Weird Butterfly Ceremony

課文：

The Melbourne Cup

Australia’s most famous horserace, the Melbourne Cup is 3,200 meters of pure excitement. Each year 300 to 400 horses are nominated, but only 24 can run. The competitors are chosen based on a number of factors, but winners of certain races qualify automatically.

meter：米、公尺
nominate：提名
nomin-：名字
nomination：（n）
factor：因素、要素
certain：有把握的、可靠的、某種程度的
qualify：取得資格、具備合格條件、合格、有資格
qualification：（n）
automatically：自動地、無意識地

Each racehorse receives a handicap – a certain weight it must carry to give each horse an equal chance of winning – two months before the race. Originally, horses that seemed likely to win were assigned larger handicaps. But the rules have changed, reducing the handicap for previous winners.

handicap：負重物、障礙
likely to：有…的可能
assign：分配
previous：先前的、以前的

A grand event

The first Melbourne Cup in 1861 drew a crowd of 4,000 spectators, and the race’s popularity has grown since then. Held on the first Tuesday of November, which is today, the cup has become a four-day carnival with fine food and entertainment.

The Melbourne Cup began during a gold rush as a form of entertainment for the rich. Today it still attracts society’s elite. They come dressed in their finest to enjoy the event in comfort.
But ultimately it’s all about the race – the effort of horses and riders, the suspense and the thrill of victory.

grand：盛大的
spectator：觀眾
spect-：看
popularity：普及、流行、大眾化
carnival：嘉年華會、狂歡節
entertainment：招待、款待、娛樂
gold rush：淘金熱
elite：菁英（份子）、傑出人物、菁英的、最優秀的
ultimately：最後、終極地
effort：努力

文法：
S + be + certain amount + of + something（以數據描述）

特別補充：
bingle：車禍
dunny：廁所
liquid laugh：嘔吐
put the animal to sleep：使動物安樂死
metaphor：隱喻、象徵
euphemism：婉轉說法