2 . Gyms that profit most from the January rush

Every year, like clockwork, many people go through the same routine. On December 26^th and January 1^st, as the fog of cheese, chocolate oranges and champagne lifts, regret creeps（悄悄出现）in. Online searches for “get fit” and “lose weight” increase.    1    “Intent typically takes seven to 14 days to turn into reality,” notes Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive of Pure Gym, Britain’s largest gym chain. So this week will be one of the busiest for the gym industry globally.

Many gym recruits（新成员）will have their new sportswear on for high-intensity interval training. In the basement of Another Space, a club near London’s Leicester Square, music pumps and light flash as a trainer shouts instructions to a group of mostly young women. They are pushed through bursts of burpees, handclap push-ups and various kick and punches at boxing bags. The training is murderous.    2    Such high-end gym can charge up to eight times as much as low-cost ones, based on two visits a week over a year.

They are at one end of a fitness market.    3    America’s market leader, Planet Fitness, promises “the best value on the planet”, and has over 10 million members; its shares rose in 2017. One in seven people in Britain is a gym member, and 35% of private memberships are low-cost, up from 14% in 2013, according to Leisure DB, a data firm. Mid-range clubs, meanwhile, have fared less well. Virgin Active recently sold its less luxurious facilities in Britain to avoid being squished（压扁）in the middle.

Pure Gym expects soon to reach 1 million members. Part of its appeal is that, unlike traditional gyms, members are not bound by a long contract. “We have taken a £500 decision and turned it into a £20 decision,” says Mr Cobbold.    4    Most new joiners do not plan to spend much money. But gyms proper on non-attendance. According to IHRSA, an industry body based in Boston, fewer than half of gym members in America hit the treadmill（跑步机）at least twice a week—until the exercise cycle begins anew the following January.

3 . The TheatreWorks Writers’ Lab:

a development space for worldwide writers

24-HOUR WRITING COMPETITION

A programme of TheatreWorks Writer’s Lab

LET YOUR IDEAS SPARK

5 Stimuli

24 Hours

1 script

Are you up for it? Anyone can discover a new you through the competition!

The 24-hour writing competition organized by TheatreWorks Writers’ Lab is back for its 9th year!(Held at the peaceful seaside resort, Aloha Changi, the challenge is on again to stimulate one’s heart and mind to produce a script within 24 hours.)

TheatreWorks Writers’ Lab has for the past 16 years discovered and nurtured new talent, and provided research and development opportunities for existing writers.

Dates: Thu 29 July (4 pm) to Fri 30 July(4pm) 2010

Venue: Aloha Chanji

Competition Categories     Prizes for each category

Youth Category 1st Prize: $800

15 to 18 years 2nd Prize: $500

Open Category 3rd Prize: $200

19 years and above Merit Prize: $100

Registration Fee Registration Deadline

Youth-$25   15 July 2016

Open-$25     Limited to 100 places

Visit www.theatreworks.org for a registration form.

5 . Whether it is tossing the Frisbee (掷飞盘) on the campus or representing your town in the local baseball league, sports remain prevalent in American society.

Athletics begin at a young age. As they learn to walk and talk, kids in America also learn to run, throw and kick. They are _________ to sports at a young age so that they form a habit of remaining _________ and fit, while also _________ themselves. Most towns offer a “Parks and Recreation” program, which sponsors various educational physical activities, such as sports summer camps or monthly hikes. _________, towns often create youth leagues that _________ children to complete against other towns. These programs, run by volunteers, stress not only skill development, but also values of _________ and enjoyment no matter what the outcome.

Athletics continue at more _________ levels throughout elementary school to university, with extracurricular programs playing a development role and training students to perhaps even eventually become _________.

At the professional level, spectator sports have become a staple (重要部分) of American tradition and culture. Families and friends gather around the television or endure hours of _________ to support their favorite teams, while these athletes are made into international celebrities.

Professional sports in the U.S. are largely __________ by the Big Four Leagues: the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL). With teams __________ major cities, these spectator sports draw large crowds and are followed almost __________ by some fans.

Soccer has __________ to rise to prominence in America; however, with their performance in the 2010 World Cup and more exposure to Europeans teams through the arrival of star such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry, Major League Soccer (MLS) in America as a spectator sport has certainly __________.

International competition is rare and often considered not as __________ as the domestic leagues. However, during the Olympics and the World Cup, Americans do rally around their countrymen to perform at the international level.

