第4部分：阅读理解(笫31~45题，每题3分，共45分)
下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题，每题后面有4个选项。请仔细阅读短文并根据短文回答其后面的问题，从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
第一篇 The Greatest Show on Earth
The Olympic Games are the gteatest festival of sport in the world.Every hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors in sport. As many as6 ,000 people take part in over 20 sports．For the winilers，there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor ,too，for al1 who compete，win or lose．That is in the spirit of the Olympics-to take part is what matters．
The Olympic Gallies a1ways start in a bright color and action．The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track . The custom is for the Greek team to march in first.For it was im Greece that the Olympics began.The team of the country where the Games are beding held-the host country-marches im last.
The runner with the Olympic torch（火柜）then enters the stadium and lighes the flame.A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath(宣誓)on behalf of all the competitors.The judges and officials also take an oath.After the sportsmen march out of the stadium,the host country puts on a wonderful display.
The competitions begin the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games.The rule is that there must be at least fifteen.The main events are in track and field,but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport-riding,shooting,swimming,and cross-country running.Points are gained for each event.Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.
More and more women are taking part in the games．They first competed in 1900 ,in tennis and go1f，which are no longer held in the Olympics . Women's swimming events were introduced in 1912，But it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for they compete in all but half a dozen of the spcrts．In horse riding, shooting，and boat racing,they may compete in the same events as the men．
31 Why is there honor for the losers as well as for the winners?
A Because what really matters is to take part in the Olympic Games.
B Because failure is the mother of success．
C Because losers need encouragement.
D Because losets and winner should be equally treated.
32 Which of the following is along-established practce in the opening ceremony?
A Runners enter the stadium with torches．
B Each team puts on a wonderfu1 display．
C Sportsmen and sportswomen wear magnificent clothes.
D The Gteek team marches in first．
33 Who takes the Olympic oath?
A A sportsman from the host country.
B A judge from a foreign country．
C An officer from the host country．
D A Greek sportsman.
34 What are the most imponant events in the Olympic Games?
A The horse-riding events．
B The track and field events.
C The swimming events．
D The boat-racing events．
35 When did women start taking part in the Olympic Games?
A Inl912．
B In 1928．
C In 1900．
D In 1924．
