The Rugby (英式橄榄球) World Cup is currently being held in New Zealand. The tournament, due to finish on October 23, is living up to the famous English saying, “Rugby is a thug's (暴徒) game played gentlemen. ”

    The games are physically aggressive; the tackles (冲撞) on the pitch are brutal; but the end of each match is a civilized affair. Players shake hands and applaud each other. Of course, the other side to this saying is: "Football is a gentleman's game played by thugs. " Indeed, unlike soccer players, rugby players don't often question the referee's (裁判员) decisions or pretend to be injured when they are not.

    “Football could learn a lot from rugby," said Brian Moore, a former England rugby player "The wonderful spirit of rugby is: there is a gentlemanly code to it. You play hard on the pitch, but you always respect your opponent..

    Rugby is mainly played in Europe. Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa. "It is more enjoyable to play than soccer because you are always involved in the game," said Peter, a Welsh rugby coach. "Rugby is also a far superior test of strength, stamina (耐力) and determination. "

    Most professional rugby players are large, strong and weigh over 90 kilograms. People who play the sport need to be tough and be prepared to get hurt. Black eyes, broken bones, lost teeth and being knocked unconscious—all these are common injuries. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is blind in one eye thanks to a rugby accident at school.

    In England, children begin playing the game at school at the age of 8. When they enter high school, many begin to play full contact rugby. Children are taught to play for around one hour a week during their PE lessons. Most schools have a rugby team. Children who play for the school team are usually the sportiest kids, and are seen as brave and athletic.

A

    About three hours after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a Category ( 级 别 ) 4 storm, it was downgraded to a Category 3 storm after winds decreased to 125 mph from maximum winds of 130 mph.

    Harvey also made a second landfall on the northeastern shore of Copano Bay around the time it was downgraded.

    The storm is the strongest to hit the state in decades, with serious flooding expected. The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Charley in 2004 in Florida, while the last Category 4 storm to hit Texas was Carla in 1961.

    Residents staying in the area madly stocked up on(备足) food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.

    Airlines canceled flights, schools were closed while concerts and other planned events in Houston and coastal cities were postponed.

    The hurricane's effects are expected to last for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to be as high as 40 inches in some areas.

    The National Weather Service warned Harvey could bring a potentially destroying storm surges( 风 暴 潮 ), heavy rainfall and wind hazards( 危 害 ) to the Lone Star State's coast. A tornado watch is in effect for areas of southeastern Texas and southwest Louisiana.

    Life-threatening storm surge waters could reach 9 to 13 feet above ground level. Destroying flooding is expected across parts of the area. And rainfall will be heavy, with an estimated 15 to 30 inches of rain falling in many areas and as high as 40 inches in some from today through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

    Disney World, Not To Be Missed!

    Are you still looking for an amusement park to enjoy yourself? Then, Disney World is your best choice! Disney World has four theme parks. A single-day admission ticket to any of these four theme parks is $67 for adults and $ 56 for young children above three years. The very best time to come here includes middle of April to late May, and Labor Day to middle of November or early December. You'll surely have a fantastic and memorable experience!

    Women in northern European nations are closest to equality with men on wages, education, health and education. That is the finding of a report by the World Economic Forum. The United States ranked 28th. On Friday, President Barack Obama announced the government will require large businesses to report how much they pay men and women. The data will be used to target companies that pay women less to do the same jobs.

    According to the World Economic Forum report, women worldwide continue to lag behind men on wages. Based on current trends, they will need 126 years to catch up, according to the report. Women are making progress. But they still only earn what men did 10 years ago, say the report's authors. The report measures the gender gap for women in 145 nations for health, education, economic opportunity, and political power. Women have not achieved equality in any of the 145 nations included in the survey, says the report.

    Women came closest to equality in four Northern European nations – Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Ireland ranks No. 5. At the bottom of the women's gender ratings are Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Chad, Iran and Jordan.

    More women than men are attending colleges in 97 nations. But women make up a majority of skilled workers in only 68 nations. Women control the majority of government and political positions in only four.

    At last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook, spoke about gender equality. “The reason to work towards equality – whether woman or man – is that it is better for you,” Sandberg said. “We should be doing this not because it's the right thing, but because it's the smart thing. Do it because it will help you.” The World Economic Forum completed its worldwide 2015 gender gap survey in November.

    Legal information on call

    Peter Damon produces about 30 paintings a year and sells them for between US$250 and US$1,500. That's not enough to make ends meet, but it has made him whole again. He lost both arms in an accident.

    "Having this skill that even normal people find difficult was something that really helped me and made me feel like I fit in more in the world," Damon said.

    He was a worker in a car factory. One day when he was working, there was a gas explosion (爆炸), killing one worker and injuring him.

    "I lost my right arm above the elbow, about three inches above the elbow, and my left about six inches below," he explained.

    "How am I going to make a living and take care of my family? I had always worked with my hands," he said.

    Then with a simple little drawing, a new future opened up for him.

    "I thought it was wonderful in a way," Damon said. "Something was telling me to focus on this and everything will be alright." Damon doesn't have a perfect prosthetic arm (假肢)—just a hook (钩子), which he finds works best.

He and his wife Jen run True Grit Art Gallery in Middleboro, Massachusetts, where he shows the works of local artists. With his disability check from the government, he can afford to be an artist. He is a man doing what he wants with his life, and doesn't look at his situation as a hard time.

    "I don't see it that way," Damon said. "Suffering an injury like this has a way of making you focus on what's important in life."

    He believes his best work is still ahead of him. But with his pictures of simple American scenes, Damon has already produced his best work.