It’s hard to believe how times have changed since the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, on 6th April 1896.One hundred years ago, there was very little reliance(dependence)on modern technology.There were no landing mats(海绵垫), no stopwatches and no photo finishes.In fact, cameras and stopwatches were not used until the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.
Today technology has completely revolutionized(changed)sports.Take sports equipment(装备)for example.Starting blocks are now equipped with electronic pressure sensors, which, together with digital cameras, provide exactly correct race time and also help to catch runners who“jump the gun”.As athletes cross the finishing line, special digital cameras can also easily decide the winner.The days of“dead heats”are gone.
Athletes have also benefited(受益)from technological developments.Body-hugging suits, which reduce(减少)wind drag, can help cut up to one-tenth of a second from runners’ race times.Top athletes are even provided with tailor-made sports shoes.These shoes are made to fit the athlete exactly-and there are even air compartments in the shoes that can be filled to meet each runner’s individual needs.
Technology has also changed the way that many sports are performed.Take one example-the pole vault(撑杆跳).The inclusion of a landing mat obviously made a big difference to the vaulting style(方式)as athletes no longer needed to worry about hurting themselves as they fell.Without these worries, athletes could obviously jump higher.These days, pole vaulters do not even need to worry about the crossbar as the uprights are now fitted with light-emitting diodes(LEDs)that measure(测量)how high the athlete vaulted.Even it has been to the advantage of swimmers.New pools have been designed to reduce wave interference and sports scientists have even developed a new style of swimming that increases buoyancy and reduces drag in the water.
The increasing importance of these technological developments has led many sportsmen to suggest that the“Olympic spirit”is being lost in a rush to break records and win medals.Many developing countries say that technology has become too important in sport and that athletes from developing countries that cannot afford such technology are disadvantaged.There are no easy answers but one thing is sure-we cannot turn back times.Technology cannot go backwards.
(1)
How many pieces of high-tech sports equipment are mentioned in Paragraph 2 and 3?
[ ]
A.
One.
B.
Two.
C.
Four.
D.
Five.
(2)
The underlined phrase“dead heats”means ________.
[ ]
A.
sports equipment which was out of date
B.
runners who jumped the gun while running
C.
diseases which killed runners in hot weather
D.
races in which runners finished at the same time
(3)
What can be inferred from the fourth paragraph?
[ ]
A.
LEDs can measure the speed of swimming.
B.
The pole vault was not quite safe in the past.
C.
Pole vaulters jump higher with landing mats.
D.
New pools have changed the style of swimming.
(4)
The purpose of the writer in writing this article is ________.
Good afternoon.Welcome to England.We hope that your visit will be a pleasant one.Today I'd like to tell you something about a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking.Now you may not buy wine in this country if you are under 18 years of age,nor may your friends buy it for you.
The second one,noise.Enjoy yourselves by yourself,but don't make unnecessary noise,especially at night.We ask you to respect other people who may wish you be quiet.
The third one,crossing the road.Be careful.The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country.Use pedestrian crossing (人行横道) and don't take any chances when crossing the road.
My next point is about rubbish.It isn't lawful to drop rubbish in the street.When you have something to throw away,please put it in your pocket and take it home,or put it in a dustbin.
Finally,smoking.It is against the law to buy cigarettes if you are less than 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you need any kinds of help,you should contact the police.They will be glad to help you.You can call,write or go to ask any policemen.
(1)
Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?
A.A guide. B.A person who makes laws.
C.A teacher. D.An English officer.
[ ]
(2)
How many laws are discussed in the speech?
A.Four. B.Three. C.Six. D.Five.
[ ]
(3)
The main purpose (目的) of this speech is to ______.
A.tell people that those above 18 can drink and smoke in England
B.declare (宣布) the different laws in England
C.give advice to the travelers in England
D.warn people against going to England
[ ]
(4)
The underlined word“contact”in the last paragraph means“______”.
A.keep up B.go to see C.make a call to D.bring trouble
[ ]
(5)
From the passage we can learn______.
A.in England,if you are under 18 years of age,you can't buy wine,but your friends can buy it for you
B.you may not buy cigarettes unless you are above 16 years of age
C.because the traffic moves on the left side of the road,you must use the pedestrian crossing when crossing the road