“Classroom on wheels” teaches woodworking skills to young people

Handing power tools over to young students could result in some    1    situations. But if those tools are combined with effective supervision and teaching, the students can learn valuable new skills and might even find a new career path.

One such programme, in Washington, DC, aims to teach woodworking and finished carpentry skills to teens and young adults. It includes a woodshop, completely    2    inside a truck, that acts as a kind of “classroom on wheels”.

The Mobile Woodshop programme was    3    by the non-profit Zenith Community Arts Foundation. It is currently based at Ballou STAY Opportunity Academy in Washington, DC. Ballou STAY is an    4    education programme that offers students job training and has a high school graduation programme for adults over age 23.

Margery Goldberg, Zenith’s director, said the goal of the woodshop is “to get people jobs”. Goldberg is an artist, wood sculptor and long-time member of the DC art community. She had long dreamed of creating a mobile woodshop to assist students. That dream finally came true in 2020, when the city gave her a large    5    for the programme.

Students at Ballou can learn the same skills as a beginning carpenter would. These include cutting, marking, measuring,     6    and how to use different tools. The class textbook provides step-by-step instructions on how to make things like simple wooden bird houses, to more    7    wooden containers and objects. The truck is equipped with all the instructional materials and tools necessary to operate as a complete mobile classroom. Mobile workstations are also    8    so students can work on projects outside the truck.

Joe Largess is a teacher at the woodshop. He said much of the class centres on teaching students “soft skills”. These are skills that are    9    in all jobs, such as teamwork, having a strong work ethic, being able to follow instructions and arriving at work on time. Students also learn basic skills like maths and how to read a ruler.

Goldberg believes woodshop programmes can help prepare the next generation of woodworkers. She said other schools in Washington have expressed interest in the mobile woodshop and the programme might be    10    in the coming years.

【推荐1】Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Boat of Power

Dragon boat racing began in China more than 2,000 years ago as part of a cultural community event to memorize the ancient poet, Qu Yuan. The traditional holiday was a time to perform    1    for good fortune and well-being, and to drive off evil spirits. Over time, dragon boat racing    2    into a global sport.

The Toronto-based Dragons Abreast team stands out at this sport for a few reasons. For one, the79-member team includes people ranging in age from 30 to 93. Prior to joining Dragons Abreast, some members hadn’t been part of a sports team since childhood and wouldn’t have described themselves as particularly athletic ones. And what has brought these women together is something    3     — living with breast cancer.

The breast cancer survivors on this team are in the same boat in every way. For many, being part of a community that knows    4    how life changes after breast cancer is as beneficial as the physical gains. The team offers a supportive space to    5    all the complexities of survivorship.

“I was so surprised at how    6    the racing was for me,” says Liz Johnston Hill, the race coordinator for Dragons Abreast. “It’s almost overwhelming how people encourage, no matter what.”

Being out on the water and connecting to the environment is an important aspect of dragon boating for many of the team members. They talk about how it provides    7    of peace and encourages mindfulness, something we could all use more of in our lives. Outside of dragon boat, the members are a(n)    8    part of each other’s life. “We’ve all been through    9    the same thing in our various ways,” says the race coordinator Liz Johnston Hill. While the number of breast cancer survivor teams grows, barriers to the sport remain such as cost, time,     10    to water and practice facilities and the lack of cultural and language diversity. But there are ongoing efforts to introduce more people living with breast cancer to dragon boat.

Shanghai Is Full Speed Ahead

After decades of experience in the field, Shanghai is strengthening its reputation as a global leader in     1     top-level, professional sports events.

Last month’s Shanghai Sailing Open, held from March 26—31 on Dishui Lake, was a typical example of the city’s world-famous excellence, attracting over 300 competitors, including a six—time world champion of Poland, a gold medalist at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and China’s former Olympic champion Xu Lijia;     2     in sailboats and yachts, sailors sang praise on the competition environment and overall atmosphere of the event.

Shanghai’s     3     to developing its sports scene has been key to this success. In 2015, the Shanghai government     4     a plan to speed up the development of its sports industry, including a proposal to develop the city into a world-renowned sports hub within 10 years.

According to the “2023 Shanghai sports event influence     5     report”, Shanghai held 118 major sports events last year, with 36 of those international-level events, including the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters, the Shanghai Marathon, and the Shanghai Half Marathon, which were rated as the city’s most     6     sports events last year.

This year, besides the recent Shanghai Sailing Open and various district-organized half marathon events, the city will continue to     7     sports competitions such as the Shanghai Half Marathon, the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and the Olympic Qualifier Series.

The success of sports development in Shanghai is closely     8     to a policy of top-level construction. In addition to top—level international competitions, top—tier home teams, and professional leagues, brand events are staged year-round to     9     the city’s characteristics. Linking sports with culture, commerce, tourism, and exhibitions is another feature of the city’s sports environment, helping to     10     maximize the economic benefits. Spectators can expect to be treated to the very best in urban sports and that organizers will strive to provide a warm atmosphere of sports, art, music, and culture.

The Great Wall Marathon

The Great Wall of China is one of the new wonders of the world, with breathtaking views. In 1998 Soren Rasmussen     1     the idea of organizing a Great Wall marathon. Rasmussen and two running experts chose a route along part of the Great Wall. The marathon has taken place annually in May since 1999. In the initial event, just 292 runners participated but numbers have gone up     2    —in 2015 there were 2,500 runners from over 160 countries.

The Great Wall marathon is considered to be one of the toughest in the world. The part of the route that is actually on the Great Wall includes two exhausting up-and-down sections about 8 km long with 5,146 steps. It’s such a steep climb in parts     3     it’s hard to walk up—never mind run! The weather is hot and humid, with temperatures of around 30℃, but it can be hotter. Part of the route passes through a dry river bed with huge boulders (巨石). Runners who arrive there later in the day find it challenging because the boulders have become so hot that it’s like     4     a sauna.

So who does the marathon? Surprisingly, the marathon attracts both professional     5     and people who want to run for fun or simply do something different. Some runners stop every 10-15 minutes to take photos, chat to the locals and enjoy the scenery! If the thought of doing such a marathon horrifies you, then you can do a half marathon or an 8-km fun run instead.