Teetering along a crumbling walkway over 100 metres high, a group of intrepid climbers carefully inch their way across what has been dubbed the most dangerous path in the world.
And they're not alone. Adrenaline-junkies have been flocking to southern Spain to experience the 110-year-old El Caminito Del Rey before work begins to refurbish it next year.
Companies have now begun offering unofficial tours after a video of a walker tackling the hair-raising trail went viral on YouTube.
And you don't need to be an experienced climber either, the only requirements are that walkers should be at least twelve years old and have a good head for heights.
The trail, also known as the King's Pathway, was originally built in 1905 for workers to travel between two hydroelectric power plants but was closed-off in 2000 after two walkers fell to their deaths.
It snakes its way along cliff edges high up in El Chorro Gorge, thirty miles from Malaga.
Much of the one-metre-wide walkway is crumbing away with rusting supports, gaping holes, no handrails and sections that have completely fallen down.
A makeshift wire has now been attached to the rock face which walkers and climbers can clip themselves on to in order to have some degree of security - but many still prefer not to use any safety equipment at all.
Work is now due to start on an 8.3 million project to make the pathway safe again and attract more tourists to the area.
It will take three years to re-construct and will see the pathway completely rebuilt with handrails, protective barriers, lighting and a visitor’s centre.
One climber on the route last week said: 'It's a shame they're going to fix the path.
'It will sanitise it too much and take the thrill out of it.
'It's free for us to go on right now but I'm sure they'll make us pay to use it in the future.' (Daily Mail)
teeter － (v.) 蹣跚而行，搖搖晃晃。Teetering along a crumbling walkway over 100 metres high (沿著一條逐漸脫落、離地面 100 公尺高的步道蹣跚而行) 為分詞構句，修飾主詞 a group of intrepid climbers。
The world's oldest living conjoined twins have defied doctors' predictions and reached their 50th birthday.
George and Lori Schappell, who are joined at the head, celebrate their special day on Sept. 11.
And the pair are marking the landmark birthday with a trip to London.
Remarkably, the Siamese twins are able to live very different and separate lives, with Lori having had relationships and George — who was originally named Dori — deciding to live life as a man.
Lori is also a ten-pin bowling champion and George performs as a country and western singer.
Lori says: "When we were born, the doctors didn't think we'd make 30, but we proved them wrong.
"We have learned so much in the last 50 years and will continue living life to the full."
While Lori, who is 5ft 1in, was born able-bodied, 4ft 4in George suffers from spina bifida, which has caused severe mobility problems.
As George cannot walk, he sits in a wheelchair-type stool which Lori pushes so the two can move together.
George says: "Most people don't believe us but we do have very normal lives.
"We travel, tidy our flat and Lori has even had a boyfriend. Nothing stops us doing what we want."
The twins, from Pennsylvania in America, were born sharing 30 per cent of their frontal lobe brain tissue and critical blood vessels, meaning they cannot be separated.
The twins not only had to deal with their birth defect but George was hiding a secret torment from his sister.
He says: "I have known from a very young age that I should have been a boy.
"I loved playing with trains and hated girly outfits. I kept my desire to change sex hidden — even from Lori — for many years."
George came clean about his desire four years ago. He changed his name from Dori and began living as a man.
He says: "It was so tough, but I was getting older and I simply didn't want to live a lie. I knew I had to live my life the way I wanted."
George has not had a sex change, but dresses and introduces himself as a man.
Lori says: "Obviously it was a shock when Dori changed to George, but I am so proud of him.
"It was a huge decision but we have overcome so much in our lives and together we are such a strong team. Nothing can break that."
Lori considers herself a girly girl and does all the cooking for herself and George while he will do all the DIY around their flat.
Although the pair are both single, Lori has dated men. She says: "I lost my virginity at the age of 23 to my second boyfriend.
"When I went on dates, George would bring along books to read and, as we don't face each other, he could ignore any kissing. I don't see why being a conjoined twin should stop me having a love life and feeling like a woman."
Five years ago Lori was engaged, but four months before the couple were due to marry, her fiancé was killed by a drunk driver.
