World News for Students of English

04-01-2022 07:00

Hundreds of hardy swimmers braved the freezing waters of the Vltava River in Prague, Czech Republic, in honor of winter swimming pioneer and promoter of the Spartan lifestyle, Alfred Nikodem.

It was the 75th swim of the annual event, and 360 participants from eight different countries, including Poland, the US, and England, were in the 100, 300, and 750-meter distance categories. The air temperature was minus six degrees Celsius, and the water temperature was between three to four degrees, the lowest temperature in many years.

Alfred Nikodem was a well-known Prague goldsmith and founder of the winter swimming in the Czech country, and he braved the cold waters in Prague with a few friends in 1923. Five years later, more than 50 people swam with him, and since then, the tradition has stayed alive every year.

Difficult words: pioneer (one of the first people to study or develop something), promoter (one of the first people to tell others about something), Spartan (like of the ancient Spartans who were famous for being brave, serious, and highly disciplined).

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