20101005 Uniting the Commonwealth Through Sport (1)

Uniting the Commonwealth Through Sport

The 2010 Commonwealth games in Delhi, India, move a beloved tradition forward

It all started a year ago when Queen Elizabeth II sent out the official baton from London to the distant reaches of the Commonwealth. Traveling by land, sea and air, this baton, which passes through thousands of hands in over 70 countries, symbolizes the Commonwealth's unity. The baton's 340-day, 190,000-kilometer journey reached its climactic conclusion in Delhi, India, at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. There, on October 3, a message was removed from the baton and read aloud to the athletes, marking the official start of these Games.

The history of the Games

The 2010 Commonwealth Games mark the 19th time in history that Commonwealth nations have gathered to participate in these much-adored, multi-sport events. First held in Canada as the British Empire Games in 1930, these games have grown and evolved enormously over time. While the first games saw 400 athletes from 11 different countries compete, today's games host well over 4,000 athletes from over 70 different countries. Furthermore, those innovative first games, comprising only six single-competition sports, developed to include 17 sports today, including team sports like rugby 7's and netball.

reaches n. 地帶/區域

=> 通常範圍都很大

eg: The upper reaches of the Amazon aren't easy to access by vehicle.

=> 亞馬遜河上游地帶汽車並不容易到達。

eg: The troops were stationed in one of the farthest reaches of the country.

=> 這支軍隊駐紮在國家的最偏遠的領土之一

reach n. 可達/可及的範圍

eg: Medicine should be kept out of children's reach.

=> 藥劑應放在孩子拿不到的地方

climactic adj. 頂點的/最高潮的

=> of the most important/exciting part

eg: In the climactic scene of the movie, the villain's car is driven off of a cliff.

=> 電影最精彩的一幕是壞人的車子從懸崖邊衝了出去。

eg: The game reached its climactic moment when the pitcher broke his personal record.

=> 當這位投手打破他個人紀錄時，這場球賽達到了高潮

innovative adj. 新的/創新的/有原創性的

eg: The new software is full of wonderful, innovative ideas.

=> 這新的軟體充滿了很棒的創意的點子

Small c ompanies are often innovative and therefore have great potential.

=> 小型公司通常都非常有創意，所以有很大的潛力。

Commonwealth Games 大英國協運動會

=> an organization

baton n. 短棒

adore

=> deeply love

//== Chat room ==//

aloud (used in more formal situation，較正式) 大聲的

out loud (used in informal situation，口語) 發出聲音的　

aloud adv. 發出聲音/高聲的

eg: read aloud 朗聲宣讀

to think out loud 無意識的自言自語的說話

//== Grammar on the Go ==//

While the first games saw 400 athletes from 11 different countries compete, today's games host well over 4,000 athletes from 71 different countries.

=> While the first games saw 400 athletes from 11 different countries compete, today's games host very much over 4,000 athletes from 71 different countries.

well

=> very much

well over

=> a large amount

eg: An anaconda is a very big snake that can weigh well over 130 kilograms.

eg: We started the project at nine in the morning; by the time we were done, it was well over two in the morning.

well under

=> how small the number is

eg: At this department store, you can find many name brand outfits well under $100 USD.

eg: The math assignment isn't hard; anyone should be able to complete the calculations well under ten minutes.

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well

=> the quality of the action

eg: Stephanie sang really well.