阅读理解

ThefirstmodernOlympicGameswasheldinAthensin1896andonlytwelvenationsparticipatedit．Besidesthehostnationmanyparticipants(参赛者)weretouristswhohappenedtobeinGreeceatthetime．Thoughthewholeaffairwasinformalandthestandardwasnothightheoldprincipleofthesportwaskeptup．

SincethenthegameshadbeenheldeveryfouryearsexceptduringtheinterruptionofthetwoWorldWars．Thiswasdefinitelyadeparture(背道而驰)fromtheoldOlympicspiritthatwarshadtostopandmakewayforthegames．

Thegameshavegrowninscaleandphysicalperformanceshavenowreachedunprecedented(空前的)heights．Unfortunatelythesamecannotbesaidabouttheirmoralstandard．Themoderngamesarenowheldindifferentcitiesallovertheword．Politicsandcommercialismgetinvolvedforthehonortoholdthegamesbecauseoftheprofit．Inthe11thgamesheldinBerlinin1936HitlerwhohadnewlycometopowerinGermanytriedtousetheoccasionforhisNazipropaganda(宣传)．ForthefirsttimetheOlympicflamewasbroughtallthewayfromOlympiatothegamessiteinrelaysamarathonjourneynowoftentakingmonthstofinish．Thelastrelayrunnerlitthehugesymboltorchhighonapedestal(火炬台)abovethestadiumontheopeningdayandwithgreatpompandfanfare(壮丽多彩)theopeningceremonybegan．

TheGamesofthe24thOlympiadBeijing2008willtakeplacefrom8thto24thAugust2008．TheGameswillplayhosttothe28summersports．About10500athletesareexpectedtotakepartintheGameswitharound20000mediabringingtheGamestotheworld．

On11thNovember2005theOrganizingCommitteefortheGamesofBeijing2008haslaunchedthefiveofficialmascots(吉祥物)fortheBeijingGamesatashowtomarkthe1000-daycountdown(倒计时)totheOpeningCeremonyoftheGames．ThefivemascotsareofficiallycalledFuwa．TheyareBeibeithefish;Jingjingthepanda;HuanhuantheOlympicflame;YingyingtheTibetanantelope;andNinitheswallow．Thefirstsyllablesfromtheirtwo-syllablenamesformalinethatreads“BeijingHuanyingNi”orinEnglish－“WelcometoBeijin