In ancient Greece,there were four major athletic meetings and the Olympian meeting played the most important part in the lives of the people. As time passed,the Olympian meeting gradually lost its local character and became first a national event and then international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go but some official records date from 776 BC.  The Games took place every four years on the plain by Mount Olympus. Thousands of people came from all parts of the Greek world to watch the games. The winner of the foot race had the great honor of giving his name to the year of his history. After a long history of almost 1,200 years,the Games were stopped for religious  reasons. It was then decided in 1896 to start the Olympic Games again. The meeting was held in Athens and 311 athletes from 13 countries took part in it but the idea of such an international meeting attracted the world's attention. After the 1908 London Olympics,many nations sent their best athletes. Although the Games have been time and again threatened by some unfavorable political events, the Games have taken place every four years.  Nowadays, the Games are held in different countries in turn. As the biggest international gathering of any kind in the world,athletes from different countries play games together and this provides them with good chances to learn to live together. The friendly feelings in the Olympic Village make people think of the world as one big family. The Olympic Games will be hosted in Beijing in 2008. It is believed that the Games will be a wonder of the world. The Olympic Games meeting finally formed   _  . A) a local event B) a national event C) an international event D) an official event
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Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, the Five Friendlies will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace and blessings from China to children all over the world. Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame. Each of the Friendlies has a rhyming two-syllable name--a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow. When you put their names together--Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni--they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of the Five Friendlies as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games. The Five Friendlies also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature--the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky--all stylistic rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation. The Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games carry the following messages EXCEPT    _    . A) friendship B) peace C) love D) blessing
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Surtsey was born in 1963. Scientists saw the birth of this island. It began at 7.30 a.m. on 14th November. A fishing boat was near Iceland. The boat moved under the captain's   feet. He noticed a strange smell. He saw some black smoke. A volcano was breaking out. Red-hotrocks, fire and smoke were rushing up from the bottom of the sea. The island grew quickly. It was 10 meters high the next day and 60 meters high on 18th November. Scientists flew there to watch it. It was exciting. Smoke and fire were still rushing up. Pieces of red-hot rock were flying into the air and falling into the sea. The sea was boiling and there was a strange light in the sky. Surtsey grew and grew. Then it stopped in June 1967. It was 175 metres high and 2 kilometres long. And life was already coming to Surtsey. Plants grew. Birds came Some scientists built a house. They want to learn about this young island. A new island is like a new world. Surtsey is  _  . A) an island not far from Iceland B) a captain C) a fishing boat D) a place in Iceland
A
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The small unframed painting called "Fisherman" was signed by a little-known Italian artist, Maveleone (1669-1740). When it was sold recently in New York for $ 27000, the seller, Mr. Oliver Pitt, was asked to explain how the picture had come into his possession. Pitt said, "I didn't know it was so valuable. I'm not an art expert. Photography is my hobby. I bought 'Fisherman' in Italy in 1970 for $140.the picture was dirty, and I couldn't see the artist's signature. But anyway it wasn't the picture that I like. I bought it because of the frame." "It's most unusual frame, made of tiny, silvery sea-shells. They are set in such a way that they reflect perfect light onto the surface of a picture. I now have a photograph of my wife in that frame, and I'll never part with it." "When I returned to New York I showed the painting in its frame to a customs officer. I told him that I had paid $140 for it but admitted I didn't know its actual worth. The customs man valued it at $ 140, and I was asked to pay duty on that value. I did so, there and then." "Later, I took off the frame, and that uncovered Maveleone's signature. My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale." As a result of his explanation, Oliver Pitt had to appear in court. He was accused of   knowingly making a false statement of the value of a picture so as to cheat the Customs Department. Pitt was not happy. "I told the truth as I knew it then," he said, "What else could I say?" And then the judge agreed with him. "The Customs Department is to be responsible (blame)," he said, "for making a true valuation of goods bought into the country, so that the correct amount of duty may be charged. Mr Pitt did not cause or try to cause the mistake that was made. He paid the duty that was demanded. If now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty. Pitt took off the frame in order to    _   . A) clean the painting to put it up for sale B) look for the artist's signature C) use if for his wife's photograph D) find the painting's true value

C
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