【明報專訊】A group of Swedish athletes took part in the Adventure Racing World Championship (世界越野挑戰錦標賽) through the Amazon rain forest(亞馬遜雨林). They met a stray dog on the way, and it became their new teammate and finished the whole journey together.

The athletes sat down for a meal as they prepared to take on a dangerous trek through the rainforest. Mikael Lindnord noticed a scruffy stray dog staring at him. Feeling sorry for the pathetic dog, Mikael gave it a meatball. The team then continued their race and the dog started to follow them. The dog was eventually given the name Arthur.

As the athletes continued the grueling race, they tried to get rid of Arthur primarily for its own safety. But Arthur refused to go and it completed the extreme events with the team. When they paddled their kayaks, Arthur jumped into water and swam beside.

Mikael decided to adopt Arthur and take him back to Sweden. "I came to Ecuador(厄瓜多爾) to win the World Championship. Instead, I got a new friend." he said.

(source: Ming Pao, The Washington Post, Daily Mail)

■Words

stray dog 流浪狗

trek 艱苦跋涉

kayak 小皮艇

■Quiz

Write "T" if the statement is true, and "F" if it is false.

(answers on the next text)

1. The athletes brought Arthur with them from the beginning of the race.

2. The Adventure Racing World Championship is a challenging race.

3. Arthur could not swim.

4. Arthur became Mikael's pet after the race.

■Glossary

scruffy (adj) 邋遢的

grueling (adj) 累垮人的

get rid of (v phr) 擺脫

paddle (v) 用槳划