No Pain, No Gain: Dodgeball

① Cricketers and baseball batters are used to evading balls hurtling towards them at frightening speed.

② But even they might feel intimidated when stepping onto a dodgeball court.

③ Players competing at the World Dodgeball Federation's global championship next week in Toronto will do battle in a space just 18m (59ft) in length, and with only knee pads to protect them.

④ The fastest throwers fire their heavy rubber projectiles at more than 70 miles (113km) per hour.

⑤ Despite the danger of a crunching headshot, the sport enjoys worldwide popularity: teams from Pakistan, Hong Kong and Mexico are attending, while the rival World Dodgeball Association has held continental championships in Africa and Asia this year.

⑥ America, however, is the sport's home.

⑦ It boasts 9.7m players, a professional league and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story", a hit Hollywood comedy whose characters trained by dodging flying wrenches.

⑧ A hard-knock life, for some.

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生词好句

dodgeball /ˈdɒdʒbɔ:l/: n. 躲避球

cricketer /ˈkrɪkɪtə/: n. 板球手

batter /ˈbatə/: n. 棒球击球手

evade /ɪˈveɪd/: vt. 躲避

hurtle /ˈhə:t(ə)l/: vi. 疾驰；飞奔

knee pads: 护膝

rubber /ˈrʌbə/: adj. 橡胶的

projectile /prə(ʊ)ˈdʒɛktʌɪl/: n. 投射物

a crunching /krʌn(t)ʃ/ headshot /ˈhɛdʃɒt/: (被) 咔咔爆头

Pakistan /ˌpɑ:kɪˈstɑ:n/: 巴基斯坦

continental championship: 洲际锦标赛

boast /bəʊst/: vt. 以…...为骄傲；以......为荣

wrench /rɛn(t)ʃ/: n. 扳手

"Remember the 5 D's of dodgeball:

Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge."

Patches, a character in A True Underdog Story