The history of the Games Olympia Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games,

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The history of the Games Olympia
Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of "Pelops", the founder of the Olympic Games. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and ancient sporting facilities(设备) were combined in a site of unique natural and mystical beauty.
Olympia functioned as a meeting place for worship and other religious and political practices as early as the 10th century B.C. The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic temple of Zeus, with the temple of Hera parallel to it. The ancient stadium in Olympia could hold more than 40,000 audience, while in the surrounding area there were auxiliary(辅助的) buildings which developed gradually up until the 4th century B.C. and were used as training sites for the athletes or to house the judges of the Games.
The Games and religion
The Olympic Games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, but were not a total part of a rite. Indeed, they had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and development of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging good relations between the cities of Greece. According to specialists, the Olympic Games owed their purity and importance to religion.
Victory ceremonies
The Olympic victor received his first awards immediately after the competition. Following the announcement of the winner"s name by the herald, a Hellanodikis (Greek judge) would place a palm branch in his hands, while the audience cheered and threw flowers to him. Red ribbons were tied on his head and hands as a mark of victory.
The official award ceremony would take place on the last day of the Games, at the elevated vestibule of the temple of Zeus. In a loud voice, the herald would announce the name of the Olympic winner, his father"s name, and his homeland. Then, the Hellanodikis placed the sacred olive tree wreath（花环）, or kotinos, on the winner"s head.
小题1:When did Olympia become the site of the Olympic Games?
A. In the 10th century B.C.
B. Before the 4th century B.C.
C. After the 4th century B.C.
D. It was not mentioned here.
小题2:Which one is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Zeus is the founder of the Olympic Games.

B．The ancient stadium in Olympic were used as training sites for the athletes in the 10th century.

C．The Olympic Games have much to do with the religion.

D．The Olympic victor would receive a golden medal.

小题3:Can you guess the meaning of this word “herald” in the passage?

A．the author

B．the headmaster

C．the announcer

D．the manager

小题4:When the athletes won the game, ______.

A．They were awarded immediately after the competition.

B．They were awarded twice. The first, immediately after the competition; the second, on the last day of the game.

C．They were awarded on the last day of the game.

D．They were awarded on the last day of the game or immediately after the competition.

答案

小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:B

解析

小题1:文章第二段提到公元前4世纪的时候奥林匹亚运动场建造的辅助设施用来训练运动员或裁判员休息，可见那时已经开始举行奥运会了。
小题2:文章第三段说到奥运会与宗教有很大的关系。
小题3:从文章后两段可以看出，“herald”是宣布获奖结果的，所以可以推测出应当是宣告员。
小题4:文章后数第二段提到第一次颁奖是在比赛结束时立即，最后一段又提到了官方的奖励，可见是有两次颁奖。

举一反三

The Neutrality of American in the Early World War II
The establishment of the Third Reich influenced events in American history by starting a chain of events which culminated in war between Germany and the United States. The compete destruction of democracy, the persecution of Jews, the war on religion, the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazis, and especially the plans of Germany and her allies, Italy and Japan, for world conquest caused great indignation in this country and brought on fear of another world war. While speaking out against Hitler’s atrocities, the American people generally favored isolationist policies and neutrality. The Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1936 prohibited trade with any belligerents or loans to them. In 1937 the President was empowered to declare an arms embargo in wars between nations at his discretion.
American opinion began to change somewhat after President Roosevelt’s “quarantine the aggressor” speech at Chicago (1937) in which he severely criticized Hitler’s policies. Germany’s seizure of Austria and the Munich Pact for the partition of Czechoslovakia (1938) also aroused the American people. The conquest of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939 was another rude awakening to the menace of the Third Reich. In August, 1939 came the shock of the Nazi-soviet Pact and in September the attack on Poland and the outbreak of European war. The United States attempted to maintain neutrality in spite of sympathy for the democracies arrayed against the Third Reich. The Neutrality Act of 1939 repealed the arms embargo and permitted “cash and carry” exports of arms to belligerent nations. A strong national defense program was begun. A draft act was passed (1940) to strengthen the military services. A Lend Act (1941) authorized the President to sell, exchange, or lend materials to any country deemed necessary by him for the defense of the United States. Help was given to Britain by exchanging certain overage destroyers for the right to establish American bases in British territory in the Western Hemisphere. In August, 1940 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met and issued the Atlantic Charter which proclaimed the kind of a world which should be established after the war. In December, 1941, Japan launched the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. Immediately thereafter, Germany declared war on the United States.
小题1:One item occurring before 1937 that the author does not mention in his list of actions that alienated the American public was
A the burning of the Reichstag.   B German plans for conquest.
C Nazi barbarism.             D the persecution of religious groups.
小题2:The Lend-Lease Act was designed to
A help the British.
B strengthen the national defense of the United States.
C promote the Atlantic Charter.
D avenge Pearl Harbor.
小题3:American Policy during the years 1935-1936 may be described as being
A watchful. B isolationist. C peaceful.   D indifferent.
小题4:The Neutrality Act of 1939
A permitted the selling of arms to belligerent nations.
B antagonized Japan.
C permitted the British to trade only with the Allies.
D led to Lend-Lease Act.
小题5:We entered the war against Germany
A because Germany declared war.
B because Japan was an ally of Germany.
C after Germany had signed the Nazi-soviet Pact.
D after peaceful efforts had failed.

