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94_Future_Champions

94 Future Champions

Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water. It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool. A game (that is very popular with these young swimmers) is the underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water. The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool. Many pedal their tricycles but most of them prefer to push or drag them. Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for breath even once. Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us (who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air).

实验证明，儿童在很小的时候就可以开始学习游泳。在洛杉矶的一个特设的游泳池里， 孩子们甚至在还没有学会走路时就已经能熟练地在水下屏住呼吸了。两个月的婴儿并未显得不愿意入水。 他们很快便适应了游泳，以致能捡起池底的物品。这些幼小的游泳运动员非常喜爱的一种游戏是水下三轮车比赛。 三轮车并排放在7英尺深的游泳池底上。孩子们比赛看谁先到达游泳池的另一端。 很多孩子用脚蹬车，但多数孩子更愿意推或是拉着三轮车。有些孩子能够跑完游泳池的全长而不用露出水面换气。 他们将来是否能成为奥林匹克的冠军，这只能由时间来作出回答。 与此同时，他们对我们中的那些游不了5码就已喘不过气来的人应该是种鼓舞。

Words

  • instructed /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/ v. 教授
    1. be instructed in doing sth. = instruct sb.
    2. My job is to instruct her in English.
    3. He instructed me in building a boat.
  • reluctant /rɪˈlʌktənt/ adj. 不情愿的
    1. He was reluctant to ask for help.（L6）
    2. My son is reluctant to go to the kindergarten.
    3. She was very reluctant to tell the truth.（L87）
  • accustomed /əˈkʌstəmd/ 习惯于
  • Tricycles /ˈtraɪsɪklz/ n. 三轮车
    1. His grandfather seems to be repairing the tricycle.（L91）
    2. He noticed with dismay that his tricycle wasn’t there any more.（L86）
  • up /ʌp/ 一字排开
  • compete /kəmˈpit/ v. 竞争
    1. We’re gonna compete against teams that have been doing this for years.（L52 L28）
    2. I had to compete against 19 other people for the job.
    3. They made us compete against each other.（L57）
  • pedal /ˈpɛdəl/ 骑
  • champions /ˈtʃæmpiənz/ 冠军
  • among /əˈmʌŋ/ 在…中间
  • gasping /ˈɡæspɪŋ/ v. 喘气
    1. "Help me!" he gasped.
    2. The cold made her gasp.（L57）
    3. She gasped at the wonderful view.
  • weight /wet/ n. 重量
    1. Please carry these heavy weights to that room.（L74）
    2. The doctor said he must not lift heavy weights.
    3. We should have moved these heavy weights.
  • underwater /ˌʌndɚˈwɔtɚ/ adj. 水下的
    1. How long can you hold your breath underwater?
    2. Take a deep breath and see how long you can stay underwater.
  • yard /jɑrd/ n. 码
    1. The monument is one hundred yards away.
    2. Where is the house?
    3. I think that is almost four hundred yards away.
    4. The nearest toilet is three hundred yards away.

Expressions

  • be instructed in doing sth. = instruct sb. in sth./doing sth. 在……方面受指导
  • be reluctant to do sth. 不愿意做某事
  • compete against 与……竞争
  • sb./sth. proved that + 句⼦
    1. He proved that he was right and we were moving in a circle.（L86）
    2. You’ve proved that you have a perfect alibi.（L87）
  • hold sb’s breath 屏住呼吸
    1. How long can you hold your breath?
    2. If you wanna pass the test, just don’t hold your breath.（L84）
  • be accustomed to doing 习惯于做……
    1. He was accustomed to getting up early.
    2. I'm not accustomed to drinking alcohol.
    3. I’m accustomed to changing into uniform before work.（L81）
  • be popular with... 受……欢迎
  • be lined up 排成队
    1. Why are people lined up?
    2. They were lined up in front of the house.