(1)PaulSmithsCollegeTheCollege-优题课

The final event in the Olympics is the marathon. It is also usually the most exciting. As the leader comes into the stadium to run the last few meters ofthe 42-kilo-metre race, the crowd rises to its feet toshout and cheer. The name of the race comes from abattle in Ancient Greece. According to the story, asoldier ran from the scene of the battle,Marathon, toAthens, to bring the news of a Greek victory againstthe Persians. He died just after arriving.
The marathon has been an Olympic event sincethe modern Games started in 1896. At first the distance was 40 kilometres — the distance betweenMarathon and Athens. In 1908, however, at theLondon Olympics, it was changed. The King ofEngland wanted the runners to leave from his castlein Windsor and arrive m a new stadium in central
London. The distance was 26 miles — about 42kilometres. In fact, the 1908 marathon endeddramatically(戏剧性地). When the leader, an Italian,
entered the stadium he turned the wrong way and fellonto the ground. Officials picked him up and helpedhim to the finishing line,just as the second runner, anAmerican, entered the stadium. The Americans
protested （抗议） and in the end the American runnerwas declared(宣布)the winner. Since then, there havebeen many more exciting marathons.
In fact, you don't have to wait for the OlympicGames to run or watch a marathon, as there aremarathons in over sixty countries and hundreds ofcities around the world today. One of the mostfamous marathons is in New York, and is watched bytwo million people around the streets and across thebridges of the city's five boroughs(纽约市的行政区),and past New York's famous landmarks. But perhapsone of the most beautiful and extraordinary(最特别的) marathons ever is the Great Wall Marathon,which most competitors find is the toughest course torun.
The marathon is the final Olympic event becauseit is thought to be the hardest. But experts believe that most people — even people who are notparticularly good at sport — can run a marathon, ifthey train for it.
When the leader came into the stadium, the crowd ______.

A．ran to his feet happily

B．shouted with excitement

C．carried him to the line

D．sang and dance

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The name of the race comes from a game in Greece.

B．The soldier who ran from Marathon to Athens won a gold medal.

C．The marathon events in the Games have the same length all the time.

D．From 1908, the marathon events are of the same length.

Which is the most special of the marathon events in the world?

A．The Marathon in New York.

B．The Marathon in the Beijing Olympic Games.

C．The Great Wall Marathon.

D．The Marathon in London in 2012.

Which of the following is TRUE about the marathon?

A．Marathon is the most important event.

B．Marathon is the most popular event.

C．Marathon is the easiest event.

D．Marathon is the final Olympic event.

The first ancient Olympic Games for which westill have written records was held in 776 BC.Coroebus won the only event at the Olympics. Thismade him the very first Olympic champion inhistory. Then they grew and continued to be playedevery four years. In 393 AD, the Roman emperorTheodosius I, a Christian, announced to end theGames because of their pagan (异教的)influences.
About l, 500 years later, a young Frenchmannamed Pierre de Coubertin began their revival (恢复) . In 1892 Coubertin first brought forward his idea to revive the Olympic Games but failed.
Two years later, Coubertin organized a meetingwith 79 delegates(代表) who represented ninecountries. At this meeting he got what he wanted. Allthe delegates at the conference voted for the OlympicGames. They also decided to have Coubertin set up aninternational committee to organize the Games. Thiscommittee became the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) and Demetrious Vikelas fromGreece was selected to be its first president. Athenswas chosen for the revival of the Olympic Games.
The very first modern Olympic Games opened inthe first week of April, 1896. Since the Greekgovernment .had been unable to afford a stadium, arich Greek architect, Georgios Averoff, donated onemillion drachmas (over $100, 000) to repair the Panathenaic Stadium, originally built in 330 BC.
Since the Games were not well publicizedinternationally, contestants(选手) were not nationally chosen but rather came individually and at their own expense. Some contestants were tourists who happened to be in the area during the Games.
What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The History of the Olympics

B．How Coubertin Set Up IOC

C．The First Modern Olympic Games

D．Great Changes in the Olympic Games

At the first modern Olympic Games, ___________.

A．winners were given money as prize

B．IOC invited contestants to tour Greece

C．there were no strict rules for being a contestant

D．many countries chose some athletes.

Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. In 393 AD, the Games were cancelled because of the religious reason.
B. Coubertin was voted to be the first president of the IOC.
C. The Greek government didn't support building a stadium.
D. The first ancient Olympic Games had several events.

As early as 1894,the newly-formed InternationalOlympic Committee(IOC) considered ice skating as apossibility for the first modern Olympic Games whichwould be held in 1896.
In 1911, a member of the IOC suggested thatwinter sports should be staged as part of the 1912Olympics in Helsinki. Some opposed the idea. At last,the IOC decided to hold Winter Olympic Games in1916. However, World War I broke out in 1914.After 1920, the national governing bodies for wintersports in several countries began talking about thepossibility of separate Winter Olympics.
The town of Chamonix, in the French Alps,planned to hold a winter sports festival in 1924, andat the same time Paris was to host the Olympics. TheMarquis de Polignac, a member of the IOC, suggestedthat the festival be formally recognized as the WinterOlympic Games. The IOC didn't go that far, but didagree that Chamonix could call its festival an "Olympic winter carnival".
The festival drew 258 athletes from 16 countriesto compete in bobsledding(雪橇车比赛), figureskating, hockey, Nordic skiing and speed skating.Charles Jewtraw from the United States won the first
gold medal, in the 500-metre speed skating,but thefestival's hero was Claus Thunberg from Finland. Hewon five medals, three of which were gold, in speedskating.
Weather has often been a major story at theWinter Olympics, and so it was at Chamonix. Thefestival opened with rain and unseasonably warmtemperature that turned snow and ice to mud. Thentemperature dropped as far as 25 below zero and themud became ice.
Despite the weather, more than 10, 000 peopleshowed up. At its yearly meeting in 1925, the IOC recognized the Chamonix festival as the first WinterOlympics and decided that the Winter Games wouldbe held every four years, just like the SummerOlympics.
Why was the first Winter Olympic Games notheld in 1916?

