Top marathon runners tend to be lean and light, star swimmers are long thighs with huge feet and gold medal weightlifters are solid blocks of muscle with short arms and legs. So, does your physical shape—and the way your body works—fit you for a particular sport? Or does your body develop a certain way because of your chosen sport?
"It's about 55: 45, genes to the environment," says Mike Rennie, professor of clinical physiology at Britain's University of Nottingham Medical School. Rennie cites the case of identical twins from Germany, one of whom was a long-distance athlete, the other a powerful sportsman, so, "They look quite different, despite being identical twins. "
Someone who's 1. 5 meters tall has little chance of becoming an elite basketball player. Still, being over two meters tall won't automatically push you to Olympic gold. "Unless you have tactical sense where needed, unless you have access to good equipment, medical care and the psychological conditions, and unless you are able to drive yourself through pain, all the physical strength will be in vain," said Craig Sharp, professor of sports science at Britain's Brunei University.
Jonathan Robinson, an applied sports scientist at the University of Bath's sports development department, in southwest England, points to the importance of technique. "In swimming only 5 ~ 10 percent of the propelling force comes from the legs, so technique is vital. "
Having the right physique for the right sport is a good starting point. Seventeen years ago, the Australian Institute of Sport started a national Talent Search Program, which searched schools for 14 - 16-year-olds with the potential to be elite athletes. One of their first finds was Megan Still, world champion rower. In 1987, Still had never picked up an oar in her life. But she had almost the perfect physique for a rower. After intensive training, she won gold in women's rowing in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Other countries have followed the Australian example. Now the explosion of genetic knowledge has meant that there is now a search, not just for appropriate physique but also for " performance genes".
单选题 It can be concluded from the passage that______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节题。根据第二段第一句“It’s about 55: 45,genes to the environment…”可知,基因和环境的影响是55:45。也就是说基因更重要一些。故选C。
单选题 The case of identical twins from Germany shows that______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】推断题。文章第二段第二句:兰尼引用了德国一对单卵双胞胎的例子,其中一个是长跑运动员,另一个是力量型运动员。“虽然他们是双胞胎,但看上去完全不同。”他们完全不同的原因就是后天环境,故选A。
单选题 Which of the following is NOT mentioned by Craig Sharp as a required quality for a sportsper-son to win an Olympic gold medal?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节题。根据第三段最后一句“‘Unless you have tactical sense where needed,unless youhave access to good equipment,medical care and the psychological conditions,and unlessyou are able to drive yourself through pain,all the physical strength will be in vain,’saidCraig Sharp,professor of sports science at Britain’s Brunel University.”可知,“除非你有所需的战术感(这里指体育比赛的天才);除非你有好的训练器械、医疗保障和心理素质,除非你坚持艰苦的训练,不然的话,光有力量是没用的。”这里through pain的意思是通过艰苦的努力,而不是endurance for pain(忍受疼痛)。故选D。
单选题 Seventeen years ago Megan Still was chosen for rowing because______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】细节题。根据第五段倒数第二句“But she had almost the perfect physique for a rower.”可知,她被选中就是因为她有合适的身材。故选B。
单选题 The elite athletes of the future may come from people who naturally possess______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节题。根据文章最后一句可知,现在由于基因知识的快速发展,在寻找优秀运动员时我们不仅要找身体素质合适的,还要找有“表现基因”的人(既临场发挥好)。所以应该是基因和身体都合适的人。故选D。