The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A. D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world's best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome's Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city's Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations—not to mention the modern sports fans desire for a good view and a comfortable seat—tend to keep stadium capacities(容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the Word Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
●Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang，D. P. R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1, 1989
●Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity:107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
●Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
●Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944 Opened: October 7, 1922
●Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
People have been enjoying the benefits of cycling(骑自行车) in Amsterdam(阿姆斯特丹) for years. It is a good city for cycling because it is flat and there are plenty of places for bicycle parking. Today some people call Amsterdam the "City of Bicycles" because of the convenience for bicycles there.
In the 1960s，a group of cycling fans had an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren't allowed in the city centre and only bicycles were. They were hopeful that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighbourhoods around Amsterdam for people to use. Then a problem came—thieves took all the bicycles within weeks!
However, more than thirty years later, the "white bike" is back in town—this time with a computer chip (芯片) to record its every move! To take a bicycle, you have to insert(插入) a special card. The new "white bike" is not actually white but is an unusual design with bright colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them have to take them to another special parking place that has enough room.
There is already less traffic in central Amsterdam because both locals and tourists have been using the white bikes. Instead, thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, like the cycling fans in the 1960s, many people around the world have been enjoying city centre streets without cars many years.
Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50－kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport's rules require that a race walker's knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It's this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says. According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories (卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1，000 or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner's knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport's strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
Is Fresh Air Really Good for You?
We all grew up hearing people tell us to "go out and get some fresh air. " According to recent studies, the answer is a big YES, if the air quality in your camping area is good.
If the air you're breathing is clean-which it would be if you're away from the smog of cities-then the air is filled with life-giving，energizing oxygen. If you exercise out of doors, your body will learn to breathe more deeply, allowing even more oxygen to get to your muscles(肌肉) and your brain.
Recently, people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈). In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery. It turns out that just looking at green, growing things can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and put people into a better mood(情绪)。Greenery is good for us. Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead. It gives us a great feeling of peace.
While the sun's rays can age and harm our skin, they also give us beneficial vitamin D. To make sure you get enough vitamin D—but still protect your skin—put on sunscreen right as you head outside. It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working, and that's plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day's worth of vitamin D.
A. Fresh air cleans our lungs.
B. So what are you waiting for?
C. Being in nature refreshes us.
D. Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.
E. But is fresh air really as good for you as your mother always said?
F. Just as importantly, we tend to associate fresh air with health care.
G. All across the country, recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.
I was walking home from school one day and it happened to be a particularly cold and windy day. All of a sudden, an old lady drove up beside me and asked if I would like a ride 1. At first, I said it was OK and her2smile melted(融化) away the thought that I should never talk to3! We had an amazing chat and she was just such a good woman. She told me her 4and she dropped me off.
I didn't see her or talk to her for about a month and one night as I5 her kind gesture, I decided to return the favor. So, I made a lot of6and walked down to her house with my friend. At first I was a bit7 she wouldn't remember me or think that I was a bad man who poisoned cookies but luckily, I was8 wrong. She was so happy, and she hugged me and kissed me and seemed so9that someone would do something like that!
When I got home my mom told me that she 10and told my mom on the phone that she11 because she was so touched. She said she would never12 the kindness that was given to her! That filled me with such 13! There is really nothing else joyful like helping14 and making someone's day15!
Let us never forget the joy we get by giving others a hand!
As is (know) to all, the Olympic Games are the most important events in the world. They were first held in ancient Greece 776BC. And the events were named after the city Olympia. Slaves and women could not be allowed to take part in the ancient Olympics, and the (athlete) were all from the same country.
In 1896, first modern Olympics opened in Athens, the capital city of Greece. From then on, the Olympic Games (take) place every four years. Athletes from the whole world can take part in the (importance) events，whether they are men or women. The five rings on the Olympic Flag stand five continents and the union of the whole world.
China didn't become a member of the modern Olympics the 1950s. And in 1984, Xu Haifeng became the first Chinese that won an Olympic gold medal in shooting. With the development of China, Beijing finally succeeded in (hold) the 2008 Olympics, during which the five Fuwa mascots(吉祥物) (deep) impressed the whole world.
