2009年考研英语冲刺阅读理解专项训练161考研

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2009:01:02 18:25:19
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

　　 Seventy years after Jesse Owens sprinted to victory in the l936 0lympic Games，the Berlin Olympic stadium is once again at the centre of the sporting world．Fortunately，the political overtones that made the Berlin Olympics such a sinister event are completely absent．①This is not just because Germany is Now a democratic country．It is also because the World Cup，unlike the Olympics，is wonderfully difficult to manipulate for political purposes．Over its long history，success at the Olympics has usually been a fairly accurate measure of global political power．Although the world now remembers the snub that Jesse 0wens dellvered to Nazi theories of racial superiority，the Germans came top of the Olympic medal table in l936．reflecting the Nazi regime’s growing power．。During the cold war，the United States and the Soviet Union repeatedly struggled to gain a symbolic victory，by winning the most medals at the Olympics．
　　 By contrast，the World Cup has its own hierarchy，which is pleasingly divorced from the global pecking order．There is a sole superpower--Brazil．The Italians and French，apparently doomed to gentle decline in the real world，remain formidable competitors on the football field．And then there are the rising powers—which are more likely to hail from Africa than Asia．America will field a serious team at the World Cup，but nobody expects it to win．
　　 Football’s power structure reflects a satisfying characteristic of the global game．Despite the undoubted prestige to be had by becoming champions of the world．it is extremely hard—if not impossible—for a determined and well-resourced government to create a World Cup—winning team． Arguably，the Italians managed it in the l930s；and Argentina’s World Cup winners in l978 received plenty of backing from the·ruling military j unta。But a modern-day dictator who ordered his minions to create a team that could beat Brazil——0r even play in their style--would be swiftly disappointed．④A winning football team needs not just athleticism but also a spark of creativity and style that cannot be manufactured by sport’s central planners．Even taking drugs does not appear to be much help for footballers．
　　 As a result。every World Cup seems to throw up a team that suddenly clicks at the right time and beats a much-fancied opponent．Think of North Korea vanquishing Italy in l966 0r Senegal turning over France，the reigning champions，in 2002．It is this capacity to surprise that helps make the World Cup such a gripping event．And it is why in the endless competition between the Olympics and the World Cup for the title of“the world’s greatest sporting event’we vote for the World Cup．[445 words]
　　 1．The Berlin Olympic stadium is once again at the centre of the sporting world because______．
　　 A．Jesse Owens won the champion at the Olympics
　　 B．Germany has won the most medals at the Olympics
　　 C．no political purposes are involved in the World Cup
　　 D．a spectacular event，the World Cup，is taking place there
　　 2．The author maintains that the Success at the Olympics______．
　　 A．depends on how democratic a nation is
　　 B．depends on whether a nation has the supreme power
　　 C．reflects the real power a nation has in the world politics
　　 D．can be accurately measured by how many medals a nation wins
　　 3．The example of the Italians and French is used to prove that______．
　　 A．the World Cup is not governed by the global political power
　　 B．Brazil is the sole superpower，which can never be defeated
　　 C．both Italy and France are in gentle decline in the real world
　　 D．they are the most formidable competitors on the football field
　　 4．The author argues that a winning football team______．
　　 A．cannot be created except by Italy and Argentina
　　 B．needs much backing from a modern-day dictator
　　 C．needs more creativity and style than athleticism
　　 D．needs the support of a well—resourced government
　　 5．The author asserts that______．
　　 A．the World Cup is better than the Olympics
　　 B．the Olympics is better than the World Cup
　　 C．the World Cup is as gripping as the Olympics
　　 D．the world’s greatest sporting event is to be voted