小宇哥的CS學習筆記

    Last month, London, England, hosted the Summer Olympics, attracting great athletes from around the world. Now, equally extraordinary athletes are gathering there for the Paralympcs, an international sporting event second only to the Olympics in size.

    Since 1960, the Paralymics has given the people with disabilities an opportunity to demonstrate their athletic ability. These games take place in the same year and in the same city as the Olympics.

    England has a unique historical bond with the Paralympics games. One of the first sports competitions for the disabled began in Stroke Mandeville, England. Surgeon Sir Ludwig Guttman organized the games for World War II veterans with spinal-cord injuries. The competition was first held in 1948 on the opening day as the Olympics.

    In 1952, Dutch participants made the Stroke Mandeville Games an international competition. In 1960 games, held in Rome, included athletes from 23 countries. Considered the first Paralympics, it fulfilled Guttman's dream of creating a "parallel Olympics" for athlete with disabilities. This year's Paralympics mascot is named Mandeville in honor of the Stroke Mandeville Games.

host (v) 主辦；主持

athletic (adj) 運動員的；體育的

surgeon (n) 外科醫生

parallel (adj) 平行的；對等的

disabled (adj) 殘障的；有缺陷的

spinal cord (n) 脊椎

mascot (n) 吉祥物