The World Bog Snorkelling Championships

People from around the globe prepare to take the plunge

Believe it or not, people from all over the world are gathering in Wales, U.K., to swim through muddy water. Tomorrow is the World Bog Snorkelling Championships, an event held annually since 1985. In the past, participants have come from as far away as Australia and Japan. Competitors race to be the first to swim 110 meters through the dark, muddy water of a Welsh bog. They swim underwater and breathe through snorkels. Currently the world record is held by the U.K.'s Kirsty Johnson, who finished in 1 minute 22.56 seconds in 2014.

Competitors wear masks and fins, but wetsuits are optional. Many come in costume, and event organizers give a "fancy dress" prize for the best costume. Last year the prize went to two women who competed together as a "pantomime unicorn." The event is held on the outskirts of Llanwrtyd Wells with a shuttle bus to transport people. It features more than the competition: stalls sell food and drinks and crafts.

Swimming through a smelly bog may not sound pleasant, but the World Bog Snorkelling Championships prove that some people find it fun.


Language Lab
bog n.
an area of soft, wet land : marsh
- The region's central area is a large bog.
- Several rare species of frogs can be found in this bog.
- The man wore bog boots while fishing in the pond.

take the plunge /ˈplʌnʤ/
to do something after thinking about it especially for a long time
- After months of discussion, we decided to take the plunge and buy a house.
- The couple finally took the plunge and got married.

optional adj.
- Math and English are compulsory subjects, but music is optional.


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Our Need for Boundaries (1)

Learn how to maintain your boundaries

As humans, we value our personal space. I saw this lesson demonstrated while participating in a class on cultural boundaries. Pairs from different nationalities were told to move closer and closer to one another until they became uncomfortable. In this way, we could quickly see where each one's personal boundaries stopped.

Emotional boundaries, though just as real, are harder to distinguish because they are invisible. Yet many medical experts insist that good boundaries are necessary for strong mental health.

What are boundaries?
Boundaries are conscious limits we set to guard against emotional harm.

These limits protect us from being manipulated or controlled by others. They also help us determine what kind of behavior, communication and interaction from others we will accept. How strong or weak our boundaries are will determine how healthy our relationships are.

Thinking of others
As important as our personal boundaries are, those of our friends and family members are equally important. In order to keep our relationships strong, we must also respect the boundaries set by the people closest to us.

Language Lab
boundary n.
/ˈbaʊndri/
something (such as a river, a fence, or an imaginary line) that shows where an area ends and another area begins
a point or limit that indicates where two things become different
- There's a blurry boundary between devotion to one's job and being a workaholic.
- Setting boundaries for children is crucial for any parent.

crucial adj.
extremely important

invisible adj.
impossible to see : not visible
- The submarine was designed to be invisible to radar.
被忽略的
- Clark feels invisible on his team.

manipulate v.
to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way
- Karen loves to manipulate the people around her to get what she wants.
to move or control (something) with your hands or by using a machine
- The toy dog is manipulated by sound.

interaction n.
to talk or do things with other people
- The games were designed to facilitate interaction among the trainees.
- There hasn't been much interaction between my supervisor and me.

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The Story of Florence Nightingale (3)

• What would Ms. Nightingale do every night?
• What was set up in Ms. Nightingale's honor?

The doctors soon realized that Florence knew what she was doing. She made changes and arranged for better sanitation. Above all, Florence made sure that the men were washed and their injuries were cared for. Every night she would walk through the wards with her lamp.

Reporters, including the famous London Times journalist William Howard Russell, sometimes stopped at Scutari. His stories made Florence famous throughout England. One day Florence crossed the sea to the war-torn Crimea. While there, she became very ill -- close to death. As the news spread, British soldiers everywhere prayed for her recovery. Finally her fever broke, and when she was strong enough, Florence was back at work.

When she returned home after the war, Florence was astonished that people recognized her. A fund had even been set up in her honor. Many of the soldiers she had nursed had made contributions. Now she could set up the Nightingale Training School in London.

After years of hard work, Florence Nightingale saw army barracks become less crowded and the soldiers' health improve. Hospitals became clean and cheerful. Nursing became an honored profession. All of this is because of the compassion of the "lady with the lamp."

Language Lab

journalist n.

the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio

- The journalist entered the war zone to write stories about the soldiers.

- Walter is a freelance political journalist.

recovery n.

the act or process of becoming healthy after an illness or injury : the act or process of recovering — usually singular

- Good nutrition and rest can speed up the recovery process.

