1 . Over the past few decades, children have been taking part less in free play and more in organized sports. While participation in organized sports has both social and physical benefits for young children, concerns about safety and benefits increase as participants get younger.

Though most children are naturally likely to be physically active, not all kids are willing to get up and move. Soccer coach Joseph Luxbacher says, “Every kid has the potential to be a good sportsman in different kinds of sports. Participating in organized sports such as the school soccer team introduces direction to children’s physical activities. Following a team schedule gives kids a set time and place to exercise. As a result, kids can be safe from accidents and be protected against hurt.”

What’s more, participating in organized sports gives children time to communicate with others and showing good sportsmanship. For young children who may still be very self-centered, participating in team sports teaches them to think about the group and encourages them to be happy about the success of their teammates. Kids can also benefit from spending time with their coach and having a chance to develop a positive relationship with an adult other than their parents, especially if the coach is both skilled and devoted to being a positive mentor.

Playing organized sports requires a lot of time for practice and games, so it would seem that this could influence students’ study. Actually it can ameliorate students’ test performance. That’s because to play organized sports well, players have to memorize information, do repetitive actions, and learn from teammates. All these types of learning skills can make students score higher.

Though it can come from many different sources——parents, coaches, teammates or themselves——many children who participate in organized sports feel pressured to succeed. While a little stress can be helpful in leading children to perform with increased focus and strength, too much stress will leave young kids feeling very tired. Organized sports are more likely to put the right amount of pressure on them.

2 . We all put our hands in the middle, ready for the “TIGERS!” shout. Andrew looked up, his face wrinkled in confusion, and then loosed in relief he said, “Whoa, for a second I forgot there was a girl on this team. I was wondering why there was one hand with painted pink nails!” The guys laughed, and I smiled, once again reminded how cool it was that I was different. “1, 2, 3, TIGERS!” and we were off to the field.

My adventures as the only girl on my all-boys middle school football team were always interesting. Football is known as being predominantly male. But I love football. Ever since I could walk, I would get around the fields. My dad is a huge football fan, and we spend many Saturday afternoons playing football in the yard or watching games. Football is in my blood. So when signups came for the 7th- and 8th-grade team, I signed up. Who says a girl can’t do it?

Back to Grade 7. Though it was strange for the guys to have me there, and a few felt embarrassed when they heard they’d be tackling a girl, they got used to it. The coach treated me like anyone else, and the boys learned to also. I did the drills, I tackled people, and I got tackled. By the time I got home every night, my body literally crumbled into my bed. But it was all worth it. Game days were everyone’s favorite. Football is a team sport of passion, pride and love. The coach would always tell us, “We win as a team: we lose as a team!”

To play well we needed to work as a team. Different as I was being the only girl, it didn’t matter. One person, one girl, is not a big thing. I was a part of the team. The coach got us all together, and we’d once again shout “TIGERS!”

The FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off on Sunday (November 20th local time) with a ceremony. Even     1     a home team to cheer for, Chinese fans and enterprises remain     2     (enthusiasm) about the Qatar World Cup. Chinese elements     3     (spot) everywhere at Qatar World Cup 2022.

Support from China has come in a more concrete way, with most of the tournament’s stadiums, its official transportation system and its accommodation facilities     4     (feature) contributions from Chinese builders and     5     (provide) .

The 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium,     6     is scheduled to host the eye-catching final game, was designed and built by China Railway International Group.

Doha’s first ever Panda House officially opened to the public on Thursday.

Chinese referee (裁判) Ma Ning and two assistant referees, Cao Yi and Shi Xiang, have     7     (appoint) to judge at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to a list     8     (release) by FIFA.

Products made in Yiwu, ranging from whistles to themed mugs and pillows have enjoyed nearly 70 percent of the market share of World Cup merchandise.

More than 1,500 buses from China’s leading bus maker Yutong are running on the streets of Qatar. To promote their brands overseas    9     (quick) , Chinese enterprises have provided more sponsorship revenue     10     the host than companies from any other nation.

4 . The match was nearly over and I was almost on my last legs, when I saw a chance. I picked the ball up from Sally and headed for the German penalty area(罚球区).

“Jess!” I could hear Jules shouting as she ran alongside me. “Pass!”

I looked up and hit the ball forward into space. Jules ran on to it, picked it up and hit the ball into the net. It was just as good as Beckham’s last-minute goal against Greece!

Two minutes later, the referee(裁判) blew the whistle for full-time. A draw.

“Penalties,” Jules said, with a wide smile on her face.

Although it wasn’t usual to finish a friendly with penalties, both sides had decided that it would be a nice idea. Joe came on to the pitch(球场) to give us a quick pep talk. Maybe he wouldn’t choose me.

“OK, Jules, you go first,” Joe said. “Then Mel, Tina, Hannah and—Jess.” I tried not to look relieved that I was last. With any luck I wouldn’t have to take my turn, if the match was decided before that.

The Germans went first and scored. So did Jules. The Germans scored again. So did Mel. After a third German goal, Tina was looking nervous, but she was lucky because her shot went in off the post.

My stomach was turning over and over as Hannah stepped up to take our fourth penalty. If Hannah scored, it would be all down to the last German penalty-taker—and me.

Hannah rolled the ball smoothly into the left-hand corner of the net. I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself down. If the next German player scored, I’d have to take my turn. I closed my eyes, willing her to fail.

A loud roar around the stadium told me that she’d scored. The referee signaled me to come over and with heavy steps I walked over to place the ball on the spot. I was really tired and my legs felt like they were made of lead. Behind me I could hear the girls yelling encouragement.

I made a superhuman effort and ran towards the ball, but even as I hit it, I knew it wasn’t right. I groaned as the ball hit the crossbar and bounced away into the crowd.

5 . Scientific study has shown that strengthening the muscles (肌肉) we use to breathe is beneficial. A daily dose of training for the breathing muscles helps reduce high blood pressure.

To test what happens when breathing muscles are given a good workout, Daniel Craighead, a physiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder and his colleagues invited healthy volunteers aged 18 to 82 to try a daily five-minute technique using a training device (设备) called PowerBreathe. When people breathe into it, the device provides resistance, making it harder to breathe in. “We found that doing 30 breaths per day for six weeks lowers blood pressure and the reductions are about what could be expected with traditional exercise such as walking, running or cycling,” Craighead says.

“I think it’s promising.” Craighead says about the future of strength training for the breathing muscles into preventive care. It could be beneficial for people who are unable to do traditional exercise, he says, and the simplicity is appealing, too, given people can easily use the device at home.

But the technique is not intended to replace exercise, he reminds, or to replace medication for people whose blood pressure is so high that they’re at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke (中风). Instead, Craighead says, “it would be a good additional choice for people who are doing other healthy lifestyle approaches already.” This is the way Theresa D. Hernandez, 61, sees the breathing exercises. “It was a surprise that something as simple could be so effective in terms of its impact,” says Hernandez of the six weeks of breathing exercises. Her blood pressure dropped significantly so that she would not need to take medication and she says she plans to stick with it—five minutes every day.