1. At the
2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the Chinese athlete Liu Xiang equaled the world
record for the 110 metres hurdles (跨栏) when he ran the race in 12.91 seconds.
This record time had been set in 1993 by British sprinter (短跑运动员) Colin Jackson
and 9 years went by before another athlete was able to run as fast.
2. Record-breaking in all track events is slowing clown and we appear to
be moving much closer to the limits of human performance. Nevertheless, every
four years, records which were previously thought to be unbeatable are broken.
So what's behind this never-ending improvement in performance? And how long can
we keep breaking records? Is there a limit to human performance or will athletes
continue to gain seconds? 3. Most experts agree that it isn't
the athletes' bodies which have changed but the huge advances in sport science
which have enabled them to improve their performances. The individual athlete
obviously has to have the necessary skill and determination to succeed, but the
help of science and technology can be significant. Research has brought a better
understanding of the athlete's body and mind but the advances in sports
equipment technology have also had an important impact on human
performance. 4. Scientists have shown that an athlete's body's
needs vary according to the type of sport. This research has helped top sports
people to adapt their training programme and diet better to their particular
needs. Running the marathon and cycling, for example, are endurance (耐力) sports
and require a different parathion (硝苯硫磷脂) to that of a 100-metre sprinter. In
some sports, changes in techniques have significantly improved
performance. 5. But in any sport, a player's success or failure
results from a combination of both physical and mental abilities. Most coaches
use psychological techniques to help their athletes cope with stress and
concentrate on their performance. For example, the English football team listens
to music in the changing rooms before a game to help the players relax and not
feel so nervous. Before a difficult match, tennis players are encouraged to use
visualization (想象) techniques to build confidence and this is almost as good as
practice. 6. But as science begins to dominate sport, are we in
danger of losing sight of the heart of the competition, the sporting challenge?
What's more, are all these advantages fair?
填空题
Paragraph 2 ______.
A. Different sports require different training programs
B. Science may be too important today
C. Sports equipment has been improved a lot
D. Athletes are still breaking records
E. Sport science helps improve athletes' performances
F. Mental training is as important as physical training
填空题
Paragraph 3 ______.
填空题
Paragraph 4 ______.
填空题
Paragraph 5 ______.
填空题
It is more difficult for today's athletes ______.
A. to avoid psychological techniques
B. to break records
C. to better understand the athlete's body and mind
D. to time and space
E. to be replacing the sporting challenge
F. to human performance