- The patient made a remarkable recovery from his surgery.

astonish v.

to cause a feeling of great wonder or surprise in (someone)

- The CEO's sudden resignation astonished the employees of the company.

astonishment n.

- To everyone's astonishment, Bryan decided to quit school and pursue an action career.

barracks n.

/ˈberəks/

a building or group of buildings in which soldiers live

- The soldiers fell into formation outside their barracks.

- The sergeant caught someone smoking in the barracks.

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The Story of Florence Nightingale (2)

• What was Florence Nightingale's biggest problem?
• Why wouldn't doctors listen to Ms. Nightingale?

Florence knew she had much to learn about nursing, so she visited hospitals in France, Germany and Ireland and learned everything she could. Upon returning home, she was an expert on hospital management.

In 1835 Florence agreed to take over a small London hospital. Her biggest problem was finding good, trained nurses, so she decided to train them herself. Soon people began to study her methods of nursing, sanitation and hospital organization.

About a year later, Britain became involved in a war against Russia. London newspapers were full of stories about the terrible conditions wounded and sick soldiers were suffering.

Sidney Herbert, the Secretary of War, asked Florence to help care for the wounded and sick. Needless to say, Florence agreed to go.

When Florence and the nurses arrived at the British hospital in Scutari (in modern day Istanbul), they were horrified. The hospital left men lying on the floor, and rats were running everywhere.

There was no running water and no heat. Many soldiers died before receiving help. In spite of the shortage of staff, the doctors wouldn't listen to her. They didn't like the idea of women in army hospitals -- until one day five hundred unexpected casualties arrived.

Language Lab
sanitation n. [sanit-健康]
the process of keeping places free from dirt, infection, disease, etc., by removing waste, trash and garbage, by cleaning streets, etc.
-This area's poor sanitation is the reason for the fast spread of the disease here.
- The restaurant was fined by the sanitation department because their food was not stored at the proper temperature.

suffer v.
to experience pain, illness, or injury
- The cancer patient is suffering tremendous pain.
suffer from
- The girl has been suffering from asthma since she was very little.
to become worse because of being badly affected by something
- Mike's marriage suffers because he's always working.

needless to say
used to say that the statement you are making is obvious
- Needless to say, Howard's job performance is the best in our team.
- Needless to say, all major companies are showing an interest in this mega-size project.

casualty n.
/ˈkæʒəwəlti/
a person who is hurt or killed during an accident, war, etc.
- The army suffered/took/sustained heavy casualties [=many soldiers were killed or wounded] in the town.

shortage n.
a state in which there is not enough of something that is needed
- There's a severe shortage of food and drinking water in this refugee camp.
- The summer camp was cancelled due to a shortage of funds.


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The Story of Florence Nightingale (1)

• The value of compassion
• What was Ms. Nightngale named after?

The value of compassion

Florence Nightingale was named after her birthplace, Florence, Italy. When almost a year old, she returned with her family to England.

Their house was always full of friends and family. Florence would look after the children by inventing games and making sure they didn't get hurt. She also did whatever she could to help injured horses or sick calves. She cared for wounded birds until they could manage themselves. Her father reminded her not to let her compassionate heart make her forget about her lessons.

Florence often helped her mother deliver food to the poor around their estate. Her heart ached at the misery in which some of them lived. As she grew older, she visited them on her own, especially the sick. She wanted to make them well. So Florence decided to become a nurse. Her family was shocked because nursing was not a respected profession.

But Florence was determined and studied books on medicine. One day she persuaded a doctor to show her around a London hospital. She was shocked at the dirty and uncared for patients, the filthy wards and beds and the rats. Florence vowed to change all of this.

Language Lab
compassion n. [com一起]
a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc.
- The news coverage was written with compassion.
compassionate adj.
feeling or showing concern for someone who is sick, hurt, poor, etc.
- This doctor is not only skillful, but also compassionate.
- The movie is deeply compassionate.

calf n. [calves]
/ˈkæf/
a very young cow
- Only some of the cow's calves survived the first few months.

filthy adj.
/ˈfɪlθi/
very dirty
- The homeless boy's clothes were filthy and smelly.
- The reporter revealed the officer's filthy conduct in his article.
filth n.
- The floor was covered with filth and beer cans.

ward n.
/ˈwoɚd/
a section in a hospital for patients needing a particular kind of care
- The patient still remains under observation in the emergency ward.
- Peter was put in a four-bed ward.
a section in a prison
- The escape was planned by the inmates of the same ward.

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