No Pain, No Gain: Dodgeball
① Cricketers and baseball batters are used to evading balls hurtling towards them at frightening speed.
② But even they might feel intimidated when stepping onto a dodgeball court.
③ Players competing at the World Dodgeball Federation's global championship next week in Toronto will do battle in a space just 18m (59ft) in length, and with only knee pads to protect them.
④ The fastest throwers fire their heavy rubber projectiles at more than 70 miles (113km) per hour.
⑤ Despite the danger of a crunching headshot, the sport enjoys worldwide popularity: teams from Pakistan, Hong Kong and Mexico are attending, while the rival World Dodgeball Association has held continental championships in Africa and Asia this year.
⑥ America, however, is the sport's home.
⑦ It boasts 9.7m players, a professional league and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story", a hit Hollywood comedy whose characters trained by dodging flying wrenches.
⑧ A hard-knock life, for some.
建议在Wi-Fi下观看视频
生词好句
dodgeball /ˈdɒdʒbɔ:l/: n. 躲避球
cricketer /ˈkrɪkɪtə/: n. 板球手
batter /ˈbatə/: n. 棒球击球手
evade /ɪˈveɪd/: vt. 躲避
hurtle /ˈhə:t(ə)l/: vi. 疾驰；飞奔
knee pads: 护膝
rubber /ˈrʌbə/: adj. 橡胶的
projectile /prə(ʊ)ˈdʒɛktʌɪl/: n. 投射物
a crunching /krʌn(t)ʃ/ headshot /ˈhɛdʃɒt/: (被) 咔咔爆头
Pakistan /ˌpɑ:kɪˈstɑ:n/: 巴基斯坦
continental championship: 洲际锦标赛
boast /bəʊst/: vt. 以…...为骄傲；以......为荣
wrench /rɛn(t)ʃ/: n. 扳手
"Remember the 5 D's of dodgeball:
Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge."
Patches, a character in A True Underdog Story
