The Winter Paralympic Games, or the Winter Paralympics, is an international sporting tournament held shortly after the Winter Olympics. Every four years, thousands of athletes with a physical disability come from all over the world to represent their country. Some are missing one or more limbs, some have difficulty using their muscles because of cerebral palsy or a spinal cord injury, and others might have a visual impairment. But whatever their disability might be, they compete with as much determination as any other athlete in their quest for gold, silver and bronze medals.

冬季残奥会或冬季残奥会是冬奥会后不久举办的国际体育赛事。 每四年，成千上万身体残疾的运动员来自世界各地代表他们的国家。 有些人缺少一个或多个肢体，有些人由于脑瘫或脊髓损伤而难以使用他们的肌肉，而其他人则可能有视力障碍。 但无论他们的残疾程度如何，他们都会在寻求金牌，银牌和铜牌时与其他运动员一样竞争。

Winter Paralympic Sports

The Winter Paralympic Games were first held in Sweden in 1976, with 198 athletes from 16 countries competing in just two sports; alpine skiing and cross-country skiing. The tournament is much bigger nowadays, and it regularly attracts over 500 athletes from nearly 50 countries. They compete in over 70 events in five winter sports; alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. Many events involve the use of special equipment. For example, in ice sledge hockey (also known as "sled hockey") players who've lost their legs, or can't use them, sit on small, bladed sledges and use two short "sledge hockey sticks" to push themselves along and to pass the puck or shoot for goal. Two Swedish ice hockey players invented the game in the 1960's after becoming disabled, and it's now one of the most popular and exciting sports at the Winter Paralympics.

Disability Categories and Impairment Levels

The Winter Paralympics are organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The IPC has established ten disability categories that apply to both the Summer and Winter Paralympics. They cover a range of mostlyphysical and visual impairments. The IPC has also established several levels of impairment, from mild to severe, to ensure that athletes compete against others with a similar level of impairment.

Related Tournaments

Other winter-sport tournaments for athletes with disabilities include the Special Olympics World Winter Games for athletes with an intellectual disability, and the Winter Deaflympics for athletes with a hearing impairment. Each of these tournaments is also held once every four years.

disability (n): any condition that prevents full or normal use of the body or mind - A severephysical disability didn't stop Stephen Hawking from achieving greatness.

limb (n): an arm, or a leg - My cousin lost a limb in a motorbike accident.

impairment (n): imperfectfunction of a body part or sense organ - Many people with impairments get really good jobs these days.

cerebral palsy (n): a medical condition that limits control of movement and speech - Kids with cerebral palsy often get bullied and teased.

spinal cord (n): the bundle of nerves inside the spine - His spinal cord is damaged, so he might never walk again.

sledge (n) (also sled): a vehicle for moving over ice or snow, with runners or blades instead of wheels - We loved playing on the little sledges we made every winter.

international [,intə´næʃənəl]   a.国际的，世界的   (初中英语单词)

shortly [´ʃɔ:tli]   ad.立刻，马上；不久   (初中英语单词)

physical [´fizikəl]   a.物质的；有形的   (初中英语单词)

missing [´misiŋ]   a.缺掉的；失踪的   (初中英语单词)

injury [´indʒəri]   n.伤害；毁坏；侮辱   (初中英语单词)

whatever [wɔt´evə]   pron.&a.无论什么   (初中英语单词)

compete [kəm´pi:t]   v.比赛，竞争，对抗   (初中英语单词)

involve [in´vɔlv]   vt.卷缠；包括；使专注   (初中英语单词)

equipment [i´kwipmənt]   n.装备，设备   (初中英语单词)

mostly [´məustli]   ad.主要地；多半；通常   (初中英语单词)

severe [si´viə]   a.严厉的；苛刻的   (初中英语单词)

normal [´nɔ:məl]   a.正规的 n.正常状态   (初中英语单词)

function [´fʌŋkʃən]   n.机能；职责 vi.活动   (初中英语单词)

medical [´medikəl]   a.医学的；医疗的   (初中英语单词)

movement [´mu:vmənt]   n.活动；运动；动作   (初中英语单词)

bundle [´bʌndl]   n.包，捆；包袱(裹)   (初中英语单词)

tournament [´tuənəmənt]   n.比赛，锦标赛   (高中英语单词)

determination [di,tə:mi´neiʃən]   n.决心；决定   (高中英语单词)

bronze [brɔnz]   n.青铜(器)   (高中英语单词)

sweden [´swi:dn]   n.瑞典   (高中英语单词)

regularly [´regjuləli]   ad.有规律地；经常地   (高中英语单词)

sledge [sledʒ]   n.雪橇；大锤   (高中英语单词)

intellectual [,inti´lektʃuəl]   n.知识分子   (高中英语单词)

hearing [´hiəriŋ]   n.听力；听证会；审讯   (高中英语单词)

athlete [´æθlit, ´æθli:t]   n.体育家；运动员   (英语四级单词)

alpine [´ælpain]   a.高山的   (英语四级单词)

swedish [´swi:diʃ]   a.瑞典人 n.瑞典语   (英语四级单词)

imperfect [im´pə:fikt]   a.不完全的；未完成的   (英语四级单词)

vehicle [´vi:ikəl]   n.车辆；媒介物   (英语四级单词)

spinal [´spainl]   a.脊椎骨，脊骨的   (英语六级单词)