Nowadays, football is one of the【小题1】(popular) sports in the world. The history of the game goes back over two thousand years to Ancient China. It was then 【小题2】(know) as cuju, a game【小题3】(use) a ball of animal skins with hair inside.

That football is such【小题4】simple game to play is perhaps the basis of its popularity. It is also a game【小题5】is very cheap to play. You don’t need expensive【小题6】(equip). Another factor behind football’s popularity is the【小题7】(create) and excitement on the field. It is fun enough 【小题8】(attract) millions of people. What’s more, football has become one of the best ways for people【小题9】 (communicate): it does not require words, but everyone understands it. It breaks down walls and brings people together on and off the field.

“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death...” said Bill Shankly, who is the famous footballer and manager. “I can assure you it is much more important【小题10】that.”

The official mascots (吉祥物) of the19^th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022-three sporty robots 【小题1】(name) Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen-【小题2】(introduce) to the public at a digital launch ceremony in Hangzhou, China 【小题3】 April 3, 2020. Each represents a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the host city.

The robot Congcong represents the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. Its name comes from the Cong jade pendant (玉琮)-a classic relic unearthed from the Ruins 【小题4】 dates back around 5000 years. The robot Lianlian represents West Lake and its name means the endless lotus (莲花) 【小题5】(leaf) on West Lake. The robot Chenchen represents the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and 【小题6】 takes its name from the Gongchen Bridge, a landmark structure on 【小题7】 Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal. They stand for not only the joy of sports out the peak of 【小题8】(culture) and economic development.

Raja Randhir Singh, the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said that the mascots showed the smart intelligence of the modern world 【小题9】 the energy of the future. “The mascots are rich in content, combining Chinese culture, the characteristics of the city of Hangzhou, and the spirit of the Asian Games and the Asian continent.” Together, they are calling out to Asia and the world, inviting everyone 【小题10】(meet) in Hangzhou for the Asian Games 2022.

The Hangzhou Asian Games flame was lit at the Liangzhu ancient city on Thursday, marking the 100-day countdown to the opening of the 19th Asian Games. Nineteen flame 【小题1】(collector), dressed in white, walked up the steps before one of 【小题2】(they) and lit a torch from the rays of the sun using a concave mirror. The outline of the mirror, 【小题3】(design) like a jade bi, symbolizes the sun’s rays. The ceremony was held in the Liangzhu ancient site,【小题4】was initially discovered in Yuhang County of Hangzhou in 1936. In 2019, the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 【小题5】(gain) the world’s recognition as a testimony to the 【小题6】(exist) of at least 5,000-year-long Chinese civilization. In mid-September, the torch lighting and torch relay launching ceremony will be held at Hangzhou’s 【小题7】(scene) landmark West Lake, another UNESCO World Heritage site, and the torch 【小题8】(carry) through 11 cities in Zhejiang Province. A digital torch relay also kicked off online on Thursday. Over 21 million people have participated in a virtual torch relay 【小题9】digital torchbearers through online platforms. On September 23, the opening ceremony will present 【小题10】first digital ignition ceremony in the Games’ history, and digital torchbearers worldwide can ignite the flame together online.