The Olympic Games ________ held every four years.

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   The Olympic Games

The ancient Olympic Games was in the year 776_BC. They were held at Olympia in Greece every four years, for almost 12 centuries, until _AD394.

The contemporary Olympics were first held in 1896, in Athens. It was a Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, who brought the Olympics back to life. He dreamt that the Olympics would make it possible for 56. 各國(guó)人民和平相處. Now people all over the world are helping to realize this dream. Among them are many well-known athletes.

57. 中國(guó)運(yùn)動(dòng)員為奧運(yùn)會(huì)做出了重要貢獻(xiàn)。At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the People’s Republic of China returned to the Olympics after 32 years’ absence. I am sure the whole of China must have felt proud when Xu Haifeng won the first gold medal for his country. 58. Deng Yaping is perhaps the greatest female table tennis player in the world. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Liu Xiang excited people all over Asia when he became the first Asian to win the gold medal in the men’s 110-metre hurdles.

59. The Chinese led the way at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning 51 gold medals. For the first time in history, the Chinese women’s gymnastics team won the gold medal.

These are some of the Olympic athletes who have brought joy to people across the world with their attempts to push the boundaries of human achievement. We are looking forward to seeing more of them in future Olympic Games. 60. Join us in wishing the Olympic Movement a successful future.

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION (30 points)

Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passages is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked with A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.

The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors of the sport. As many as 6 000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.

The Olympic Games always start in bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.

The runner with the Olympic torch then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.

The competition begins the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.

More and more women are taking part in the games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’s swimming events were introduced in 1912, but it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.

1. Why is there honor for the losers as well as for the winners?

A. Because failure is the mother of success.

B. Because losers need encouragement, too.

C. Because losers and winners should be equally treated.

D. Because what really matters is to take part in the Olympic Games.

2. Which of the following is a long-established practice in the opening ceremony?

A. Runners enter the stadium with torches.

B. Each team has to put on a wonderful display.

C. The Greek team marches in first.

D. Men and women wear magnificent clothes.

3. What are the most important events in the Olympic Games?

A. The track and field events.　　    　　  

B. The horse-riding events.

C. The swimming events.　　　　　　 

D. The boat-racing events.

The Olympic Games always start in bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.

The runner with the Olympic torch then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.

The competition begins the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.

More and more women are taking part in the games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’s swimming events were introduced in 1912, but it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.

1. Why is there honor for the losers as well as for the winners?

A. Because failure is the mother of success.

B. Because losers need encouragement, too.

C. Because losers and winners should be equally treated.

D. Because what really matters is to take part in the Olympic Games.

2. Which of the following is a long-established practice in the opening ceremony?

A. Runners enter the stadium with torches.

B. Each team has to put on a wonderful display.

C. The Greek team marches in first.

D. Men and women wear magnificent clothes.

3. What are the most important events in the Olympic Games?

A. The track and field events.　　    　　  

B. The horse-riding events.

C. The swimming events.　　　　　　 

D. The boat-racing events.