Lori says: "It was devastating and my heart is broken. (The Sun)
《字詞解析》
oldest living － (adj.) 目前還活著年紀最大的。在此，oldest living 與標題的 longest surviving 同義。
conjoined twins － (n.) 連體嬰；連體雙胞胎。亦叫做 Siamese twins。這對連體雙胞胎原本叫做 Dori 和 Lori，是對姊妹花，但 Dori 於 4 年前改名為 George，雖然沒有變性，但從此以男性自居，作男性打扮，過著男人生活。
Mittu the parrot deserves congratulations – or as the African grey might say, ‘shabaash’.
The bilingual bird has developed an impressive vocabulary in both English and Urdu after being raised in a home where both are spoken.
As well as the likes of 'who's a pretty boy then', the two-year-old has mastered the traditional Muslim greeting 'asalaam alaykum' and 'bismillah', the Urdu for 'in the name of Allah'.
Owner Ghaffar Ahmed, 36, said: 'He speaks Urdu and English. But he also barks like a dog and makes the noise of the refrigerator alarm, so he likes making all sorts of noises really.'
Mittu lives with Mr Ahmed's family in Stourbridge, West Midlands. This year a study found that African greys are capable of the same level of intelligent reasoning as a four-year-old child.
Mr Ahmed said: 'I don't know how many bilingual birds there are in the UK but there can't be many.'
Mr Ahmed, who runs a car firm and accident management company, says he is refusing to take him out to the local mosque - after the parrot escaped recently from his workplace.
Mr Ahmed, his wife, Shabana, 31, and their three young daughters were 'devastated' when he disappeared.
But tears turned to joy when the bird turned up four days later having flown four miles away.
Susan Lane, from Halesowen, West Midlands, found the Mittu in her holly tree and found Mr Ahmed online.
'As soon as we were reunited he came and kissed my face,' Mr Ahmed added.
'We were delighted to have him back, it was like losing one of the family when he flew off.
'So I’m not letting him go out any more, I’m keeping a close eye on him from now on.' (Daily Mail)
The bizarre internet craze of 'planking' is set to lose its cult online status to the increasingly popular trend of 'owling'.
Hundreds of young people in America, Australia and now, Britain, have taken up the new 'owling' craze.
It consists of crouching on one's haunches and staring into the middle distance, like an owl.
Participants then take photos of themselves and post them on Facebook or on other social networking sites.
Extra kudos is earned for those who do it in unusual situations.
The trend is a development of the popular craze of 'planking' in which people would take pictures of themselves lying face down in strange locations.
However, in recent months ‘planking’ has become increasingly mainstream – and thus less popular on the trend-conscious internet.
Last month the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay posted pictures of himself planking – a development that prompted trend-watchers to declare the craze ‘officially dead’.
'Owling' is believed to have started in Australia within the last few weeks.
Indeed, it is so new that the Wikipedia entry for 'owling' describes the practice as being a term used in the Middle Ages to describe the ‘the smuggling of sheep or wool from England to another country.
Despite its relative youth, the owling craze already has two popular Facebook groups dedicated to it, onto which more than 1,000 people are listed as members.
Other social websites including Reddit also feature pictures of young people taking part in the craze.
The trendspotting site Buzzfeed has described 'owling' as a 'worthy successor' to planking. (Daily Mail)
A receptionist at a bank has lost more than eight stone after conquering a bizarrephobia – of sweat.
Tracey Stone, 35, walked less than three miles per year and 'freaked out' at the mere thought of exercise because of the irrational fear.
The phobia, which she developed in childhood, meant she piled on the pounds and it left her with 'zero' self-esteem.
At her heaviest, she tipped the scales at 19 stone and consumed 5,000 calories per day – more than double the recommended daily amount.
But in early 2010 Tracey overcame her 'nemesis' thanks to a course of hypnotherapy. She has now dropped from a size 18 to a size 12.
Tracey, who lives in Bristol, now weighs in at just 11 stone and controls her weight through gentle exercise and slimming aids.
