Weird Butterfly Ceremony

課文：

One gripping part of a rugby game is the scrum. Requiring exceptional teamwork, a scrum restarts play during a match. The forwards from each team link themselves together. Forming this ball of humanity takes a special technique. Once the players are in place, they push the other team backward and kick at the ball to get possession of it. A team gains possession when the ball gets to the back of a scrum. The intensity of the strength displayed is impressive. At international competitions, each team exerts three and a half tons of pressure on the opposing team!

grip：引人入勝、吸引

課文：

The crowd cheers and shouts as two 15-man teams take the field. Their goal? To carry or kick a ball over their opponent’s try line. The game looks like a mixture of soccer and American football. In this rough-and-tumble sport, players carry the ball, kick the ball and tackle one another. Men play it; women play it; and so do children. In fact, played in more than 120 countries, rugby is tremendously popular!

take the field：上陣、開戰

課文：

The first sneaker I ever wore was an all-white shoe that was perfect for tennis, physical education classes and many other activities. While the shoe might have been practical, it was certainly not a fashion item. But sneakers have come a long way since then!

practical：實際的、實踐的、實用的（= useful）

課文：

“Thanks for the medicine,” Mr. Golden said. He threw a ball of fire at Blaise and ran outside.

The ball of fire missed Blaise. He ran after Mr. Golden and emerged from the building. He saw Mr. Golden throwing balls of fire at the police officers.

課文：

Some time later, Blaise and Iris heard a news report on the car radio. A downtown bank had caught fire. Blaise asked Iris to drive him there. He intended to use his power to help.

Iris burned rubber to get downtown. Drivers shouted, “Where’s the fire?” But she didn’t slow down.

課文：

After years of waiting, Blaise was finally being released from prison. His daughter Iris came to pick him up. Years earlier, they had been in a gang. But now they had both paid for their crimes. Blaise had left the gang and burned his bridges.

release：釋放、解開