1 . Baseball is known as the national entertainment in America. As children, many Americans play baseball in Little League teams. Later, some go on to play in Major League Baseball teams.     1    

The game itself is fairly easy to play. There are two teams of nine players each.     2       These bases are about 30 meters apart and are known as first base, second base, third base and home. The part of the field closest to the bases is called the infield. The part further away is the outfield.

During the game, a pitcher ( 投手) from one team throws a ball to a batter (the person holding a baseball bat) from the opposing team. The batter, who is standing on the home plate, tries to hit the ball and run around the bases.     3     The main objective is to score more runs than the opposing team.

The first recorded game was played in 1846 in Hoboken, New Jersey. And since then, baseball has grown in popularity.     4     Some of the most famous players from the past include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, and Jackie Robinson.

Famous modern players include Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter who play for the New York Yankees, Manny Ramirez who plays for the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Mauer who plays for the Minnesota Twins, and Albert Pujols who plays for the St Louis Cardinals. A player doesn’t have to be from the state he plays for, so baseball teams are very diverse.     5     Every year, the teams trade players.

Paragliding is a kind of flying, but instead of the wing being made of metal, wood or plastic, it is made of nylon or polyester. The wing is attached to a harness by lines where a pilot sits, similar to a parachute.

Is it safe?

Paragliding, is as safe as sailing and deep-sea diving. The big advantage is that it’s probably the slowest form of aviation, so if you do crash, you'll hit the ground quite gently! It’s a very relaxing sport as you're mostly sitting down. Yet, you’ll probably experience pain in some muscles you didn’t know you had while learning, but many of those will be due to the walk up the training hill to launch.

Where do I learn?

There are lots of schools, mainly based inland by appropriate hills or mountains, and there are also schools on the coast near spectacular cliffs. These are very attractive, though the prospect of landing in the sea seems to discourage beginners! It takes seven days to get your basic license; then you’re free to fly independently at sites across the country.

What do I need?

Pilots normally wear warm clothes in case they get very high up, and a helmet in case they stumble on landing. In terms of gear, schools supply basic training, canopies, harnesses, etc. However, you'll probably want to buy your own more sophisticated equipment, which you’ll be able to choose much better once you’ve tried some out on your course.

Who can do it?

There’s no upper age limit provided your instructor judges you capable, but the youngest is 14. Anybody with good eyesight and good balance is a potential paraglider pilot.

Flying a paraglider is a great sport. We hope to see you in the air with us this season!

3 . Here is a brief guide to every sport at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Alpine skiing, 11 gold medals awarded

The disciplines include downhill, the fastest event; super-G, with more turns added; giant slalom (回转), still more turns; and slalom, the slowest and most technical event.

Biathlon (冬季两项), 11 golds

Take the endurance test of cross-country skiing and shake it up very few kilometers by having athletes stop to shoot at targets. Too many misses, and skiers must take a penalty lap. Germany, France, Sweden and Norway should dominate the medals.

Figure skating, 5 golds

The strong Russian team swept the top three spots in the women’s competition at the last world tournament, with now 17-year-old Anna Shcherbakova on top. American Nathan Chen’s potential duel (对决) with Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, the 2014 and 2018 Olympic champion, could be a highlight of the Games.

In the pairs event, Sui Wenjing and Han Cong could bring the gold to the host nation.

Freestyle sking, 13 golds

There are six disciplines. In the aerials and the new big air event, skiers launch themselves of a ramp and perform flips (空翻) and spins. In half pipe, they perform in a U-shaped bowl, and in slope style, they ski down a course with rails and jumps. In moguls (雪上技巧赛), they ski over a bumpy course and are judged on turns, jumps and speed. The only event that is timed instead of judged is ski cross (障碍追逐赛), in which skiers race against one another in groups of four.

Speedskating, 23 golds

Long-track speed skating is dominated by the Dutch. They won seven of 14 gold medals in 2018 and eight of 12 in 2014. Short-track provided China with its gold of the 2018 Games. South Korea will also be a major contender.