The Marathon

张晓敏

The marathon is the longest running race in the Olympic Games. It takes its name from a famous battle long ago. In 400 BC， the Persian army attempted to invade Greece. The Greek army met and defeated it at Marathon. A young Creek soldier， Phidippides， was sent with the good news to Athens， a distance of about 40km. He ran without stopping. Immediately he had delivered his message， he dropped dead.

When the Olympic Games were revived in Athens in 1896， it was decided to commemorate this feat with a race of similar length. The race was won by a Greek shepherd called Spyridon Louis （This was the only event Greece won that year.） The Greek king offered him any reward he wanted. Spyridon Louis chose a horse and cart. The marathon has been an important and popular part of the Olympic Games ever since. The race held in 1908 in London is particularly famous. The first runner to enter the stadium was an Italian， Dorato Pietri. The athlete was exhausted， and stumbled. Sympathetic spectators supported him， and he staggered across the winning line. But the judges disqualified him， and the gold medal was awarded to an American runner instead. However， the Queen of England was watching the race， and ordered that a special gold cup be presented to Dorato Pietri.

Long distance running is now a popular sport worldwide with both sexes. Many long distance races called marathons are held in different countries. One of the most popular marathons is held every year in London. The distance of the race is 42.16km and many thousands of people take part in it. Some competitors are serious athletes， but many take part just for fun， to raise money for charities， such as children’s hospitals or medical research， or help for poor countries. People promise to pay money to a charity if the runner takes part in and completes the course.

Choose the best answer.

1. Which words best replace the underlined word “feat” in the second paragraph？

A. great battle         B. race

C. famous man  D. remarkable action

2. Which of these words best describes Spyridon Louis’ character？

A. Boastful.       B. Famous.

C. Strong.         D. Modest.

3. Which country was the 1908 marathon held？

A. London.     B. Beijing.

C. Paris.              D. Toronto.

4. Which of the following is Not True？

A. Phidippides died when he reached Athens because he was hurt in the battle of Marathon.

B. The marathon takes its name from a famous battle long ago.

C. Long distance running is now a popular sport worldwide with both sexes.

D. Some competitors are serious athletes， but many take part just for fun.