7 . In sport the sexes are separate. Women and men do not run or swim in the same races. Women are less strong than men. That at least is what people say. Women are called the weaker sex, or, if men want to please them, the fair sex. But boys and girls are taught together at schools and universities. There are women who are famous Prime Ministers, scientists and writers. And women live longer than men. A European woman can expect to live until the age of 74, a man only until he is 68. Are women’s bodies really weaker?

The fastest men can run a mile in under 4 minutes. The best women need 4.5 minutes. Women’s time is always slower than men’s, but some facts are a surprise. Some of the fastest women swimmers today are teenage girls. One of them swam 400 meters in 4 minutes 21.2 seconds when she was only 16. The first ‘Tartan’ in film was an Olympic swimmer, Johnny Weissmuller. His fastest 400 meters was 4 minutes 49.1 seconds, which is 37.9 seconds slower than a girl 50 years later! This does not mean that women are catching men up. Conditions are very different now and sport is much more serious. It is so serious that some women athletes are given hormone injections. At the Olympics a doctor has to check whether the women athletes are really women or not. It seems sad that sport has such problems. Life can be very complicated when there are two separate sexes!

Every year, millions of people want to lose weight or get into shape but lack the time or motivation to go to a fitness club or to do an exercise programme at home on a regular basis. Many of these same people have probably considered hiring a personal trainer, a fitness professional who guides clients through individualized workouts. Most personal trainers work in fitness clubs, but some conduct business in their own private studios, or in the homes of their clients. The job of a personal trainer is to teach safe and effective exercise techniques that are designed for the specific needs and limitations of the client. A trainer can be hired for short-term or long-term periods, depending on the client’s needs.

Mark Jenkins is a personal trainer who has become famous for his work. In recent years, more people than ever have developed a fitness passion. In the United States, there is an ever-growing demand for fitness products and services, which is caused by a number of factors. For a start, there is an increasing population of people over age fifty-five who want to stay fit. In addition, the growing obesity problem among adults and children alike — a problem Jenkins can identify with — needs to be addressed. As a child, Jenkins was so overweight that other children tagged him with the nickname, “Suck in the Gut”.

Finally, there is an acceptance among Americans that spending money on fitness is not only good but also a virtue. The demand for all things related to fitness has created a great demand for personal trainers, which is expected to increase 27 percent in the United States by the year 2016, according to the US Bureau of Labour and Statistics.

Becoming a personal trainer requires taking extensive courses. It can take anywhere from six months to two years to become a certified trainer, depending on the programme.

10 . Kobe Bryant

After 10 seasons wearing the No. 8 on his back, Kobe Bryant will become No. 24 next season. The reason for the surprising decision by the Los Angeles Lakers super guard last week has become a hot topic for debate.

Bryant wore No. 8 when he was in early high school, but he changed to No. 33 in his senior year. He switched to No. 8 when he was selected by the Lakers in 1996, and has been not changed since.

Bryant has refused to explain the decision until the end of the play-offs. So guessing Bryant’s motive has become a popular game among NBA fans and newspaper columnists.

There are all kinds of speculations. Many say that Bryant wants to leave the past behind and have a fresh start. He has often been criticized for playing to benefit himself and not the team as a whole. Others say that he may be trying to compare himself to Michael Jordan. Jordan was famous for his No. 23 jersey. Some, such as NBC Sport columnist Michael Ventre, argue that it is “all about money”. Bryant will make more money by selling new jersey to his fans.

Some speculations are more about fun. For example, there is an opinion that Kobe is actually just a dihard fan of the popular TV drama “24”.

All this talk has turned the number changed into a major issue. It seems that there is a lot of fuss over something that should be pretty simple.

Jersey numbers have their own special significance in American sports, especially basketball. Players choose their number when they join a team and they usually stick with that number for the rest of their career. When a great player retires, his team will honor him by retiring his number.

To some extent, the jersey is the player, and the player is jersey. Thus, when you see the famous No. 23 for the Chicago Bulls, you immediately think about Michael Jordan. A No. 32 Miami Heats jersey recalls the image of Shaquille O’ Neal, and the Houston rockets’ No. 11 belongs only to Yao Ming.

Lots of stories are behind players’ jersey number selections. Jordan said that he chose No. 23 because it was roughly half of 45. Jordan’s elder brother wore the No. 45 in college. Yao Ming once revealed that the No. 11 stands for two people in love—meaning him and his girlfriend Ye Li.