What isthe hardest sport in the world? Some people say it's boxing (拳击), because boxing is dangerousand boxers have to be strong and fast. Other people say the hardest sport issoccer.

    However,most people say the hardest sport is the triathlon (三项全能运动). A triathlon is a race thatincludes three sports. First, racers swim. After that they ride bicycles andfinally they run. In the most common triathlon, racers swim 1.5kilometres, bike40 kilometres, and run 10 kilometres. The winner is the person who finishes therace first.

    There isanother kind of triathlon too. It is called the "Ironman Triathlon (铁人三项)". This triathlon is muchlonger. People who finish this triathlon are called "ironmen" or"ironwomen". This is because these people are so strong that theirbodies are just like iron (铁).

    In thepast, there were other races including three sports. However, they didn't usethe word "triathlon". That word was first used to describe a race inCalifornia in 1974.

    Triathlonracers have to train very hard for their races. Many of them swim and run. Alot of people also do things like yoga (瑜伽). They have many different ways to prepare, but they all have thesame goal. They want to be in perfect shape.

    To be anironman or an ironwoman, you have to be strong and smart. You should know howto save energy during the race.

Sleeping is important in our life. There are some myths (荒诞说法) about sleeping in our everyday life. Do you believe the myths? Here are some of the myths.

1. Counting sheep helps you sleep.

The University of Oxford once tested this myth. They asked 50 volunteers to try three different ways to fall asleep. Some counted sheep, some imagined a relaxing scene and some just did as usual.Guess what? Those volunteers who counted sheep took longer than usual to fall asleep.

2. Your brain rests during sleep.

Your body may rest during sleep, but your brain does not rest. It stays very active during sleep. It still does some important things, such as controlling your breathing and body temperature. How busy your brain is!

3. You should never wake a sleepwalker (梦游者).

Many people have heard that waking a sleepwalker might kill them. Is that true? No! Waking a sleepwalker may make them confused (困惑的). Sleepwalking might be dangerous. The safest way is to gently guide them back to their beds.

4. Cheese gives you nightmares (噩梦).

The British Cheese Board had a study on this myth. They asked 200 volunteers to eat 20g of cheese every night for a week. Then they recorded the volunteers' dreams. 75% of the men and 85% of the women who ate cheese had vivid dreams, but none of them had nightmares.

The Great Wall in China is known to people all over the world. It1 the Ten﹣Thousand﹣Li Great Wall in Chinese. Do you know the famous Chinese saying "He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a2 man. "？

The Great Wall is3 wall in the world. It is more than 6，000 kilometres long，and4 four and five metres wide. In most places it is wide enough for five horses or ten men5 side by side（并排） along the top. It was very6 to build such a great wall without our modern machines. All the work had to7 by hand. Many people were made8 the wall away from their homes. Thousands of them9 and were buried（埋葬） under the wall. The Great Wall was made not only of stone and earth，but also of the flesh and blood（血肉）10 men. 

Listening is one of the basic skills. Good communication always starts with good listening. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Ask Good Questions

When someone comes to you with a problem, it is natural for you to give them advice. However, instead of giving advice, asking good questions is more important. This can show that you are interested in what people are telling you.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Avoid too much Nodding

Nodding while listening to people shows that you are listening carefully. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you nod too much, it may make people feel uncomfortable as they may think you are just trying to agree with everything.

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You also need to be patient while people are speaking. It is rude to speak while others are still talking. Even if you want the speaker to explain something for you, please wait until they finish their part.

Follow Up

To show your further concern about people, you can go beyond just listening to them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is an act that shows your care and support.

Hello, I am Lily. I{#blank#}1{#/blank#} in Guangzhou, China. I am in Class 6, Grade 7 at No. 5 Middle School. The weather here is very hot in summer. So I often swim with my friends in the afternoon. I am good at {#blank#}2{#/blank#} and it is good for our health. I like doing other {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , such as running, riding a bike and so on. Also, I can {#blank#}4{#/blank#} football very well and I am in the school football team. I often {#blank#}5{#/blank#} football matches on TV. It makes me excited and happy.