The word “sport” first meant something that people did in their free time. Later it often meant hunting wild animals and birds. About a hundred years ago the word was first used for organized games. This is the usual meaning of the word today. People spend a lot of their time playing football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. Such people play because they want to. A few people are paid for the sport they play. These people are called professional sportsmen. They may be sportsmen for only a few years, but during that time the best ones can earn a lot of money. For example, a professional footballer in England earns more than 30,000 dollars a year. The stars earn a lot more. International golf and tennis champions can make more than 500,000 dollars a year. Of course, only a few sportsmen can earn as much money as that.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about sportsmen and money is that the stars can earn more money from advertising than from sports. An advertisement for sports equipment does not simply say “Buy our things”. It says “Buy the same shirt and shoes as …”. Famous sportsmen can even advertise things like watches and food. They allow the companies to use their names or a photograph of them and they are paid for this. Sport is no longer just something for people’s spare time.
【小题1】From the passage we can learnt that_______.
A.  people spend too much money on sports
the development of sport is slower than any other activity
most people enjoy sport because they can earn money
nowadays sport is not merely a pastime for people
【小题2】Nowadays, the word “sport” means “________” .

The word “sport” first meant something that people did in their free time. Later it often meant hunting wild animals and birds. About a hundred years ago the word was first used for organized games. This is the usual meaning of the word today. People spend a lot of their time playing football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. Such people play because they want to. A few people are paid for the sport they play. These people are called professional sportsmen. They may be sportsmen for only a few years, but during that time the best ones can earn a lot of money. For example, a professional footballer in England earns more than 30,000 dollars a year. The stars earn a lot more. International golf and tennis champions can make more than 500,000 dollars a year. Of course, only a few sportsmen can earn as much money as that.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about sportsmen and money is that the stars can earn more money from advertising than from sports. An advertisement for sports equipment does not simply say “Buy our things”. It says “Buy the same shirt and shoes as …”. Famous sportsmen can even advertise things like watches and food. They allow the companies to use their names or a photograph of them and they are paid for this. Sport is no longer just something for people’s spare time.

1.From the passage we can learnt that_______.

2.Nowadays, the word “sport” means “________” .

3.People play sports for ________.

4.What surprises people most is that ________.

The word “sport” first meant something that people did in their free time. Later it often meant hunting wild animals and birds. About a hundred years ago the word was first used for organized games. This is the usual meaning of the word today. People spend a lot of their time playing football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. Such people play because they want to. A few people are paid for the sport they play. These people are called professional sportsmen. They may be sportsmen for only a few years, but during that time the best ones can earn a lot of money. For example, a professional footballer in England earns more than 30,000 dollars a year. The stars earn a lot more. International golf and tennis champions can make more than 500,000 dollars a year. Of course, only a few sportsmen can earn as much money as that.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about sportsmen and money is that the stars can earn more money from advertising than from sports. An advertisement for sports equipment does not simply say “Buy our things”. It says “Buy the same shirt and shoes as …”. Famous sportsmen can even advertise things like watches and food. They allow the companies to use their names or a photograph of them and they are paid for this. Sport is no longer just something for people’s spare time.

1. 1.

   From the passage we can learnt that_______.

   1. A.
      people spend too much money on sports
      
   2. B.
      the development of sport is slower than any other activity
   3. C.
      most people enjoy sport because they can earn money
   4. D.
      nowadays sport is not merely a pastime for people
2. 2.

   Nowadays, the word “sport” means “________” .

   1. A.
      what people do in their spare time
   2. B.
      hunting wild animals and birds
   3. C.
      organized games
   4. D.
      something people are paid to do
3. 3.

   People play sports for ________.

   1. A.
      fun
   2. B.
      different
   3. C.
      money
   4. D.
      keeping fit
4. 4.

   What surprises people most is that ________.

   1. A.
      the stars get more money from advertising
   2. B.
      the word “sport” meant hunting animals
   3. C.
      professional sportsmen are paid for what they do
   4. D.
      only a few sportsmen can earn ＄500,000 a year

完形填空

　　The word “sport” first meant something that people did in their spare time. Later it often meant 1 wild animals and birds. About a hundred years ago the word was first used for 2 games. This is the 3 meaning of the word today. People spend a lot of their free time 4 football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. Many people play because they 5 6 people are paid for the sport they play. These people 7 professional sportsmen. They may be sportsmen for only a few years, but 8 that time the best ones can earn a lot of money.

　　For example, a professional footballer in England earns more than ￡300 000 a year. The stars can earn 9 . International golf and tennis, champions can 10 more than ￡500 000 in a year. Of course, only a few sportsmen can earn 11 . It is only possible in sports for individuals(个人), 12 golf, tennis and motor racing. Perhaps the most 13 thing about sportsmen and money is this: the stars can earn 14 money from advertising(广告) than 15 sports. As advertisement 16 sports equipment doesn't simply 17 “Buy our things.” It means “Buy the same shirt and shoes 18 …” Famous sportsmen can even advertise things like watches and food. They allow the companies 19 their names or photos of them and they are paid for this. Sports are no longer 20 something for people's spare time.

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Sports play an important role in British life. The most popular sport is football. Cricket is also popular in England, but is less important in the other home nations. Rugby union and rugby league are the other major team sports. Tennis is the most important sport for the two weeks of the Wimbledon Championships(温布尔登网球锦标赛)

Football

The modern global game of football developed from traditional British football games in the 19^th century. Club football is organized separately in each of the home nations. English football has a league system which combines thousands of clubs. Scotland has a similar but smaller club football structure. The top level league in Wales is the league of Wales. In Northern Ireland the main league is the Irish Football League.

Each season the most successful clubs from each of the home nations qualify for(使…具有…的资格) the two Europe wide club competitions organized by UEFA(欧足联), the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.

Cricket

Cricket was invented in England. It is regarded as England’s national summer game and it is probably the second most widely covered sport.

There are eighteen professional country clubs, seventeen of them in England and one in Wales. Each summer the country clubs compete in the first class Country Championship, which consist of two leagues of nine teams and in which matches are played over four days.

Rugby

Like football, rugby union and rugby league both developed from traditional British football games in the 19^th century. For much of the 20^th century there was great antagonism between rugby leagues, which was a mainly working class game based in the industrial areas of northern England, and rugby union, which is a mainly middle class game in England, and is also popular in the other home nations.

Tennis

Tennis is yet another sport which originated in the United Kingdom and the governing body of the sport is the LTA(草地网球协会). However, no British man has won Wimbledon since 1936 and no British woman since 1977. The only British players of either sex to reach the world top 50 in recent years are Greg Rusedski, who learnt his tennis in Canada, and Tim Henman and Andrew Murray ,who did not pass through the LTA system either.

1.What do we know about football?

A．The top clubs represent the UK in the two Europe competitions.

B．Football is a newly-invented game in England

C．The top level league in England is the Irish Football League

D．Club football is an organized union in the UK.

2.From the passage we can learn      .

A．There exist all professional county clubs in England.

B．Rugby leagues was enjoyed by middle class

C．Tennis is in the charge of LTA

D．Greg Rusedski did not pass through the LTA system.

3.The underlined “antagonisim” in the sixth paragraph probably means     .

A．preference        B．friendliness        C．similarity          D．opposition

4.From what can we read the passage?

A．tour guidebook                         B．book review

C．news report                           D．news magzine