Left-Field Leah

Leah Patt had never liked sports. She feared gym class and spent most of her time reading a book. The only reason Leah tried out for the softball league was that Anna Meese was trying out. Leah and Anna did everything together, so if Anna wanted to play, Leah did too.

At first, joining the Blue Sox didn’t _________ Leah’s feelings about sports. She went to the practices every week, but she didn’t take them seriously. No matter how _________ she played, Leah didn’t get discouraged. She didn’t want to become a star player. She was just there to have fun with Anna.

Before the season’s first game, Coach Meese read the list of players and their positions, but Leah’s name hadn’t been called.

“Leah,” Coach Meese finally said. “You’re starting off on the bench, but I’ll put you into the game if I get a chance.”

Nodding agreeably, Leah reminded herself to bring a _________ to the games.

In the season’s games, Leah even got to play in three of the games the Blue Sox won. However, Leah never got a hit and never made a good play in the outfield but she didn’t care. Leah _________ being on the winning team, even if she didn’t contribute to the win. More importantly, she _________ Anna.

The Blue Sox were ready to play their last game of the season, against the Sun Rays. If they won, the Blue Sox would be the league champions. The girls’ hopeful excitement grew as they did their pregame warm-ups. For the first time all season, even Leah started to have the _________ to win. When the game started, she sat on the bench and watched the action-instead of reading a book.

What a game it was! Then something _________ happened. As Anna jogged to left field, she tripped over a bat and she twisted（扭伤）her ankle. Coach Meese told Leah to take Anna’s place.

Leah saw Anna’s looking and took a deep breath. She went to the field. Crack! The ball sailed into left field, straight toward Leah. She reached her glove into the air and _________ on the ball. Thump! It was the sound of the ball landing in Leah’s glove. Then a much louder sound-the cheers and whoops of the Blue Sox, the winner-filled the air.

A group of boys from a primary school soccer team in Anshun, Guizhou Province, are doing daily training on the playground.

The team was made by their P. E. teacher Mr. Zeng. And their headmaster Mr. Xiong also ________ a lot. Although the members practice 2 hours every day, playing soccer does not ________ their studies or farm work.

Most of these boys’ parents work in big cities far from the village. In the past, they were afraid of showing themselves in public, ________ now through soccer, they have become outgoing, active and brave. And their skills in soccer have improved rapidly by working hard. In a short time, they have ________ the other teams from nearby schools in the city.

To open their minds, Mr. Xiong encouraged them to join in a “Who’s the King” national soccer game. With the physical advantages, they played ________ in the game at the beginning. Unluckily, they were short of ________ in such competitions, so they finally lost 1-0.

Later, after Mr. Zeng moved to another school, Miss Yu took his place. The young teacher who was born in 1985 ________ to teach there. She is their soccer coach and also teaches them English, math and other subjects. To her surprise, these village boys are not like ________ she thought. She says every time the team travels to another city to take part in a soccer game, the kids are just very ________ about their own ability to be successful.

Soccer gives these kids a ________ to see the wonderful things of the outside world. And it makes them strongly believe that they would go beyond (在另一边) the mountains one day.

In the UK and US, students like to play Quidditch.

Quidditch is a game _______ handball. We can watch the _______ very first from the movie Harry Potter. The _______ in the movie can “fly” with the brooms. Many kids were very _______ after watching the movie, and did as what they watched from the _______. But in real life, the students can only “_______” with the brooms. Two _______ play together. Each team has seven players. They _______ brooms like riding a horse, wear cloaks and hold magic wands.

The teachers say “Quidditch is really a _______ game. With this game, students do more ________.” Simons, a Quidditch coach in a high school says. “It is a great team work. And I can tell my pupils how to be friendly by playing the game.”