She said: 'I’ve had a fear of excessive sweating since I was at school. It got to the point where I was literally not walking anyway through fear of breaking sweat. I freaked out at the thought of going to the gym.
'But now I feel happier and healthier after finally overcoming the nemesis that had haunted me for so long.'
The phobia of excessive sweating, hypothermosis, affects up to 1-in-200,000 people across the UK. (Daily Mail)
Forget tattoos, belly button piercings and Lady Gaga-style silicone implants - the latest craze in body modification is 'corset piercing' where metal rings are pierced into the skin and joined together with a ribbon to give a corset effect.
The 'decoration', which can cost up to £300, can be applied to any area of the body where the skin is loose enough to pinch in order to thread a needle through. Popular areas include the back, ribs and, in some cases, even the throat.
But a cosmetic surgeon has now warned of the dangers of the bizarre trend which is sweeping the UK, saying the scarring following the procedure can be 'absolutely horrendous'.
Some have endured an hour of pain to achieve the corset effect but it's only temporary - after a few weeks of wear they simply grow out, leaving scars in their place.
It appears to be the latest in the 'body modification' phenomenon, which has seen people going to extraordinary levels in a bid to stand out from the crowd.
Today it's possible to be branded, scarred and even have silicone implanted under the skin to create bumps and 'horns'.
Eccentric pop star Lady Gaga is just one celebrity who's jumped on the bandwagon. She sported bizarre flesh-coloured 'horns' on her face during a television interview in February this year.
According to piercing experts, the 'corset' modification is growing in popularity as more and more brave the pain.
'I can't believe that people are going out with these things on display - they're open to any sort of infection. It's verging on masochistic.
'It's just bizarre. I saw a picture of a girl who had the front of her chest done like this, that area is very prone to scarring. It's an awful thing to do.'
Laura Hunt offers corset piercing at her Tattoo and Piercing Studio, called Dragstrip, in Southampton, Hampshire, and charges £5 per hoop.
The 25-year-old, from Southampton, who has had the piercing herself, insisted it wasn't dangerous.
She explained: 'Corset piercing is becoming more popular. Body modifications have recently become really popular as everyone wants to be different.
'It can be quite painful. It involves pinching the skin and pushing the needle through by hand.
'It's not dangerous because it's a surface piercing and doesn't go deep enough.
'It's an open wound so it has to be cleaned to prevent infection - it's just like any other piercing.
'It only lasts for three to four weeks and after that it will just grow out. It does leave a few red scars. (wrapup)
《字詞解析》
belly button -- (n.) 肚臍。
silicone implant -- (n.) 植入矽膠。如隆乳。
craze -- (n.) 時尚；風潮；潮流。與 trend, fad 同義。
body modification -- (n.) 身體改造。如刺青 (tattoos)、穿刺 (piercings) 等等。
corset piercing -- (n.) 馬甲穿刺 (即人肉馬甲)。
pierce – (v.) 穿刺。
pinch -- (v.) 捏；擰；夾。
thread a needle through -- (v.) 將針穿過 (皮肉)。To thread a needle：穿針 (將線穿過針)。
cosmetic surgeon – (n.) 整型醫師。
bizarre -- (adj.) 怪異的；異乎尋常的。
sweep -- (v.) 席捲。
scarring -- (gerund) 結疤；留下疤痕。
horrendous -- (adj.) 可怕的；駭人的。
grow out -- (phr. v.) (肉) 長出來。
stand out -- (phr. v.) 突出。To stand out from the crowd：鶴立雞群；與眾不同。
bump -- (n.) 凸塊。
eccentric -- (adj.) (人、行為等) 古怪的；怪異的。
jump on the bandwagon -- (phr.) 趕時髦；追求時尚；趕搭…順風車。這片語亦可寫成 climb on the bandwagon 或 join the bandwagon。
sport -- (v.) 炫耀。
growing in popularity -- (v.) 越來越流行。這片語亦可用 becoming more popular 來表示。
brave -- (v.) 勇敢地面對。如 to brave the pain：忍著疼痛；to brave the storm：冒著暴風雨。
Moses Lanham plans on stepping into the record books in a rather unusual fashion.
