A Californian woman has become a fitness influencer in her 50s after losing more than 40 pounds and taking up bodybuilding.

Denise Kirtley, 52, was inspired     1     (turn) her life around two months before her 50th birthday after finding that her wedding ring no longer fit on her finger.

“When I     2     (start) my transformation in 2020, I had been sedentary (惯于久坐不动的) for     3     long while,” Kirtley explained. She began lifting light weights in her spare bedroom, saying she was     4     unfit for the first two weeks that she quickly felt     5     (breath) and tired. But Kirtley said the secret to     6     (get) started on a body transformation is     7     (simple) to repeat workouts five times per week because action “often precedes (先于) motivation.”

“Action leads to more action. We can’t wait for motivation to kick in as it usually comes     8     (late),” she said. “If you can start taking action, any action, you will build momentum (推进力). That momentum will push you forward. It DOES get easier.”

The 52-year-old said she’s also transformed her attitude toward growing older. “We really do get to choose     9     we age. It’s all about your mindset,” she said. “Old and aging are very different — there’s nothing wrong     10     aging, and I embrace (欣然接受) my age. I’m aging, but I’m strong and spirited.”

For many years, the Future City Competition has brought together young people to create visionary(幻想的) designs,     1     (require) skill and imagination. This year’s theme, “The Age-Friendly City,” invited students to design small cities,     2     would enable older people to live     3     (independent).

The competition, which     4     (encourage) students to hone (磨炼) their engineering skills while working to create a better world, is open to kids in    5     (grade) six through eight. After more than 44, 000 students participated in regional competitions, finalists    6     (choose) for the top competition.

The grand prize went to “Halona,” a city of the future    7     (create) by students from Edlin School in Reston, Virginia. The team researched and developed their model city     8     the help of teacher Vasantha Ayala and volunteer mentor ( 导师) Nandhini Kuntipuram. For their grand prize,     9     Edlin students won $7, 500 for their school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program.

Tom Chmielenski, a computer software engineer, served as a judge. “It’s very nice as an engineer to see young people have these futuristic ideas,” he said. “We can’t wait     10     (see) what the future holds.”

“World record broken!” On Aug 12, 2022, 17-year-old Ma Jiajun from Jilin excitedly posted    1     (he) certificate (证书) on social media, with a picture of him from Guinness World Records.

He has set a new world record for “the most consecutive jump rope triples (连续三摇跳绳)” with 701 times. Ma is more than 180 centimeters tall, but he used to be short and thin in primary school.     2     (build) a stronger body, he took part     3     the school’s jump rope team. At 9, he competed in a national game and     4     (successful) broke a record. “My coach said I have a talent in this sport and suggested that I should keep doing it,” said Ma. So he joined a jump rope club and kept training for six     5     (year).

“The training was much     6     (hard). I needed to practice every day for at least four to fivehours,” Ma said. “The jump rope triple has a high standard for physical ability. Every night     7    I lay on my bed, my arm and back were in pain.” But     8     kind of strong wish to break the record keeps him going. “My favorite TV show is Guinness China Night (《吉尼斯中国之夜》). I always dreamed of     9     (get) a certificate of my own,” he said

After breaking the record, Ma     10     (catch) lots of attention from the public and said “I hope more people could enjoy jump rope, since it’s good for your health and full of fun.”

“Village Basketball Association” or “Village BA” is     1    grassroots basketball tournament in Taipan Village, Taijiang County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. Organized by local residents, the sport     2     (gain) popularity over the years, so it draws a large crowd of spectators and participants alike.

    3     March 27, the team of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture won the title by     4     (beat) the team from Zunyi City 68-65. Some 20,000 spectators watched the game. The champion collected fragrant rice, a local specialty, and a Miao silver hat     5     (handmake) by an inheritor of intangible (非物质)cultural heritage skills as their award, besides the trophy and medals. A day ago, the team of Tongren City beat the team from Bijie City 57-50 in the bronze medal game. The game attracted more than 30,000 spectators, nearly double the average regular season attendance at an NBA game.

The village-level basketball     6     (compete) has been part of activities to celebrate the Chixin Festival,     7     falls on the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar. Local authorities have upgraded the     8     (surround) facilities and added more than 20,000 seats     9     (improve) the spectator experience. According to statistics from the Guizhou Sports Bureau(体育局), the “Beautiful countryside” basketball league has held over 5,000 matches,     10     (effective) driving the development of local tourism, culture and economy.

It was a soccer match     1     no red carpet, no stars and no professional players, but at least 50,000 spectators watched it on-site and millions of others online.

At the Village Super League finals in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, Saturday night, very few people were concerned about the final score. It was the passion and sportsmanship of these amateur players and the cheerful, warm and relaxing atmosphere on the field       2     inspired the crowd.

“The match itself is more important than its result,” said Dong Yongheng,     3     team is named after his village, Zhongcheng, the Chinese word for     4     (loyal). “By running, fighting and giving my all on the field, I am reminded that I still have a deep passion for life and soccer.”

Dong runs a snack bar in the village but has loved soccer since he     5     (be) very young. In this Village Super League season, which began on May 13, he scored multiple goals,     6    (make) him popular among the spectators who     7       (close) followed the matches.

All the players in the Village Super League come from different     8     (walk) of life. Some are students, while others are butchers, construction workers, drivers or businesspeople. Among the referees are schoolteachers, government workers and villagers. But all are united in their passion for soccer.

