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Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries
play games together they will learn to live together.Others say that the opposite is true that international
contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred.There is probably some
truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that
sports encourage international brotherhood.Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of
athletes, but the Games were also destroyed by incidents caused mainly by minor national competition.
One country received its secondplace medals with visible anger after the hockey final.There had been
noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, as the losers objected to the final decisions.They were
convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was
unfair.Their manager was quite angry when he said: "This wasn't hockey.Hockey_and_the_International_
Hockey_Federation_are_finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could
result in the disorder of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not give up first place to Russia, after a
disputable end to their contest.The game had ended in disturbance.It was thought at first that the United
States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play.A
Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it
into the basket.It was the first time the U. S.A. had ever lost an Olympic basketball match.Experts discussed the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand.The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of
the game.The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in nonnational terms, might be
too much to hope for.But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism.
1. According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ________.
A. created goodwill between the nations
B. caused only false national pride
C. hardly showed any international friendship
D. led to more and more misunderstanding and hatred
2. What did the manager mean by saying, "…Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are
finished."?
A. His team would no longer take part in international games.
B. Hockey and the Federation are ruined by the unfair decisions.
C. There should be no more hockey matches organized by the Federation.
D. The Federation should not exist.
3. The basketball example implied that ________.
A. too much patriotism was shown in the incident
B. the announcement to make the match long was wrong
C. the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision
D. the American team was right in receiving the silver medals
4. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A. The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved.
B. Athletes should compete as individuals in the Olympic Games.
C. Sport should be played competitively rather than for the love of the game.
D. International contests are liable for misunderstanding between nations.