A gymnastics balance beam (平衡木) is just 4 inches wide, but whether it sits an inch off the floor or the standard 4 feet, the challenge it causes for excellent gymnasts is the same.
That's how gymnast Morgan Hurd explains it. "Beam is one of those things that are more mental than anything," she said. "If you can do it on the floor, you can do it on the beam." That's the way she is taking as she trains for the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games in the living room of her Delaware home.
First State Gymnastics has been her training site since fifth grade but it is closed because of the coronavirus (新冠病毒) pandemic. Hurd has only one piece of gymnastics equipment: a balance beam that is quite close the ground and is roughly half the standard length of 16 feet, 5 inches. But she has no uneven bars (高低杠) in her house. "The hardest thing will be bars just because that feeling can not be replaced, no matter what you do or how strong you are," Hurd said.
These days, Hurd's self-directed training includes two workouts daily, three hours in the morning and another two hours in the afternoon, six days a week. She regularly talks to Slava Glazounov, who has been her coach since fifth grade. Hurd is in charge of her practising, such as the stretches and exercises that keep up her strength.
Equally important to Hurd is staying in touch with her teammates on the U.S. national team.
Sunisa Lee is a close friend, who, in April, shared a video of herself in her yard.
Greece restarted regular ferry (轮渡) services to its islands, and cafés and restaurants were also back open for business to rescue its tourism .
Travel to the islands had been generally off-limits since a lockdown was carried out in late March to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with only goods suppliers and locals allowed to enter. But the country's low infection rate (感染率) in the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged the government to start the holiday season three weeks earlier than the expected June 15 date.
At Bairaktaris restaurant on central Monastiraki Square in Athens, waiters and other workers wearing face masks, prepared various dishes, arranged flowers on tables and waited for customers, who remained cautious. Spiros Bairaktaris, the owner, is carrying on a family business running for 140 years and has hung pictures on the wall of himself sitting next to supermodel Naomi Campbell, singer Cesaria Evora, and other famous customers.
Greece has had nearly 2,900 infections and 171 deaths from the virus. Italy has seen nearly 33,000 coronavirus patients die, Spain has had nearly 29,000 deaths and Turkey 4,340, according to a record by Johns Hopkins University.
Social distancing rules and passenger limits have been introduced on ferries and at restaurants to prevent new infections. State-run health services to fight the coronavirus are being provided to the islands.
Tourism is a vital part of the Greek economy, directly contributing more than 10% of the country's GDP. More than 34 million visitors traveled to Greece last year, spending 18.2 billion euros ($19.5 billion), according to government data.
If you grew up watching the kid's television channel Nickelodeon, you will probably understand that there is nothing greater than enjoying its special bright green slime (水晶泥). The week of May 11, astronauts (宇航员) aboard the International Space Station(ISS) joined the slime.
Nickelodeon sent two kilos of its green slime into space in the summer of 2019. The Slime in Space project's idea was to create an educational trip for teachers to use in class. The green slime was also used to guide astronauts through a series of experiments that were designed to learn more about how slime acts in microgravity.
Researchers from Portland State University (PSU) were excited to design the experiments for the project. Mark Weislogel and his partner designed eight shows for NASA astronauts and European Space Agency astronaut aboard to perform.
If you're wondering what we could hope to learn from sending slime into space, the answer lies in its very name. Slime is slimy. This is because it is a liquid that is thicker than liquids like water. This makes slime act in unexpected ways in the microgravity of the ISS. Improving our understanding of how thicker liquids act in space may help us improve the design of systems that something were designed with Earth's gravity in mind.
"Interestingly, we consider liquid on Earth as that takes the shape of its container," Koch tells CNN. "Water just turns into a ball in microgravity, so we've had to have a new understanding of different kinds of matter in space. This experiment shows how microgravity can help us understand things on Earth, especially the things we take for granted."
When I learned that a psychology class designed to teach students how to become happier was available online to anyone who wanted to take it, I decided to see what it was about. After taking the course, I believe that anyone who follows the suggestions can truly become happier.
Increase social connections.
Talking with a friend face to face will make you happier. My boyfriend loves chatting with waiters, and I notice that he always wears a wide and happy smile after having a meaningful talking with them. Actually, many studies have found that the more social media, the less happy you are.
Volunteering to help someone or buying a coffee for the person behind you in line can make you happier, because helping others takes the focus away from our own worries and problems, which can increase happiness. If you perform the same act of kindness over and over, it may begin to feel like a duty.