'Known as backward feet man’ and ‘Mr elastic’, the Michigan-based 49-year-old can rotate his feet 120 degrees behind him, a feat he hopes will earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
As that’s not all; he also plans on setting a record for the fastest man to walk 20 metres with his feet turned backwards.
Despite the daunting task ahead, Mr Lanham can however remain quietly confident – both records have never been attempted before.
Speaking to AOL News, Mr Lanham said: ‘I know I can put my toes together in back, but for the record, I’ll do a full 120 degrees.’
Despite the visually excruciating appearance, Mr Lanham says his flexible feet cause him no pain, in fact he quite enjoys the back-to-front feeling.
'A lot of times when I’m sitting down I’ll put my feet in a twisted position because it’s more comfortable for me,’ he said.
Mr Lanham discovered his strange quirk at 14 after a high school gym class accident.
Climbing a rope, he lost his grip and fell nearly 18 feet before landing with his feet in an extremely awkward position.
'They thought something was dislocated,’ Mr Lanham said. ‘But I stood up and was fine.’
Mr Lanham has made the most of his talent ever since.
In high school he was prone to walking backwards and at college he would wear his clothes backwards to match the direction of his feet.
Sadly, Mr Lanham’s 17-year-old son Trey has only partially inherited his father’s funny feet.
Trey can not turn them the full way round like his father, and also feels pain after staying in the position for a short time. (Daily Mail)
《字詞解析》
plan on -- (v.) 打算，計畫。Plan on + V-ing = plan to + V = intend to + V。
elastic -- (n.) 橡皮圈。
feat -- (n.) 技藝。
daunting -- (adj.) 使人膽怯的，使人畏縮的。
AOL News -- (n.) 美國線上新聞。AOL 為 American Online 公司的縮寫。
A blind pensioner who was told he would never see again has miraculously regained his sight - while kissing a photograph of his late wife as he prepared for bed.
George Hudspeth has been registered blind for 10-years after he was diagnosed withdry macular degeneration. He lost his sight completely one year ago and expected to live the rest of his life in darkness.
But last week his vision suddenly returned moments after he held a photograph of his late wife Sheila, who died in November 2009.
The former Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant was so ecstatic he stayed up all night until 5am watching television in case his sight went again.
It means the 76-year-old grandfather has seen his baby granddaughter for the first time following the incredible recovery, which has baffled eye specialists.
Mr Hudspeth, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, said: 'I want to tell the world because I am sitting on top of Mount Everest shouting "I can see."
'I can't explain it. I can't find the right words. I can see just as well as anybody else. It is truly incredible and I couldn't be happier.'
Doctors had previously told him that he would never be able to see again after the condition worsened last year. Both Mr Hudspeth's father and sister had gone blind through the condition.
But last Tuesday, the former serviceman's life changed when his sight miraculously returned. (Daily Mail)
photograph of his late wife -- (phr.) 他亡妻的照片 (即照片中的人是他的亡妻)。如果這張照片是他亡妻所有 (但她不在照片中)，那就要寫成 a photograph of his late wife's。
(be) diagnosed with – (phr.) 被診斷患有。
dry macular degeneration – (n.) 非出血性黃斑退化症。
lose (one’s ) sight – (v.) 失明。
in darkness – (phr.) 一片黑暗。例如：The front rooms were all in darkness. (前面的房間陷入一片黑暗)。
ecstatic – (adj.) 狂喜的；欣喜若狂的。
stay up – (phr. v.) 熬夜。
baffle – (v.) 使困惑，難倒。
Mount Everest – (n.) 聖母峰，珠穆朗瑪峰 (珠峰)。
couldn't be happier – (phr.) 十分高興。「can’t/couldn’t + 比較級形容詞」意為「完全…；十分…」，如 I couldn’t agree more. (我完全同意)。所以，couldn't be happier 就是「十分高興」，意思就是說再也沒有什麼事比這更令人高興了。
