[ti:Europeans Feel the Summer Heat, While Some Africans Go Skiing] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.96]While millions across Europe live through a summer of record-breaking heat, [00:07.19]others are skiing down snowy mountains in Africa. [00:12.84]This is not another sign of climate change. [00:15.75]Rather, it is a result of the special climate of Lesotho. [00:21.52]Lesotho is a small mountainous nation surrounded by South Africa. [00:26.36]It is the only country on Earth where its whole land surface [00:31.44]sits more than 1,000 meters above sea level. [00:36.64]That gives Lesotho snow during the southern hemisphere's winters. [00:42.60]Cold winters are not rare in southern Africa. But snow is rare. [00:48.80]And ski resorts are even rarer. At a height of 3,000 meters above sea level, [00:55.65]Afriski is Africa's only ski resort south of the equator. [01:01.96]It is in Lesotho's Maluti Mountains. [01:04.92]"I've never seen snow in my life," said Kafi Mojapelo. [01:10.07]She traveled the short distance from South Africa [01:13.42]for a skiing vacation she never thought she would take. [01:18.60]"This is a great experience," she added. [01:21.68]Bafana Nadida is from Johannesburg. [01:26.68]He was happy to put on ski boots for the first time. [01:30.54]He planned a day full of ski lessons, taking pictures and playing in the snow. [01:38.04]Skiers and snowboarders waited to rent the correct equipment. [01:42.28]Some people took lessons from Hope Ramokotjo. [01:45.80]He is from Lesotho and has worked [01:48.41]as a self-taught ski and snowboard instructor for 12 years. [01:54.32]"Push your heels out. Don't pull your shoulders," he said to his class. [01:59.96]Afriski's Kapoko Snow Park is the only freestyle snow park on the continent. [02:07.44]Freestyle skiing and snowboarding involves tricks like jumps, twists and flips. [02:14.52]Last month, competitors entered the Winter Whip Slopestyle snowboard and ski competition. [02:22.32]Sekholo Ramonotsi is a 13-year-old from the Lesotho city of Butha-Buthe. [02:28.76]He practices at Afriski. He has won the junior snowboard and ski divisions. [02:36.24]"I would really like to ski in Europe," he said. [02:39.45]British-born Meka Lebohang Ejindu said [02:43.76]he has taught skiing and snowboarding in Austria for more than 10 years. [02:48.36]This was his first time competing in the southern hemisphere. [02:53.60]Afriski may not be at the level of Europe's large resorts. [02:57.51]But a love of winter sports is growing there. [03:02.56]"For a competition like this to happen in southern Africa is so heartwarming," Ejindu said. [03:10.36]I'm Jill Robbins. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM