficult to do. 【小题5】

Heads up! Across the country, sports injuries are a safety concern for young athletes. Now, the American Medical Association (AMA) has a new set of guidelines aimed at protecting players from the danger of concussions- serious injuries caused by a blow to the head.

“By raising awareness of the serious risks associated with concussions and ensuring that the appropriate guidelines are in place, we can reduce the number of young athletes who may return to the game too soon, which can put their health at further risk,” said AMA Board Member Jack Resneck Jr, MD, in a statement.

The policy recommends that young athletes who may have a concussion be taken off the field as soon as possible. Then, they are only to return to their sport with a doctor 's written approval. The policy also sets age-specific rules for health care professionals and athletic organizations in evaluating and caring for concussions.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (外伤性脑损伤) caused by a bump, or jolt to the head or hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This type of movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist inside the skull (颅骨). It can damage brain cells and create chemical changes in the brain.

The CDC says that between 1.6 million and 3.8 million traumatic brain injuries caused by sports and recreation-related activities occur in the U.S. every year. A study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy showed that as many as 40% of high school athletes return to playing before they should. The AMA' S new guidelines should help to bring those numbers down.