BBC随身英语:The alternative games 另类运\动竞赛

Let's take a look at some of the weird and wonderful disciplines that are hosted. In the man-versus-horse race, men race against horses across the Welsh countryside. Predictably, the horses usually win, although men have won twice in the past.

Russian egg roulette is less dangerous and more quirky that the sport its name derives from. Competitors smash eggs against their heads: all the eggs are raw except one. Whoever gets the hard-boiled egg is the winner.

Worm charmers produce vibrations with a garden fork and a piece of metal or wood to entice worms to come out of the ground. The World Record was set by ten-year-old Sophie Smith in 2009, when she collected 567 worms in just 30 minutes.

Those with extraordinary strength might want to take part in wife carrying, where competitors carry another person - who may not be their wife and can be of the same sex - across a river and fields. The prize for the winner is the weight of the person they carried in beer.

Other off-the-wall games are stiletto racing, where competitors race in 3-inch high heels, running backwards, underwater hockey and bog snorkelling.

So if what's missing in your life is a grain of folly, you might want to consider taking part. All you need is dedication, an eccentric streak and a penchant for ridicule.

Quiz 测验 Read the article and find as many adjectives as possible that have a similar meaning to 'eccentric'.

Wacky, unusual, weird and wonderful, quirky, off-the-wall.

Is the following statement true, false or not given? You might see Usain Bolt taking part in the World Alternative Games.

False. Although you won't see athletes like Usain Bolt in these alternative games, the competitors are still very dedicated to these quirky sports.

What does the man-versus-horse race involve?

It involves people competing against horses by racing across the countryside.

Is the following statement true, false or not given? Worm charmers play music to entice worms to the surface.

False. They use a garden fork and a piece of metal or wood to create vibrations.

What does the winner of a wife-carrying race receive?

The winner receives beer - the amount is equivalent to the weight of the person they carry.

Glossary 词汇表 wacky古怪的 alternative另类的，非主流的 unusual 不寻常的 weird and wonderful 怪异但又精彩的 Russian egg roulette俄罗斯蛋轮盘赌 quirky古怪的 a worm charmer一个蠕虫诱导训练师 extraordinary非凡的 off-the-wall异乎寻常的 stiletto细高跟鞋 bog snorkelling沼泽潜水 a grain of folly有点愚蠢，做蠢事 an eccentric streak趋向古怪的性格 （性格有些刁钻古怪） a penchant for ridicule喜欢捉弄嘲笑