For spectators who have traveled from across the country     9    (witness) one of China’s most popular sports events this year, the Village Super League is more than a midsummer soccer fest. It is also     10       successful campaign (运动) presenting everything unique about Rongjiang county, including its culture, landscape, folklore and food.

MedalMad was created     1     (help) inspire and motivate people to be active. We have built a virtual community that supports each other to achieve their personal     2     (fit) or running goals and ambitions.     3     (take) part in MedalMad virtual runs or challenges is easy with a free virtual challenge app to track your challenges and runs. You can jog, row, cycle, swim, walk or roll your way to your amazing medal. You can even do a combination of all, or any.

The Hangzhou Asian Games served as not just a platform for Asian athletes    1    (compete) in sports, but also a crucial stage to present the cultural     2    (diverse) of Asian nations.

“The Hangzhou Asian Games provided    3    unique opportunity for people from 45 countries and regions to come together.” Yasuhiro Inomata said.

“This holds significant importance in promoting intercultural exchanges, as well as developing peace regionally and    4     (globe),”Inomata added.

“The massive scale of this year’s Asian Games not only reflects the development         5    (achievement) in sports throughout Asia, but also     6     ( symbolize) the unity of Asian people,” Raja Randhir Sing said, noting that the Hangzhou Asian Games presents a positive image of the mutual love and friendship    7     (share) by Asian people.

“     8    spectators, we felt that the message of unity and love was not just words but a feeling that reminded us that, despite our differences, we are all interconnected and    9    (harmony) like one big family,” Kharaz, a reporter from Palestine, said.

“The Asian Games are an important platform    10    diverse traditions and cultures met,” Samir al-Musawi, head of the Iraqi delegation to Hangzhou, said to Xinhua.

Yangshan Half Marathon (马拉松), one of the most popular rural races in China, took place on March 28 in Yangshan town, Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu province.

The race was part of the 25th Yangshan Peach Blossom Festival,     1     included a photography competition, a short video contest, a culture and arts festival.

Yangshan,     2     (locate) in west Wuxi’s Huishan district, is famous     3     its tasty and juicy honey peaches, which ripen between June and August.

The annual Yangshan Half Marathon, hosted three times from 2017 to 2019 (with a break due to the pandemic in 2020),     4     (be) a major event combining sports with local tourism features.

The half marathon race, which stuck to the same course as before, has been     5     (significant) upgraded (升级) and expanded this year     6     (show) the rural revitalization (复兴) efforts of west Wuxi as well as showing off Yangshan’s famous tourist     7     (attraction).

Pu Xiangfeng, deputy head of Huishan’s bureau of culture, sports and tourism, said the event this year was     8     hit.

“I really liked the marathon course. The spring in Wuxi is beautiful and the country life in Yangshan is     9     (comfort).” said Yu Tong, a sport teacher from Hubei province who won the first place in the men’s half marathon,     10     (add) that he would definitely join the race in Yangshan and Wuxi again.

Carrying the Flame of Inspiration

Excited, proud, and even a little emotional, I experienced a rush of different feelings when I passed the flame of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou,     1     capital city of Zhejiang province, on Saturday as one of the 600 torchbearers (火炬手).

Although from different backgrounds, we 600 torchbearers all have something in common: Our deep respect for the para sports movement and the spirit in     2     these sports are contested. The flame that I carried was passed on by the first torchbearer of the relay, powerlifting Paralympic and world champion Tan Yujiao. The Rio and Tokyo Paralympic gold medalist is     3     (particular) proud to attend the Asian Para Games at home, both as a torchbearer and an athlete.

“My heart is just like the flame right now. I used to be a kid with     4     (disability) who could not even attend our school’s PE classes, and now I’m a para athlete who is aiming at     5     (break) my own world record. Life presents me with the     6     (tough) tests, and I have lived my life in the most beautiful way,” said Tan.

When I was informed that I     7     (choose) for the honor, I asked myself one simple question: What will I actually pass through the flame? I think my fellow torchbearer Tan summed it     8     better than I could: “What I hope to pass on is the spirit of the para athletes that enables them     9     (fight) against all odds to win and chase excellence. I also want to pass on their positive energy, their     10     (confident) and strength.”

Considered as “one of the best ever”, the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou has been    1     (high) praised.

“Technically, we have had one of the best Asian Games ever,” said Vinod Kumar Tiwari, acting director general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). “We have about 12,000 athletes participating in the Games. The number of officials and the technical officials    2    (be) 4,975 and 4,700, respectively, and over 12,000 media personnel have attended.” Tiwari said.

A total of 478 gold medals have been produced in various events,    3     saw 15 world records broken, 28 Asian records    4    (renew), and 150 Asian Games records bettered, according to Xu Deqing, chief spokesperson of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

“We    5    (achieve) the most successful Asian Games in history by far,” said Chen Weiqiang, executive secretary general of the organizing committee. “This edition of the Asiad has integrated Hangzhou’s rich     6     (history) heritage, surging     7     (innovate), vitality and distinct value pursuit into various aspects.” Chen said the Asiad has also perfectly combined art    8     technology, and it has showcased the beauty of Hangzhou’s landscapes and technological confidence to the world.

Wei Jizhong, honorary life vice-president of the OCA, said, “More than three million tickets had been sold as of Saturday,    9     (generate) more than 600 million yuan ($82.5 million) in revenue. We don’t rank Games against one another on which was the best.    10    , in terms of the Games in China, I give it a mark of 100.”