2 . People need to relax and enjoy themselves. One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event. Even thousands of years ago, groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes(运动员).

Over 2,000 years ago in Greece, some days in the year were festival days. These were holidays when people stopped their work and enjoyed themselves. During festivals, people liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games.

The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia. It was held in honor of the Greek god Zeus. For five days, athletes from all corners of Greece took part in the Olympic Games.

At the Olympic Games, people could watch athletes run, jump and so on. They could also watch exciting races, which included a relay race between two teams in which a lighted torch(火炬) was passed from runner to runner.

The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities throughout Greece which were at war with one another had to stop fighting. During the time, people were allowed to travel to the Games safely.

Thousands of people came to the Olympic Games from cities in Greece and from its colonies(殖民地) in Africa, Asia, and Italy. They met as friends to cheer their favorite athletes and to enjoy themselves.

1. What did people do at the Olympic Games?

A．They fought for their freedom.	B．They just talked to friends.
C．They cheered good athletes.	D．They tried to find friends.

2. Where did people at the Olympic Games come from?

A．Greek cities.

B．Africa and Asia.

C．Italy.

D．All of the above.

3. If Greek cities then were fighting, people ______.

A．couldn’t go to other cities freely	B．could see what each other do
C．win the right to join in the Olympics.	D．respect the Greek god Zeus

4. The best title for the passage can be ______.

A．Greece at war	B．Together for the Olympic Games
C．Stop fighting	D．Greek people

3 . Architectural history can take you through the evolution of those structures that served as a mark to remote civilizations, like the Egyptians and their architecture, reflected in pyramids, tombs, and many other ancient buildings along the Nile River．

In fact, the first big architectural design recorded in history was the work of Imhotep, Egyptian high priest（主教）, who designed and built the complex（综合建筑群） that took the name of his king, between the years 2630 to 2611 BC．

Ruins of the most varied architecture speak for themselves about the most varied civilizations, traditions, and beliefs around the world．Without architecture, the history of mankind would be incomplete．

Many surviving buildings of the ancient world are examples of the great things that architecture can do for the world．Among them, we can name the Great Pyramid, listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the great Wall of China, built between the years 221 to 206 BC．

As time passed, all buildings and designs began to take special characteristics, becoming symbols of different eras identified as architectural styles．In ancient Greece, where buildings seemed to always be the same, there were three types of columns to identify each period of time．

The Romans inherited from the Greeks most of their traditions, beliefs, and customs, including architecture, but they also developed their own．

Architectural history was influenced by artistic, economic, politic, and socio-cultural events throughout the centuries, and Europe became the cradle（摇篮） of many well-known architects in the years following the fall of the Roman Empire．

As time passes, the actual architecture differs in shape, materials, construction methods, and designing goals, but the work of the architects will continue for generations to come．

1. Who made the first big architectural design recorded in history?

A．Chinese

B．Indians

C．Egyptians

D．British

2. What's the function of ruins of the architecture according to the passage?

A．They give tourists chances to visit them．

B．They help to satisfy the needs of houses．

C．They can bring in a great deal of money for the local people．

D．They represent different cultivations, traditions, and beliefs there and then．

3. Why does the writer mention the Great Pyramid?

A．To show its strength	B．To tell us its importance
C．To show its special style	D．To prove the function of architecture

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Architectural history was only influenced by economic and politic events．

B．The Roman Empire was the cradle of famous architects earlier than Europe．

C．The actual architecture remains the same in shape, material and designing goals．

D．Europe was the cradle of famous architects earlier than the Roman Empire．

4 . Tourism probably started in Roman times, Rich Romans visited friends and family who were working in another part of the Roman Empire. But when the Empire broke down, this kind of tourism stopped.

In the early 17th century, the idea of the “Grand Tour” was born. Rich young English people sailed across the English Channel. They visited the most beautiful and important European cities of the time, including Paris in France, and Rome and Venice in Italy. Their tours lasted for two to four years, and the tourists stayed a few weeks or months in each city. The “Grand Tour” was an important part of young people’s education—but only for the rich.

In the 18th century, tourism began to change. For example, people in the UK started to visit some towns, such as Bath to “take the waters”. They believed that the water there was good for their health. So large and expensive hotels were built in these towns.

In the 19th century, travel became much more popular and faster. When the first railways were built in the 1820s, it was easier for people to travel between towns, so they started to go for holidays by the sea. And some started to have holidays in the countryside as cities became larger, noisier and dirtier.

Traveling by sea also became faster and safer when the first steamships were built. People began to travel more to far-away countries.

The 20th century saw cars become more and more popular among ordinary people. Planes were made larger, so ticket prices dropped and more people used them. Thus tourism grew. In 1949, Russian journalist Vladimir Raitz started a company called Horizon Holidays. The company organizes everything—plane tickets, hotel rooms, even food—and tourists pay for it all before they leave home. The package tour and modern tourist industry was born.

The first travel agency in China was set up as early as 1949. But tourism did not take off until 1978. In 2002, the industry was worth 500 billion yuan and became an important part of China’s social development.

1. Which of the following is true?

A．The young men learned little from Grand Tour.

B．Tourism became faster and safer when the first railways were built in the 18th century.

C．More people chose ships for its cheap price.

D．In 2002, tourism became a significant part of China’s social development.

2. We can infer from the passage that ________ played the most important role in the tourism development.

A．transportation	B．education
C．money	D．people’s ideas

3. Modern tourism was born ________.

A．in 1978	B．in Roman times
C．in the early 17th century	D．in 1949

4. The underlined phrase “take off”(in the last paragraph) means ________.

A．plane rising into the air	B．bring down the prices
C．remove hats and clothes	D．develop very fast