Races
Virtual (虚拟的) races — but the running is real! Here are some of the best online races.
RAINBOWS VIRTUAL 5K
This is a fun run designed to be completed in any way that is proper for you — whether you run or walk in the garden, dance and walk fast along with your dog. All the organisers ask is that you complete 5K — in one go or over several days of your choice.
£20, rainbows.co.uk/events/rainbows-virtual-5k-2020
MILTON KEYNES MARATHON WEEKEND VIRTUAL 5K
Part of the yearly September Milton Keynes running festival, this year you can complete the 5K virtually. Complete it in your own time — in the garden or on an exercise machine if need be. You can also complete it in smaller runs.
From £18, mkmarathon.com/virtual-race
10K GARDEN CHALLENGE
A virtual race you can complete in your garden or at a local open space or park. Put on your shoes and complete 10K as speedily as you can. The event helps raise money for mental (精神的) health, with 15% of the entry fee (报名费) being given to Bath Mind. By the way, the medal is environment-friendly.
£15, womensrunning. co. uk / news / keep-motivated-with-our-womens-running-virtual-challenges
ROCK 'N' ROLL VIRTUAL
Sign up with the virtual running club and compete in weekly events alongside runners from around the world. Challenges include running an 8K and 15K in one weekend or running a 15K within a 30-hour time window. Running challenges are all free to enter, but you can buy merchandise (商品) and medals if you want to add to your wall.
Free to join, buy your medals from £20, runrocknrollvr.com
At 15, Luca Patuelli landed himself in a hopeless situation when his skating days came to a stop. A leg operation — just one of 16 operations he went through to deal with a neuromuscular (神经肌肉的) condition made standing on a skateboard painful. "Both my favorite activity and the way I got around were taken away," says Patuelli, who grew up in Maryland. Then one day a friend took him to a break-dancing competition. "It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen," says the now 35-year-old. "I ended up dropping my crutches (拐杖) and doing what I called a super push-up" — with his hands planted, he raised his body and let his legs stay in midair. "The crowd went crazy. The cheering made me realize I didn't have to dance like them; I only had to dance like me."
In 2004, Patuelli started making waves in many international competitions, showing his talents (天赋) in France, Canada (he now lives in Montreal), and California; he also created moves for music videos and even landed a Cirque du Soleil audition (试演). Along the way, Patuelli, also known as Lazylegz, met differently-abled dancers and came up with an idea: "Create an all-star team to compete, perform (表演), and spread a message about what we can do."
In 2007, he formed ILL-Abilities, a global group of dancers. Current members include Redouan "Redo" AitChitt from the Netherlands, born without a right arm, and Samuel "Samuka" Lima from Brazil, whose right leg was cut after getting cancer.
In addition to wowing other breakers, Patuelli's team (which has toured Mexico, Poland, Rwanda, and beyond) performs what he calls "motivational entertainment" — a mix of dancing, discussions, and teaching — for everyone from elementary schoolers to old people. Patuelli says, "We get people moving and thinking about how to make society more accessible. I think of us as a group of superheroes with different powers — the X-Men of dance!"
My friends and I were hanging out in Chinatown on a Saturday morning and followed a group of locals. The six of us walked into a small dim sum restaurant and found the host stand. No menu needed, we had been famished. I felt like I could eat a horse. Before being seated at a large round table with my friends, I was nearly bowled over by carts (推车) a few times. We were taken to a big round table and were served with hot tea at once.
One of the carts that nearly hit me was pulled up beside us, and a Cantonese lady moved to the different round bamboo steamer baskets (蒸笼). We looked wide-eyed and waited for her to tell us more about each dish, but that moment never came. She didn't speak English, and none of us knew Cantonese.
So we ended up with a few recognizable treats: steamed pork buns, egg custard tarts, shu mai and turnip cakes. To the left, someone tasted steamed dumplings, and to the right, someone's face was scrunching up (扭成一团) after tasting chicken feet. When I say I fell in love with shu mai, a type of traditional Chinese dumpling, please know that I fell hard. I had to order some more because the dumplings were too good to get lost in the crowd of bites.
While the small plates made me half wish I'd gotten twice the food, the feeling was so wonderful. Something about sharing dishes while sharing stories and laughs really made friends feel closer, and the meal being more enjoyable meant eating to the sounds of happiness rather than in terrible silence. Experiencing the whole tradition of tea and mouthwatering dishes really made me understand a culture that sees food as a means of bonding (联系). While the restaurant was exciting, we left feeling calmer and closer.
Salt is important. But if we eat too much, it may cause some diseases, such as high blood pressure. That's bad. We do, however, have to make sure we include salt in food that we eat every day. There are many kinds of salt you can buy. Some are cheap, others expensive. One of the many reasons that some salt is more expensive than others is that it contains more minerals. One of the finest salts you can buy is called bamboo salt and it's made in South Korea.
When it comes to Korean food, you will probably think of kimchi. If you have ever tried kimchi, you will know that it can be salty. It's unlikely that bamboo salt is used in the production of kimchi. But like kimchi, bamboo salt has a very long history. Koreans used bamboo salt thousands of years ago. Dr Kim II Hoon began producing the bamboo salt we can buy today in the early twentieth century. When he died in 1992, his son took over. It takes a long time to produce. The process (工序) goes something like this.
Sea water is evaporated (蒸发), leaving the salt. This is put into three-year-old bamboo cases. The bamboo is covered with natural clay, rich in minerals, then baked for up to fifteen hours. The salt hardens and the bamboo burns away. The hardened salt is then ground into a powder (粉末). The process is repeated seven more times. It is then heated a ninth time up to 1,700 degrees Celsius. When the salt cools down, it is as hard as stone. Its colour has changed from grey to purple. The stone is once again ground down and is ready to use.
