Question

The modern Olympic Games, founded in 1896, began as contests between individuals, rather than among nations, with the hope of promoting world peace through sportsmanship. In the beginning, the games were open only to amateurs. An amateur is a person whose involvement in an activity---from sports to science or the arts---is purely for pleasure. Amateurs, whatever their contributions to a field, expect to receive no form of compensation ; professionals, in contrast, perform their work in order to earn a living.

From the perspective of many athletes, however, the Olympic playing field has been far from level. Restricting the Olympics to amateurs has precluded（妨碍） the participation of many who could not afford to be unpaid. Countries have always desired to send their best athletes, not their wealthiest ones, to the Olympic Games.

A slender and imprecise line separates what we call “financial support” from “earning money.” Do athletes “earn money” if they are reimbursed（补偿） for travel expenses? What if they are paid for time lost at work or if they accept free clothing from a manufacturer or if they teach sports for a living? The runner Eric Liddell was the son of poor missionaries; in 1924 the British Olympic Committee financed his trip to the Olympics, where he won a gold and a bronze medal. College scholarships and support from the United States Olympic Committee made it possible for American track stars Jesse Owens and Wilma Rudolph and speed skater Dan Jansen to train and compete. When the Soviet Union and its allies joined the games in 1952, the definition of amateur became still muddier. Their athletes did not have to balance jobs and training because as citizens in communist regimes, their government financial support was not considered payment for jobs.

In 1971 the International Olympic Committee(IOC) removed the word amateur from the rules, making it easier for athletes to find the support necessary to train and compete. In 1986 the IOC allowed professional athletes into the games.

There are those who regret the disappearance of amateurism from the Olympic Games. For them the games lost something special when they became just another way for athletes to earn money. Others say that the designation of amateurism was always questionable; they argue that all competitors receive so much financial support as to make them paid professionals. Most agree, however, that the debate over what constitutes an “amateur” will continue for a long time.

1. One might infer that _______________________.

A．developing Olympic-level skills in athletes is costly

B．professional athletes are mostly interested in financial rewards

C．amateurs does not expect to earn money at the sport that is played

D．amateurs have a better attitude than professionals do

2. The statement “the Olympic playing field has been far from level” means that__________.

A．the ground the athletes played on was in bad condition

B．the poorer players were given some advantages

C．the rules did not work the same way for everyone

D．amateurs were inferior to the professionals in many ways

3. The financial support given to athletes by the Soviet government can best be compared to ________________.

A．a gift received on a special occasion, such as a birthday

B．money received from a winning lottery ticket

C．an allowance paid to a child

D．money from charity organization

4. One can conclude that the Olympic Organizing Committee _________________.

A．has held firm to its original vision of the Olympic games

B．has struggled with the definition of amateur over the years

C．regards itself as an organization for professional athletes only

D．did nothing but stop allowing communists to participate

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.C

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文叙述了奥运会的历史，最初，奥运会是由业余爱好者参加的，他们不需要给钱，只是为了娱乐，到后来为了通过体育运动推进世界和平，才有了各国派出的专业的运动员参加的奥运会。

1.推理判断题。根据they argue that all competitors receive so much financial support as to make them paid professionals. 可以推出培养一个运动员花费是很大的，故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据Restricting the Olympics to amateurs has precluded（妨碍） the participation of many who could not afford to be unpaid.故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据Their athletes did not have to balance jobs and training because as citizens in communist regimes, their government financial support was not considered payment for jobs.所以苏维埃政府给运动员的钱就像给孩子的零花钱，故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据Most agree, however, that the debate over what constitutes an “amateur” will continue for a long time.故选B。

考点：历史类短文阅读。

点评：推理判断题属于主观题，是层次较高的题目。它包括判断和推理题。这两类题常常相互依存，推理是为了做出正确的判断，正确的判断又依赖于合乎逻辑的推理。该题要求在理解表面文字的基础上做出判断和推论，从而得到文章的隐含意思和深层意思，也就是通过文章中的文字信息，上下逻辑关系及事物的发展变化等已知信息，推断出作者没有直接表达的态度和观点。