| A. brush B. draw C. state D. cautionary E. report F. run G. packed H. shot I. introduced J. phenomenon K. exceptional |
Rongjiang county, tucked away in the rainy hills of south-west China, has little going for it at first glance. The grey tiles covering houses in the county sea give it a rather drab feel. Locals often have to find work elsewhere, travelling to distant factories and construction sites.
Yet this summer it was Chinese from far-off cities who flocked to Rongjiang. They came to watch an amateur football league involving 20 of the county’s villages. It started in May and quickly became a
There are many reasons behind the popularity of the Rongjiang league, which is men only. Start with the
The Rongjiang league, by contrast, has an authentic, even wholesome feel. Football in the county dates back to the 1940s, when it was
The league’s cultural diversity is another
To the delight of officials at all levels, the league appears to have stimulated the local economy. During the Dragon Boat festival in June tourism spending
But there are concerns that the success of Rongjiang may be fleeting. Attracting crowds to this part of China is not easy. The city of Zibo, in the northern province of Shandong, provides a
Still, officials think they have found a winning strategy for the countryside. A new football league began this month and will
| A. included B. promising C. achievements D. proved E. transfer F. outstanding G. sign H. appearances I. scoring J. capture K. referred |
Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima was born on 22 September 1976 in a poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Like most of his childhood friends, Ronaldo began his football (soccer) career playing barefoot in the streets of his neighbourhood. At the age of 14, he joined Sao Cristovao football club and only two years later became the star of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in Belo Horizonte
Since his
Since the 1998 World Cup he has suffered serious knee injuries that have severely limited his
| A. peak B. bound C. considerate D. announced E. defeated F. related G. determination H. measure I. fever J. serve K. considerable |
It was very hot outside. The Chengdu Little Warriors were facing off against the Legendary Mighty Dragons of Beijing at a local indoor skating-rink (溜冰场). When I arrived, the Little Warriors, whose oldest player was eight years old, had just
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were praised as a success by almost every
If 2008 was about China getting a seat at the table, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games
While the audience for winter sports may still be a small, relatively rich group, it is growing. To prove his commitments (承诺) to winter sports, President Xi Jinping
With all these efforts, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games are
| A. essence B. amateur C. influential D. balanced AB. recognition AC. highlights AD. maximizing BC. overwhelmingly BD. talented CD. obsession ABC. prioritize |
When most of us recall our school sporting days, we tend to remember the friendships that were forged, the occasional personal
The problem is, perhaps unsurprisingly, more prevalent in boys' sport, and especially so in rugby, where independent schools still provide the bulk of future England internationals. At the same time, there has been a surge in the number of schools offering scholarships to
Chris Morgan, director of sport at Tonbridge, is a critic of these shifts towards becoming superstar sports schools, 'An increasing number of schools seem to be using sports scholarships as part of their business model,’ he says. ‘They place rugby above other sports as it seems to be more
As a result, some of Morgan's counterparts at other independent schools feel under pressure to focus on winning rather than
Several coaches feel that their efforts to
One director of rugby told me that whenever they lose a game, his headmaster calls a meeting on the Monday morning in which he demands an explanation for the defeat. ‘The head can't understand that sport isn't just about winning,’ he says.
So, with increasingly professional set-ups and a seeming
Certainly not, says Kevin Knibbs, Headmaster of Hampton School in South West London, and Chair of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference(HMC)Sports Sub-Committee ‘Independent schools understand that sport is hugely beneficial to young people. While there have been substantial improvements in the standard of sports facilities, coaching, and performance in independent schools over the past decade, this is
Most people get sweaty palms just staring at EI Capitan, a breathtaking rock formation i Yosemite National Park, California. Alex Honnold’s stayed dry. And this June, he managed to climb the 900-meter vertical wall, pulling on edges barely big enough for
Honnold could not
EI Capitan had been climbed
The achievement marks the latest in a series of milestones for sport climbing (竞技攀岩). In 2015, two other American Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, established a route up the Dawn Wall, EI Capitan’s
These have strengthened climbing’s position in the sporting circle in America and elsewhere. Google has invited Jorgeson to give a motivational talk to its employees. Climbing gyms have appeared around the globe over the past decade, making the event safer and more