A．Because the IOC didn't agree to it.

B．Because it was still under discussion.

C．Because some people opposed the idea.

D．Because World War I broke out in 1914.

How many years was the first modern Olympic Games earlier than the first Winter Olympic Games?

A．16.

B．24.

C．28.

D．29.

We can know from the passage that ______

A．the weather destroyed the first Winter Olympics

B．people from 16 countries watched the first Winter Olympics

C．Charles Jewtraw won the most medals in the first Winter Olympics

D．Finland got 3 gold medals in speed skating in the first Winter Olympics.

What's the passage mainly about?

A．The development of the Winter Olympics.

B．The importance of weather in the Olympics.

C．The events of the first Winter Olympic Games.

D．The heroes of the Winter Olympics.

"Failure is not an option (选择)"is a very well-known saying. But my father told me that "failure hasa time line".
You have to know that my father is a true genius(天才). He designed the first jet fighter plane, theF-84.
You also have to know that his only son isanything but a genius. I was born in 1941, and I amstill here at 68 years old. I graduated from PointLoma High in San Diego on June 15,1960, and I was"pleased"with being in the top l0% of the lower one-third of my class of about 300 students. Well, at least Igraduated! Some years later in the 1960s, my dadtalked to me about failure.
At the time I was very discouraged at my careerplans after serving two years in the Peace Corps inGabon, West Africa. I said to my dad, "Dad, youknow I've been a failure at everything I've tried inlife and I just don't know what to do now."
My dad looked at me with those "genius eyes"and said to me,"Failure is a relative(相对的) thing.It has a time line！ Now just remember that failure is not an option…in this lifetime! "He then explainedto me that failure is part of a successful path, and thatI should always keep in my mind that time, failureand success all work together.
To this very day, I still love, respect, and honourmy dad and my mom. Maybe some day I will "growup"and be as smart as my dad.
In the writer's opinion, his father was very ______.

A．serious

B．great

C．casy-going

D．different

What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．The writer used to consider himself to be a genius.

B．The writer didn't get along well with his classmates.

C．The writer was not good at his studies at school.

D．The writer failed to graduate from college.

According to Paragraph 4, before talking to his dad, the writer ______.

A．was encouraged by his career plans

B．had hoped for a good life

C．was very confident

D．had probably lost heart

Which of the following would the writer's fatheragree with?

A．Some people will never succeed.

B．People should not experience failure.

C．Failure at a certain period of time is acceptable.

D．Success has nothing to do with failure.

During the mid-1960s, VinhLinh, Quang Tri inVietnam was a wasteland, which was often underattack from the US air force. Vietnamese soldierswho were fighting against the US discussed how to
make people there safe. Some suggested moving thepeople underground. Then they began to build a tunnel(隧道)
The VinhMoc tunnel was built for the people ofSon Trung and Son Ha in VinhLinh county of QuangTri Province. It included wells, kitchens, rooms foreach family and hospitals. Around 60 families lived inthe tunnel.
Deep under the ground, hidden from soldiers,people lived in the tunnel for many years. Theysurvived. The tunnel was a success and no villagerslost their lives thanks to it.
During that time, 17 children were born in thetunnel, each of whose lives was a proof that thetunnel was effective in protecting the villagers. Astime goes by,it has become both a historical site anda tourist attraction for people wishing to learn abouta heroic period in Vietnam's history.
The total length of the tunnel network is nearly 2km, and has three floors. It was built over twoyears. The two sides have small houses every 3m. Thetunnel centre has a 150 - seat hall, a hospital and
maternity rooms (产房). It is linked to the sea byseven exits, which also function as ventilators(通风设备), and to a nearby hill by another six.
People wanting to know about the Vietnam Warshould have some knowledge of the tunnel network inQuang Tri. The tunnel network shows the wisdom andbravery of the local people in their fight for their
identity.
Ten years after the war ended, the VinhMoctunnel was opened to tourists. These days, thegovernment is working to protect the historical relic.
Which of the following statements is NOT trueaccording to the passage?

A．During the mid-1960s, Vietnam was at war with the US.

B．VinhLinh, Quang Tri in Vietnam was an undeveloped place.

C．The tunnels were built as hiding places for villagers there.

D．Some people in the tunnel suffered much and died during the 1960s.

What does the VinhMoc tunnel have according to the passage?

A．Kitchens, hospitals and a hall.

B．Wells, windows and kindergartens.

C．Kitchens, kindergartens and hospitals.

D．A hall, maternity rooms and schools.

The villagers living in the tunnel were during those years.

A．awful

B．safe

C．poor

D．generous

What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to protect the VinhMoc tunnel.

B．A painful memory of the Vietnam War.

C．The war between Vietnam and the US.

D．TheVinhMoc tunnel-a famous historical relic in Vietnam.