The Special Olympics

    The Olympics are some of the most exciting sports events in the world. But there is another Olympics about which you may not have heard. This is the Special Olympics, for people with mental disabilities.

    The first Special Olympic Games were held in Chicago in 1968. One thousand people competed in many events. Since then Special Olympic programs have been organized in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. Today more than a million people take part in the Special Olympics.

    Mentally disabled persons over the age of eight may take part in the Special Olympics. These people may also have physical disabilities. People have run in races using crutches or walkers. A young girl enter the long jump event with an artificial leg. A blind runner raced around the track with the help of his coach's voice. A deaf basketball team planned their plays using sign language.

    Winning is wonderful for people who may never have had much success. But training for and entering the Special Olympics is also important. The participants become more confident. They learn how to concentrate in order to play well. Then they use that concentration in school to improve their schoolwork. Like anyone else they feel great when they prove they can do something well.

    The kangaroo is the world's largest living marsupial (有袋动物). It was first found on the island of southwestern Australia. The animal was given its name by a famous English tourist in the 18th century.

    The kangaroo may be 7 feet(2.1m) tall when standing upright and the male can weigh as heavy as 200 pounds(90kg). The female (雌性) is smaller and lighter than the male. The kangaroo's head is small, but its ears are large, and its fore feet are really small. The animal has strong back legs and long tail.

    The kangaroo usually covers from 5 to 10 feet(1.5 to 3m) with each jump. The female is usually faster than the male. The mother kangaroo has a pouch (育儿袋) in its abdomen (腹部). The baby kangaroo grows up in the mother's pouch slowly.

    The kangaroo lives on grass and other plants. It is always moving from one place to another, lying down to sleep on the ground during the night. It likes to enjoy the warm sunshine. When it's in danger, it can use its back legs and strong tail to protect itself.

    Answer the following questions with No more than 6 words.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Keep your food safe. At night put it in bags. Hang the bags from the trees. Eat food before it goes bad(变质). Keep food and water in closed boxes or bottles.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Find a place for your camp an hour before it gets dark. Look for a dry place. Don't make your camp under trees or very near a river. Look for firewood before it gets dark.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In very hot countries, don't walk in the middle of the day. Walk in the early morning before the sun conies up.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}There are dangerous animals in some countries. Before you put on your shoes in the morning, hit them on the ground. There may be animals inside them. Do the same with your sleeping bag before you go to sleep.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you are walking, you need to drink lots of water. In very hot countries you may need 5~8 litres(升)of water a day. If you are thirsty, stop and drink.

    My name is Chen Jie. And my English name is Betty. I'm from China and I'm Chinese. I'm 13 years old. I'm m Class 4 Grade 7 at Jinsha No. 2 Middle School. It's a big school with 60 classes. There are four buildings in our school: two classroom buildings, an office building and a library. I like swimming and playing basketball. I can play tennis but I can't play table tennis. There are three people in my family. They are my father, mother and me. My father is a teacher in No. 1 Middle School. My mother is a manager in a hotel. I love them. My family is a small one, but a happy one.