It is interesting that Coubertin, whose ideas were born in the late nineteenth century, probably never imagined that women would ever play a part in the new Olympics. Women had never competed in the early Greek Games; indeed, for many years they were not even allowed to watch. In modern times, the London Games in 1908 were the first in which women took a serious part - 36 women came to the Games to compete. The first woman to win an Olympic event was the British Tennis Player, Charlotte Cooper, who won a tennis event in 1900. From 1908, however, the number of events began to grow with the introduction of ladies’ gymnastics. Athletics events for women were introduced in 1928 at the Games held in Amsterdam. Today, women are as highly-trained and as fit as men. Although in almost every sport women and men compete separately, in horse-riding events they compete against each other and women have shown over the years that they are just as good.

　　The International Olympic Committee, whose home is in Lausanne in Switzerland, is responsible for all the important decisions of the Olympic Movement. The members of this committee are chosen not by their governments but by members already on the committee and they are therefore above politics or group interests. Most of the members are simply rich men who wish to keep Coubertin’s ideas alive. Not every country is represented, therefore, because this would mean more than 120 members and no decisions would ever be made.

　　However, each country must form a National Olympic Committee before it is allowed to send competitors to the games and this committee must be recognized by the International Olympic Committee. At present, more than 136 countries have formed such a committee. The National Committees are responsible for organizing the national teams and for deciding which competitors to send. Competitors cannot choose to go to the Games - they must be chosen and this means competing against their own countrymen. It is not even enough to be the best in the country, for each competitor must be able to reach the standard expected for entry to the Games. These standards change each year as sportsmen and sportswomen improve. Some countries are not able to send all the competitors they would like to, even if they have reached the expected standard, because of the cost. The National Committee must then decide whether to send the competitors who have the most chance of winning or whether, instead, to send competitors to represent each sport even though some of them have little hope of doing well.

　　Not only the competitors but also the team manager must be paid for. The manager is an extremely important member of the team;he is responsible for the competitors while they are at the Games and his job includes, for example, getting the competitors to each event on time and helping with medical or personal problems. Most countries ask the people for money to help pay for the costs of travel and training. A lot of money is given by businesses and companies who also give, for example, clothes, shoes and uniforms.

　　The city where the Games are to be held is chosen by the International Olympic Committee;this is usually decided five years before the Games are to take place. Several cities may wish to hold the Games in any one year and the Committee decides only after it has listened to and seen the arguments and plans of each city. Once chosen, the city then has five years to prepare.

　　1. Coubertin planned to hold the first modern Olympic Games in_________ in Athens.

　　A. 1894 B. 1896

　　C. 1899 D. 1900

　　2. The competitors of the first Olympic Games came from all of the following countries EXCEPT__________.

　　A. UK B. Hungary

　　C. Switzerland D. Norway

　　3. Which of the following was NOT part of the first Olympic Games?

　　A. concerts B. circus

　　C. fencing D. boxing

　　4. According to the passage, the most successful modern Olympic Games was the one held in_________

　　A. Athens, Greece B. St. Louis, America

　　C. Paris, France D. London, UK

　　5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

　　A. Women were not allowed to participate in the ancient Olympics.

　　B. Women were not allowed to watch the Olympic Games in the past.

　　C. Women appeared in the Amsterdam Olympic Games.

　　D. Before 1908 there were no women in the Olympic Games.

　　6. Women and men always compete separately except in_______

　　A. tennis B. racing

　　C. swimming D. horse-riding