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Hunting
The days of the hunter are almost over in India. This is partly because there is practically nothing left to kill, and partly because some steps have been taken, mainly by banning tiger-shooting, to protect those animals which still survive.
Some people say that Man is naturally a hunter. I disagree with this view. Surely out earliest forefathers, who at first possessed no weapons, spent their time digging for roots, and were no doubt themselves often hunted by meat-eating animals.
I believe the main reason why the modern hunter kills is that he thinks people will admire his courage in overpowering dangerous animals. Of course, there are some who truly believe that the killing is not really the important thing, and that the chief pleasure lies in the joy of the hunt and the beauties of the wild countryside. There are also those for whom hunting in fact offers a chance to prove themselves and risk death by design; these men go out after dangerous animals like tigers, even if they say they only do it to rid the countryside of a threat. I can respect reasons like these, but they are clearly different from the need to strengthen your high opinion of yourself.
The greatest big-game hunters expressed in their writings something of these finer motives(动机).One of them wrote.
“You must properly respect what you are after and shoot it cleanly and on the animal’s own territory(领地)。You must fix forever in your mind all the wonders of that particular day. This is better than letting him grow a few years older to be attacked and wounded by his own son and eventually eaten, half alive, by other animals, Hunting is not a cruel and senseless killing – not if you respect the thing you kill, not if you kill to enrich your memories, not if you kill to feed your people.”
I can understand such beliefs, and can compare these hunters with those who hunted lions with spears(矛) and bravely caught them by the tail. But this is very different from many tiger—shoots I have seen, in which modern weapons were used.The so—called hunters fired from tall trees or from the backs of trained elephants. Such methods made tigers seem no more dangerous than rabbits.
小题1: There is no more hunting in India now partly because___.

A．it is dangerous to hunt there

B．hunting is already out of date

C．hunters want to protect animals

D．there are few animals left to hunt

小题2:The author thinks modern hunters kill mainly____.

A．to make the countryside safe

B．to earn people’s admiration

C．to gain power and influence

D．to improve their health

小题3: What do we learn about the big-game hunters?

A．They hunt old animals

B．They mistreat animals

C．They hunt for food

D．They hunt for money

小题4: What is the author’s view on the tiger-shoots he has seen?

A．Modern hunters lack the courage to hunt face-to-face

B．Modern hunters should use more advanced weapons

C．Modern hunters like to hunt rabbits instead of tigers

D．Modern hunters should put their safety first

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The run-up to the launch of China"s first lunar orbiter at the end of this month has caught the country"s imagination, with more than two thirds of the nation hoping to see the launch live on TV, according to a survey.
According to the survey by China Youth Daily and www.qq.com, almost the entire nation hopes to catch images of the event at some point, with 99 percent of the 10358 respondents saying they expected to witness the satellite launch and 68.9 percent said they were certain to watch the live broadcast of the launch. On www.qq.com and www.sina.com, two popular web portals in the country, internet users have contributed some 2,000 poems and 5000 drawings on the theme of Chang"e I.
"The satellite launch means much more than just saying "hello" to the moon. Maybe in the future we could also send some people to accompany sister "Chang"e"," said a college student in the survey.
Remarkably, many people expect to visit the moon one day, with 93.4 percent of respondents saying they expected to do so.
Chang"e I is named after Chang"e, a famous character from Chinese mythology. She ascended from earth to live on the moon as a celestial being after drinking an elixir.
There is also another connection between the moon and China. In the 1970s, a crater on the moon was named after a Chinese stargazer, Wan Hu, who is said to be the first astronaut in human history.
Legend says about 600 years ago, around the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Wan Hu, a local government official, tried to fly into space with the help of a chair, two big kites and 47 self-made gunpowder-filled rockets. According to the legend after the rockets were lit there was a huge bang and lots of smoke. When the smoke cleared Wan was nowhere to be found.
China"s first astronaut flew into space in 2003 with the launch of the Chinese-made spaceship Shenzhou V. China became the third country, after the Soviet Union and the United States, to carry out manned space missions.
小题1:Which is true according to the passage?

A．According to a survey, two thirds of the nation are hoping to see the launch live on TV,

B．The internet users have drawn some 5000 pictures of ‘Chang’e’.

C．Wan Hu, a Chinese stargazer(n. 看星星的人,占星师,天文学家) , was dead after the huge bang and a lot of smoke.

D．China’s first astronaut flew into space in 2003 in the spaceship Shenzhou VI.

小题2:What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 5?

A．a kind of medicine for long life.	B．a kind of medicine to make you light enough to fly in the air.
C．a kind of wine	D．a kind of alcohol.

小题3:Why was Wan Hu said to be the first astronaut in human history?

A．Because a crater on the moon was named after his name.

B．Because he was the first to go to the moon in his own “spaceship”.

C．Because of his courage for scientific experiment to the moon.

D．Because he made the first rocket in human history.

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Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.
Long ago, the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.
小题1:_______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A．Tomesha	B．Death Valley
C．Nevada	D．Badwater

小题2:The name of the valley comes from _______.

A．an Indian name	B．the death of the miners
C．the local people	D．a National Movement

小题3:From the passage we can learn that _______.

A．no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B．it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C．people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D．people have changed the natural sight of the desert

小题4:Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A．the frequent wind	B．the colors of the sand
C．dream-like sights	D．the sand sculptures

小题5:From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A．appreciates	B．is fearful of
C．dislikes	D．is tired of

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The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River. It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.
The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $ 7 143 789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges(过运河费) were stopped, the state collected $121 461 891.
For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”. Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.
Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.
小题1:We can see that the Erie Canal ________.

A．joined the Great Lakes together

B．crossed New York from north to south

C．played an important part in developing New York City

D．was the first waterway built in the US

小题2:It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

A．the Great Lakes flow	B．the Hudson River flows
C．Lake Erie flows	D．the Erie Canal flows

小题3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114, 000, 000.

B．It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

C．The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built.

D．Many other states helped New York built the canal.

小题4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends.

B．Clinton started building the canal before he became governor.

C．All parts of the canal were completed at the same time.

D．Construction of the canal took eight years.

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