Question

The 31st Summer Olympics will be held in Brazil in 2016. Before this global sporting event, we started thinking about sports that didn’t exist any more and sports that were maybe a little strange. Read the following ones that have ever been included in the past Olympic Games.

Live Pigeon Shooting (1900)

This bloody event was only held once, at the 1900 Paris Games. Nearly 300 birds were killed during the competition, leaving a crime scene of feathers and blood. This is the only event in Olympic history that involved killing live animals.

Kabaddi (1936)

This sport is popular in South Asia. The object is for one member of a team to enter the other side’s half of the field, and score points. The attacker then returns to his half of the field.

12 Hour Bicycle Race (1896)

Seven riders got on their bikes at 5 a.m. and rode until 5 p.m. Four riders dropped out before noon, but the winner, Adolf Schmal of Austria, managed about 180 miles. Only Schmal and one other finished.

Tug of War (1900—1920)

This may seem like a basic PE class sport more than an Olympic event, but Tug of War was actually one of the first sports played at the Olympic games in 500 BC.

There are two teams of eight; the winning team must pull the other team six feet forward.

Swimming Obstacle Race (1900)

The athletes had to climb over a pole (桿子) and a row of boats, and then swim under another row of boats. All of this was done in the Seine River, so they also had to fight against the water. This event was only ever held in 1900, in Paris.

1.What do you probably think of these events?

A. Strange. B. Fantastic. C. Modern. D. Interesting.

2.Which sport looks like a common activity more than an Olympic event?

A. Swimming Obstacle Race.

B. 12 Hour Bicycle Race.

C. Live Pigeon Shooting.

D. Tug of War.

3.How many athletes finished the event 12 Hour Bicycle Race?

A. One. B. Two. C. Four. D. Seven.

4.What does “drop out” mean in English according to the passage?

A. Give up. B. Run out.

C. Fall off. D. Break down.

5.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Athletes took part in all of the events in teams.

B. Tug of War was held in the Olympics only once.

C. Some of the events may be in the 31st Summer Olympics.

D. These events are not as popular as they used to be.

Answer 1