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 encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation after the hockey (曲棍球) final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting 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 in a rage 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 suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield 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 USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated 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 non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism.
41. According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ________.
[A] created goodwill between the nations
[B] bred only false national pride
[C] barely showed any international friendship
[D] led to more and more misunderstanding and hatred
42. 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 both ruined by the unfair decisions.
[C] There should be no more hockey matches organized by the Federation.
[D] The Federation should be dissolved.
43. The basketball example implied that ________.
[A] too much patriotism was displayed in the incident
[B] the announcement to prolong the match was wrong
[C] the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision
[D] the American team was right in rejecting the silver medals
44. The author gives the two examples in paragraphs 2 and 3 to show ________.
[A] how false national pride led to undesirable incidents in international games
[B] that sportsmen have been more obedient than they used to be
[C] that competitiveness in the games discourages international friendship
[D] that unfair decisions are common in Olympic Games
45. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
[A] The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved.
[B] Athletes should compete as individual 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.
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