The 2008 Beijing Olympics began officially on Friday 8th August 2008 at 8 pm in front of a crowd of 90,000 eager spectators in the Bird's Nest stadium.

Things got off to a bang with a starting firework display which lit up Beijing's skyline, followed by a total of 2,008 energetic drummers beating a countdown（倒计时）. Then the crowd was treated to an amazing sequence（系列） pretty and carefully designed scenes which took them through 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture.

After these performances, it was time for the athletes themselves to take center stage. In keeping with tradition, Olympic founders Greece led the 204 competing nations into the stadium.

China's 639 athletes entered last behind towering flag bearer Yao Ming, to a thunderous reception from the crowd.

Finally, the main torch was lit by a jet of fire  from Chinese Olympic hero Li Ning, who had been pulled up to the roof of the stadium on wires.

China, of course, was not alone in watching the opening ceremony. British newspaper The Guardian said the show "outdid all of its former hosts in numbers, colour, noise and expense."

The Financial Times was equally impressed. "No country ever has--or surely will--match the Chinese in effort, human power, organization, creativity and , it has to be said, money they were willing to put into what once a little show."

No pressure on the next host city then! With just four years to go, the London Olympic organizers have promised to deliver an equally inspirational ceremony. Let's hope they can pull it off.

45. Which of the following is the right order of the opening ceremony of 29th Olympic Games?

a. China's athletes entered last behind Yao Ming.

b. A starting firework display lit up Beijing's skyline.

c. The main torch was lit by a jet of fire from Chinese Olympic hero Li Ning.

d. A total  of 2,008 energetic drummers beat a countdown.

e. The crowd was treated to an amazing sequence of pretty and carefully designed scenes which took them through 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture.

f. Olympic founders Greece led the 204 competing nations into the stadium.

A. b, d, e, a, f, c              B. d, c, b, a, e, f               C. d, c, a, e, b, f        D. b, d, e, f, a, c

46. What does the underlined word outdid probably mean in this passage?

A. did well              B. did worse than         C. did better than             D. did poorly

47. Which of the following can best describe the author's attitude toward the London Olympics?

A. negative              B. sad                         C. positive                       D. satisfied

48. We can find the passage in a newspaper most probably in _____________section.

A. music                B. sports                       C. literature                    D. military

The 2008 Beijing Olympics began officially on Friday 8th August 2008 at 8 pm in front of a crowd of 90,000 eager spectators in the Bird's Nest stadium.

Things got off to a bang with a starting firework display which lit up Beijing's skyline, followed by a total of 2,008 energetic drummers beating a countdown（倒计时）. Then the crowd was treated to an amazing sequence（系列） pretty and carefully designed scenes which took them through 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture.

After these performances, it was time for the athletes themselves to take center stage. In keeping with tradition, Olympic founders Greece led the 204 competing nations into the stadium.

China's 639 athletes entered last behind towering flag bearer Yao Ming, to a thunderous reception from the crowd.

Finally, the main torch was lit by a jet of fire  from Chinese Olympic hero Li Ning, who had been pulled up to the roof of the stadium on wires.

China, of course, was not alone in watching the opening ceremony. British newspaper The Guardian said the show "outdid all of its former hosts in numbers, colour, noise and expense."

The Financial Times was equally impressed. "No country ever has--or surely will--match the Chinese in effort, human power, organization, creativity and , it has to be said, money they were willing to put into what once a little show."

No pressure on the next host city then! With just four years to go, the London Olympic organizers have promised to deliver an equally inspirational ceremony. Let's hope they can pull it off.

45. Which of the following is the right order of the opening ceremony of 29th Olympic Games?

a. China's athletes entered last behind Yao Ming.

b. A starting firework display lit up Beijing's skyline.

c. The main torch was lit by a jet of fire from Chinese Olympic hero Li Ning.

d. A total  of 2,008 energetic drummers beat a countdown.

e. The crowd was treated to an amazing sequence of pretty and carefully designed scenes which took them through 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture.

f. Olympic founders Greece led the 204 competing nations into the stadium.

A. b, d, e, a, f, c              B. d, c, b, a, e, f               C. d, c, a, e, b, f        D. b, d, e, f, a, c

46. What does the underlined word outdid probably mean in this passage?

A. did well              B. did worse than         C. did better than             D. did poorly

47. Which of the following can best describe the author's attitude toward the London Olympics?

A. negative              B. sad                         C. positive                       D. satisfied

48. We can find the passage in a newspaper most probably in _____________section.

A. music                B. sports                       C. literature                    D. military

The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings had appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics.
Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
【小题1】 We can infer from the passage that ______.

The Olympic flame:
The Olympic flame is a symbol carried over from the ancient Olympics, where a sacred (神圣的) flame burned at the altar（神坛）of Zeus throughout competition. It was finally reintroduced at the 1924 Amsterdam Games, and again burned in 1932.
Carl Diem, chairman of the organising committee for the 1936 Berlin Games, proposed that the flame be lit in Greece and transported to Berlin via a torch relay. The idea was adopted, and continued at every Olympic Games since 1952.
The flame is lit at the ancient site of Olympia by the natural rays of the sun reflected off a curved mirror. It is lit at a ceremony by women dressed in robes resembling those worn in ancient times, who then pass it to the first relay runner.
Olympic motto:
“Citius, altius, fortius” is a Latin phrase meaning “swifter, higher, stronger”, which Baron de Coubertin borrowed from Father Henri Martin Dideon of Paris. Dideon was headmaster of Arcueil College, and used the phrase to describe the athletic achievements of students at the school. He had previously been at the Albert Le Grand school, where the Latin words were carved in stone above the main entrance.
Olympic oath(宣誓)
“In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.”
Written by Baron de Coubertin, the oath is taken by an athlete from the host nation while holding a corner of the Olympic flag. The athletes’ oath was first taken by Belgian fencer Victor Boin at the 1920 Antwerp Games. A judge from the host country also speaks the oath, with slightly different wording.
66. The Olympic flame was first burned at _______ in modern times.
A. the 1920 Games                    B. the 1924 Games
C. the 1932 Games                    D. the 1936 Games
67. From the passage we can learn ________.
A. before 1936, no flames burned at the Olympic Games
B. the first torch relay was held at the 1936 Berlin Games
C. Carl Diem proposed that flames should burn at the Olympic Games
D. The Olympic torch has burned since 1924
68. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. There was no athlete’s oath in the 1896 Olympic Games.
B. The 1920 Olympic games was held in Amsterdam.
C. The judge from the host country takes the same oath as the athletes does.
D. Dideon wrote Citius, Altius, Fortius for the Olympic Games.

The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule. During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics. In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful.
When the White Olympics came, the host countries(东道国) as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet. Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
【小题1】The White Olympics and the Winter Olympics _______.