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1、Chapter4World’sAthleticandRecreationalActivitiesSection1World’sMainAthleticActivities1.OlympicGamesEveryfouryears,athletesfromaroundtheworldcometogethertocompeteintheOlympicGames.DoyouknowwhythiseventiscalledtheOlympics?ThegameswerefirstheldatOlympiainancientGreece.TheancientOlympicGameshon
2、oredtheGreekgodZeus.Today,theOlympicGamesareheldindifferentcitiesaroundtheworld.THEANCIENTGAMESWeknowthattheancientOlympicsbeganasfarbackas776BC.That’swhentheGreeksbegankeepingrecordsofthewinners.TheancientGamescontinueduntilaboutAD392,morethan1,000years!AthletescamefromcitiesthroughoutGree
3、cetocompeteinraces,boxingandwrestlingmatches,gymnastics,andweightlifting.Theyalsothrewspears,hurledadiscus(bronzedisk),andjumpedfordistance.WealthyGreeksracedtheirhorses.Winnerswerecrownedwithwreathsofoliveorpalmleaves.TheancientOlympicGameswerenotjustasportingevent,however.Therewerecompeti
4、tionsinpoetry,music,speechmaking,andotherartsaswell.AtthebeginningandendoftheGames,animalsweresacrificed(killedandoffered)toZeus.AsplendidtemplewasbuiltatOlympiainZeus’shonor.WhenpeoplestoppedworshipingtheGreekgods,theOlympicGameswerecanceled.THEMODERNGAMESTheOlympicGameswerebroughtbackin18
5、96.ThefirstmodernOlympicGameswereheldinAthens,thecapitalofGreece.OnlyninecountriesparticipatedinthefirstGames,andalltheathletesweremale.Today,some10,000athletescompeteintheOlympicGames,andnearlyhalfofthemarefemale.Theyrepresentabout200nations.Atfirst,themodernOlympicsincludedonlysummersport
6、s,suchasswimming,rowing,andtrackandfield.Figureskatingwasaddedin1908,andicehockeyin1920.ThefirstwinterOlympicGameswereheldin1924.MorewintersportswerelateraddedtotheWinterGames,includingdownhillskiing,bobsledding,andskijumping.Snowboardingandfreestyleskiingfollowedinthe1990s.From1924through1
7、992,theWinterGamesandtheSummerGamestookplaceinthesameyear.After1992,thenextWinterGamesweremoveduptwoyears,to1994.WinterGamesandSummerGamesnowoccurtwoyearsapart.EachoftheseGamestakesplaceeveryfouryears.GOINGFORTHEGOLDAftereachOlympicevent,medalsareawarded
