（一）Vicious and Dangerous Sports Should be Banned by Law
When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it's amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor old Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on in their arenas. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don't the spectators who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remains as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long age; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hangings or bearbaiting.
It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bullfighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of "the sporting spirit" is sheer hypocrisy. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they have been deprived of the exquisite pleasure of witnessing prolonged torture and violence.
Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally-admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings of any of the countless other barbaric practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the grim forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly and unaccountably improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is degrading and unworthy of human beings.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the author's opinion of nowadays' human beings is________.
A. not very high
B. high
C. contemptuous
D. critical
2. The main idea of this passage is________.
A. vicious and dangerous sports should be banned by law
B. people are willing to pay vast sums money to see violence
C. to compare two different attitudes towards dangerous sports
D. people are bloodthirsty in sports
3. That the author mentions the old Romans is________.
A. to compare the old Romans with today's people
B. to give an example
C. to show human beings in the past know nothing better
D. to indicate human beings are used to bloodthirsty
4. How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?
A. Three.
B. Five.
C. Six.
D. Seven.
5. The purpose of the author in writing this passage is________.
A. that, by banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve ourselves
B. that, by banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law
C. that we must take positive steps to improve social welfare system
D. to show law is the main instrument of social change
［高频考点］
考点1：推理题；
考点2：主旨题；
考点3：细节信息的查找。
［主旨大意］
作者采取先对比、后分析的写作手法。
先是说今人和古罗马人都欣赏暴力体育。后者坦率承认“欣赏暴力体育”，前者以各种借口为暴力体育辩护。
第二段进一步剖析今人欣赏暴力体育的种种实例，第三段指出应禁止暴力体育，方法是以法律途径予以规制。
［长难句结构解析］
It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bullfighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames.
（1）主体句式为It really is incredible that...。
（2）incredible后接三个并列的表语从句。
（3）参考译文：在当今时代，我们还允许狩猎或者斗牛；眼睁睁地看着两个人在拳击场内彼此狠揍，直到一个人被打倒在地，爬不起来；眼见一辆或多辆赛车相互撞击，突然烧起来而无动于衷，真令人难以置信。
［答案解析］
1．A。［解析］推理。第二段举出具体例子证明人的卑下、不文明。这似乎证明作者的观点应该是C项“蔑视的”。但在第三段谈及好几个世纪以来，人们一直试图在精神上和情感上改善自己。从这段来看，作者对人类还抱有希望，不是很蔑视。所以选A项。
2．A。［解析］主旨题。从文章标题和全文内容可以看出，作者从古罗马人欣赏残忍的体育项目说起，点出现代人也是嗜血成性，喜欢暴力体育项目。这是不文明，是堕落。必须制止，而法律是我们社会改革最强大的工具。
3．D。［解析］细节考查题。人们在体育上习惯于“嗜血成性”，过去是，现在仍然是，不同点只是前者坦直承认，后者婉转掩饰。
4．B。［解析］细节考查题。作者提到逗熊游戏、斗牛、车赛、拳击、人狮斗五个活动。注意当众鞭挞和绞刑不能称做体育活动。故正确答案为B。
5．A。［解析］主旨题。参见第三段：通过制止野蛮体育项目，我们能改善人类自身。选项A与此相符合，故正确答案为A。
