第3部分：概括大意与完成句子（第23～30题，每 题1分，共8分）
下面的短文后有2项测试任务：（1）第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2～5段每段1选择个最佳标题；（2）第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中为每个句子确定1个最佳选项。
The Science of Sport
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?
23 Paragraph 2
24 Paragraph 3
25 Paragraph 4
26 Paragraph 5
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.
27 It is more difficult for today's athletes
28 We don't know if there is a limit
29 Research has helped coaches
30 Scientific advances are suspected
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
第4部分：阅读理解（第31～45题，每题3分，共45分）
下面有3篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题定1个最佳选项。
第一篇 Is the Tie a Necessity?
Ties, or neckties, have been a symbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for centuries. But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them. Reports suggest that even the civil servants may stop wearing ties. So, are the famously formal British really going to abandon the neckties?
Maybe. Last week, the UK's Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a tieless era. He hinted that civil servants would soon be tree of the costliest 12 inches of fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.
In fact, Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party. Many of them were celebrities （知名人士） without ties, which would have been unimaginable even in the recent past.
For some more conservative British, the tie is a must for proper appearance. Earlier, Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in public without a tie. For people like Callaghan, the tile was a sign of being complete, of showing respect. Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church, to work in the office, to a party - almost every social occasion.
But today, people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions.
The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a "band". The term could mean anything around a man's neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear （颈饰）impressed Charles II, the king of England who was exiled（流放）to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660, he brought this new fashion item along with him.
It wasn't, however, until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful, flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then, clubs military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to indicate the wearer's membership in the late 19th century. After that, the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.
But now, even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway, the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.
31 The tie symbolizes all of the following except
A respect
B elegance
C politeness
D democracy
32 Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie?
A Because he wants to make a show
B Because he wants to attract attention.
C Because ties are costly.
D Because he wants to live in a casual way.
33 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion?
A Going to church.
B Going to work in the office.
C Staying at home.
D Going to a party.
34 Who brought the Frenchmen's neckwear to Britain?
A Tony Blair.
B Charles ll.
C Jim Callaghan.
D Andrew Turnbull.
35 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly?
A After the late 19th century.
B In the 1630s.
C In 1660.
D In the late 18th century.
