阅读理解

　　Skateboards have been around since the 1970s, but they have recently become popular again．Many teenagers have discovered the skateboard as a result of TV shows, films, and competitions such as the X Games．The X Games are like Olympic Games for sports that are less familiar to us than sports like football and basketball．A new generation of sports is capturingthe hearts and minds of people who are willing to try something new．These new sports are called “extreme sports” and all centre on the “X-factor”－the pure joy of doing something that you did not think you could do and overcoming your fears．

　　Extreme sports are different from regular sports．Instead of simply trying to defeat the other team or set a new record, many extreme sports are about beauty, harmony and thrills．In fact, some extreme sports are not really “sports” at all, because they do not have clear rules about winning or losing．The goal of a “competition” may simply be to have fun and enjoy the excitement of trying something new．