The repeated heating process removes the impurities (杂质) from the salt. The bamboo gives the salt sweetness not found in other salts. It is high in many minerals including potassium, phosphorus and iron. Bamboo salt is said to be good for many different illnesses. These include helping digestion (消化) and managing blood pressure.
Many people say they don't like the taste of most vegetables. The good news is there are many ways to prepare vegetables that are not only healthy but delicious as well.
Take the time to talk to the local growers and find out which vegetables are in season. You'll get the best flavor from foods that are grown locally and picked fresh. If there is no farmers' market in your area, talk to the grocery (食品杂货店) produce managers. They will more than likely be happy to share buying tips and preparation ideas that can make vegetables taste much better.
If you're convinced (确信) you can't stand the taste of vegetables, chances are they just need some extra flavor — seasonings (调味品). Think about the foods that you actually do enjoy. You can often use those same seasonings to make vegetables taste better.
You maybe say you still can't accept the taste of vegetables. For example, make pizza crust (饼皮) out of cauliflower (花椰菜), which many people find still delicious even if it's not close to the real thing. And then top your pizza with your favorite sauce, cheese, and meat. You can also add vegetables to your favorite sweet fruit juice recipe. For example, when carrots are added to strawberry juice, they add sweetness and color.
A. You'll forget you're also eating vegetables.
B. What seasonings are used to prepare them?
C. Start by visiting your local farmers' market.
D. If so, try hiding them in some of your favorite foods.
E. Make sure you always have fresh vegetables on hand.
F. Why not wash your vegetables with water before preparing them?
G. Many grocery stores also provide recipe cards with new ideas for cooking.
I had been eating and cooking typical Midwest meals for years, and I have to say there weren't many different kinds of food at dinner. After I married, my husband told me it was time I 1 my comfort-food comfort zone (舒适区).
When he 2 to take me to dinner at a nearby restaurant that served a grand buffet (豪华自助餐), I accepted 3. I thought I couldn't go wrong, and 4 yards and yards of comfort foods.
We gave the server our drink order and then 5 the other hungry people choosing the buffet. I turned left, and he went right. I filled my dish with salad, topped with my 6 dressing and returned to our table. Then my husband returned with a dish filled with crab (蟹) legs.
He smiled across the table at me. "Have a(n) 7 of the crab legs," he said.
I lifted a crab leg, and then 8 it. It smelt strange. I looked around, 9 someone would rescue me, but no one 10. They were busy with their own crab legs.
"Come on. It'll be good for you to try something new," my husband said.
At last, I took the courage to give the crab legs a 11. I managed to break the shell (壳) and cut my finger on the shell. I finally 12 using the tip of my knife to dig bits of meat out of the shell. I'd never had to work so 13 for a meal. 14, it tasted good. I 15 the rich, sweet taste.
Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations or staying very thin. Rather, it's about feeling great, having more energy and improving your health.
Healthy eating doesn't have to be overly complicated (复杂的). It seems that for every expert tells you a certain food is good for you, you'll find another saying exactly the opposite. The truth is that while some specific foods have been shown to have a beneficial influence mood (心情), it's your overall dietary pattern (模式) that is most important. Eating food that is as close possible to the way nature made it can make a huge (different) to the way you think, look, and feel.
Starting a healthy diet doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing. You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to (complete) give up foods you enjoy, and you don't have to change everything all at once — that usually only leads to (give) up your new eating plan.
A much (good) way is to make a few small changes at a time. Keeping your goals modest (适度的) (help) you achieve more in the long term. Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable (step) — like adding a salad to your diet once a day. You need (make) your small changes become habits.
I was excited as I walked into the classroom. Today was my birthday! I set down the box of treats I had brought for the class. Birthdays were a big deal in our classroom. The birthday person brought treats for the class, and he or she got to choose someone our teacher called "the birthday helper" to pass them out. My friends, Andrea, Crystal and I had talked about choosing each other on our birthdays. I still hadn't decided which of my two best friends I was going to choose. I knew both of them were expecting me to pick them, but I just couldn't decide. I didn't want either one of them to be mad at me.
A loud shout stopped my thoughts. "Hi, April!" shouted Lisa.
No one liked Lisa. She had dirty hair that looked like it always needed to be washed. The kids made fun of her a lot. She annoyed me sometimes, too, but I tried to be nice to her.
"Did you bring treats today?"
"Yes," I answered. "Today is my birthday!"
Lisa's parents were divorced (离婚的), and her dad gave her and her mom lots of problems. Lisa once told me that I was the only friend she had. At times I felt embarrassed (尴尬的) to hang out with her, but she never seemed to notice when I didn't want her around.
The bell rang, and we quickly went to our seats. Our teacher, Mrs. Doughty, started class, and I pushed aside my thoughts. The rest of the morning flew by, and soon it was time for the lunch break.
Mrs. Doughty announced (宣布) that today was my birthday. I forced a smile, but my stomach turned over. I retrieved (取回) my cupcakes at the back of the room and slowly went to stand beside Mrs. Doughty. I didn't know what to do! Should I choose Andrea or Crystal?
Then Lisa caught my attention.
"No one ever chooses me on their birthday!" she said loudly. Her face looked so sad. I saw the hurt she felt from the rejection (嫌弃) she constantly faced from our classmates.
注意：
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Suddenly, I knew my decision.
……
Just before I rushed out to catch the bus after school, Lisa stopped me.
