The Changing Olympic Games
        The Olympic Games have changed a lot since they were first held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Back then,
winners got silver medals instead of gold ones. Sounds strange, doesn't it? People thought silver was better than
gold. Also, no women ran in the first Olympics, and only 14 countries took part. China was not one of them.
But those aren't the only differences.
        The Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin (顧拜旦) was the man who really wanted the Games to start
again. His idea for the modern Olympics came from the Greek Games thousands of years ago. He hoped they
would help to bring world peace.
        But it took time for the Olympics to become popular. Not many people thought they were good ideas in
1896, so they were put together poorly. Some tourists even ran in races! Today, more than 10,000 people from
about 200 countries take part.
        In the early years of the Olympics, there weren't many sports. Most events were track and field (田徑),
much like in the first Greek Games. Events usually took place in the Panathenaic Stadium (雅典體育場), and
you can still see it today. Players did not wear their countries' colors in 1896. Their clothes were not like the
uniforms people wear today. In fact, players weren't even picked by their countries back then. They traveled to
the Games by themselves and had to use their own money to take part.
         New sports have been put into the Olympics over time, like badminton and table tennis. Some older games
are no longer played, like tug-of-war (拔河). It would be hard to see all the events at this year's Games. There
will be over 300!
         Swimming was different in 1896. There was a 1,200-metre race in the sea. A boat took swimmers out
into the sea and left them to swim back to land. Sometimes rough water made the race dangerous. The first
person ever to win that race was Hungarian Alfred Hajos. He seemed happy just to finish."I just wanted to live.
That's more important than winning," he said. When people or teams won events in 1896, they didn't get the
same things as now. They got olive wreaths (橄欖枝花環(huán)) to put on their heads and silver medals.

1. In the first Olympic, winners were given            .

A、gold medals and olive wreaths
B、silver and gold medals
C、olive wreaths and flowers
D、silver medals and olive wreaths

2. Baron Pierre de Coubertin wanted the Olympic Games to start again because            .

3. In the early years of the Olympics           .

A、most events were track and field
B、players wore the uniforms people wear today
C、people from about 200 countries took part
D、events usually took place in many other countries

4. ________ are no longer played in the modern Olympics.

A、Running
B、Tug-of-war
C、Table tennis
D、Swimming

5. The sentence underlined in the text really means            .

A、some events will no longer be played in this year's Games
B、there will be too many events for you to see all
C、the Olympic Games have changed a lot
D、events will take place in the Panathenaic Stadium

     The 29th Olympic Games was held in our country in 2008. It had twenty-eight different sports. More than
ten thousand athletes competed the Beijing Olympic Games. Every four years the Olympic Games will be held
once. Athletes from all over the world take part in the Olympic Games. The old Olympic Games began in
Greece in 776 BC. Women didn't allowed to compete and only 14 countries took part in the first Olympics.
There was only one sport at the first ancient Olympics. It was the sprint.
     The Olympic Games have changed a lot since they started. The modern Olympic Games started in Athens,
Green in 1896. There were 311 athletes from 13 countries joined the game. In 1992, more than 150 countries
sent over 8,000 athletes to Barcelona for the 25th Summer Olympics. The Olympic motto (格言) is "Higher,
Faster, Stronger". It means that every athlete should try to run faster, jump higher and throw further. They try
their best to win medals. One of the great competitions is not for a medal. It is the competition among countries
to hold the Olympics. To hold the Olympic Games is a rich prize for a country.

1.Where is the 29th Olympic Games held in?

A. Athens
B. Greece
C. Beijing
D. Barcelona

2. How many athletes competed at the 2008 Olympics?

A. Over 776
B. Over 311
C. Over 8,000
D. Over 10, 000

3. What was the sport at the first ancient Olympics?

A. Diving
B. Running
C. Sprint
D. Long jump

4.Which of the following is right?

A. The Olympic Games became popular since 1896.
B. Few people took part in the Olympic Games in the early years.
C. The modern Olympic Games started in France.
D. Many countries sent their player to the first Olympic Games.

5. The best title for the passage should be _______.

A. The History of the Olympic Games
B. The Changing Olympic Games
C. When to Start the Olympic Games
D. The Ancient Olympic Games