Burn some calories.
Exercise causes hormonal (荷尔蒙的) changes in the body that make you feel good and avoid negative thoughts. And after ten months, they are less likely to be depressed (沮丧) again.
A. Buy someone a coffee.
B. Perform acts of kindness.
C. My favorite tips are as follows.
D. However, changing your way is very important.
E. But a meaningful meeting with a stranger also works.
F. As is reported, it is of great importance to exercise regularly.
G. A research shows that depressed people exercising regularly improve a lot.
My father, a soldier, was ordered to move again. It came as a 1 because we had just moved into the present duty station a few weeks before.
It was the fourth time we'd got to move to a 2 place in just two years, which was truly our "home" in Hawaii that we'd only 3 through my father's music with ukulele (尤克里里).4 was the thing that connected my father with Hawaii, a reminder of his home and5.
Everything was 6 this time. We were just arriving, but he was already 7to leave again without us. Our father, the person who could make us 8 the "new" family, was gone. Suddenly, we were surrounded by cousins who 9 knowing each other, joining in a cultural 10 of which we only knew the surface. We were 11 in the family.
One day, I 12 my father's ukulele that I had watched him play was 13 in the corner. When I tried to play it, though unskillfully, I felt closer to him and our Hawaiian roots. Then I picked up an old song book, and 14 myself to play. I would play and sing, 15 my father had been here. Finally my father16with a newly-bought ukulele, and we had a mini concert. He was17 that I had learned so much.
What I really 18 was that music has the 19 to do truly extraordinary things20 us with our culture and each other, our past and our present.
Out of a home bakery (烘焙) in Bowie, Maryland, a young businessman gives one cupcake away to someone in need, for each one he sells. Behind the operation is 14 -year-old Michael Platt. He runs a company model is based on another company of charity.
Platt recently got order for a few dozen cupcakes, and as promised, he doubled the order and packed up the extra cupcakes to bring to (home) people on the streets. Now, he focuses his business and charity, hoping to open several grocery (store) for people who want to shop for affordable things. As if (run) the bakery and charity is not enough, Platt partners with No Kid Hungry and (raise) money for the organization which helps children in need of food.
On Top of all of that, Platt recently gave a TED talk on being a young businessman. "Kids can do what they love to do and also be able (help) people," he said. "If everyone does what they can to end a problem that they're (interest) in, then the problem will end." The audience were (great) inspired by his story.
Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient times. Most ancient festivals wouldthe end of cold weather, planting in spring andin autumn. Sometimes celebrations would be held afterhad caught animals. Today's festivals have many origins, some , some seasonal, and some for special people or events. Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to the ancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. The most and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the coming of spring. the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings, fish and meat and may give children money in red paper. People love to get together to eat, drink and have with each other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our and forget our work for a little while.
Surprises are beautiful because they come without waiting. It was not so true for Nancy though. She was sure her younger sister, Kate, was planning a surprise for her birthday. Opening the curtains of her bedroom window, she hungrily drank in the fresh morning air. Nancy was turning 30 today. "Keep calm. It's only your 30th birthday." she thought to herself, quickly glancing at the mirror and looking away. She never liked looking at the mirror. It always reminded her of what she had suffered. She didn't want to think of the past and all that it had done to her.
Over these years she had worked at different factories and cleaned the floors at big hotels where perfumed men and women floated easily. Ever since their parents died, her only goal was to educate Kate. Nancy didn't go to her dreamy university. Her emotions came running back to the present. Quickly, she wiped her tears and rushed to the door.
"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost." Kate was her dream, her hope, her happiness and her precious possession. She meant everything to her. Kate was so outstanding that she was admitted to Harvard University. And today, Nancy was sure Kate would surprise her with a gift like she did every year. Nancy imagined the freshly baked chocolate cake that would welcome her. Her tongue was eager to lick up the soft, brown cream and her teeth were ready to bite it. She heard the sound of Kate's footsteps coming towards her. She waited smiling.
It seemed like an endless wait. Finally, she heard her younger sister approaching her room. Her eyes lit up, steps turned into a spring and her heart was pounding. She sniffed the air to catch a breath of the chocolate cake but she couldn't. "Maybe it is not chocolate flavor this time." she imagined with pride. Her sister was a grown-up now. She could surprise her with something else.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
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Paragraph 1:
Kate walked into her room empty-handed. ……
Paragraph 2:
Kate handed her a brown envelope. ……
