Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure — those who have climbed the highest mountains, explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate excitement from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds.
I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place (perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon) 200 meters above the ground with an elastic rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground. It is estimated that two million people around the world have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping involve jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.
Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago, people's lives were constantly under threat. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and life was a continuous battle for survival.
Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in comparatively safe environment; they buy food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to seek danger in activities such as bungee jumping.
1.Which of the following is the suitable title for the passage?
A.Dangerous Sports: What and Why? B.The Boredom of Modern Life
C.Bungee Jumping: Is It Really Dangerous? D.The Need for Excitement
2.More and more people today_______.
A.are trying activities such as bungee jumping
B.are climbing the highest mountains
C.are close to death in sports
D.are looking for adventures such as exploring unknown places
3.People probably take part in dangerous sports nowadays because_______.
A.they have a lot of free time B.they can go to hospital if they are injured
C.their lives lack excitement D.they no longer need to hunt for food
4.The writer of the passage has a(n)_________ attitude towards dangerous sports.
A.positive B.negative C.objective D.subjective
5.It can be inferred from the article that_________.
A.ancient people disliked dangerous sports
B.struggle for survival is important for human being to evolve
C.excitement is a kind of special experience so attractive
D.there are many ways to sense the danger in sports
長難例句分析
［長難例句］There have always been people who have looked for adventure — those who have climbed the highest mountains, explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是there have always been people...。people后面是who引導的定語從句，破折號后面的those還是指people，它后面也接有一個由who引導的定語從句。climbed, explored, sailed是這個定語從句中的三個并列的謂語動詞。
［參考譯文］總是有人尋求冒險——他們攀登最高的山峰，在世界未知的領域探險或是乘小舟跨越大洋。
［長難例句］Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping involve jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是Other activities involve jumping...and diving...。which引導的定語從句修飾句子的主語other activities。在這個定語從句中，主干是which are as risky as bungee jumping，而most people would say只是一個插入語成分。
［參考譯文］其他大多數(shù)人認為和蹦極一樣冒險的活動包括從高樓跳下和從懸崖頂跳入海里。
［長難例句］You jump from a high place (perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon) 200 meters above the ground with an elastic rope tied to your ankles.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是You jump from a high place...。200 meters...ground是a high place的定語成分，而with短語則是整個句子的伴隨狀語成分。
［參考譯文］你從離地面200米的高處（有可能是一座橋或是熱氣球）跳下，一條有彈性的繩子綁在腳踝上。
全文參考譯文
世界各地愈來愈多的人正在參加危險的體育活動。當然，總是有人尋求冒險——他們攀登最高的山峰，在世界未知的領域探險或是乘小舟跨越大洋。但是現(xiàn)在有的人從持續(xù)時間只有幾分鐘或者甚至幾秒鐘的冒險活動中獲取即時的刺激。
我認為蹦極跳就是這樣一種典型的活動。你從離地面200米的高處（有可能是一座橋或是熱氣球）跳下，一條有彈性的繩子綁在腳踝上。你以高達每小時150千米的速度落下，直到繩子阻止你撞到地面上。估計世界各地有200萬人現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)嘗試了蹦極。其他大多數(shù)人認為和蹦極一樣冒險的活動包括從高樓跳下和從懸崖頂跳入海里。
為什么人們參加這樣的活動呢？某些心理學家認為原因就是現(xiàn)代的生活已經(jīng)變得安全無趣。從前人們的生命時時受到威脅。他們不得不外出覓食，疾病也很難治愈，生活就是一場無休止的生存戰(zhàn)斗。
對于很多人來說，現(xiàn)在的生活缺乏刺激。他們在相對安全的環(huán)境中生活和工作；他們可以在商店中購買食物；如果生病了，有醫(yī)生和醫(yī)院照料他們。在蹦極這樣的活動中尋求危險就是他們中一些人的排解方法了。
題目答案與解析
1.適合本文的題目是“_________”。
A.危險體育運動：是什么和為什么？ B.對現(xiàn)代生活的厭倦
C.蹦極跳：真的危險嗎？ D.刺激的需要
【答案】A
【解析】從文中內(nèi)容可知，第一段講到全世界有越來越多的人參加各種危險的運動和活動。第二段以蹦極（bungee jumping）為例加以說明。三、四兩段主要在解釋人們參加這類活動的原因。只有A項能概括全文，因此是正確答案。
2.如今愈來愈多的人_________。
A.正在嘗試像蹦極這樣的運動 B.正在攀登最高的山峰
C.在運動中接近死亡 D.正在尋找冒險，例如探索未知地區(qū)
【答案】A
【解析】從文中內(nèi)容可知，第一段第一句話就講到全世界有越來越多的人參加各種危險的運動和活動。第二段以蹦極（bungee jumping）為例加以說明。只有A項符合文章的意思，為本題的正確答案。
3.如今人們參加危險運動的原因可能是______。
A.他們有太多的空閑時間 B.如果受傷可以去醫(yī)院
C.他們的生活缺乏刺激 D.他們不再需要尋找食物
【答案】C
【解析】本題可參照文章的第三、第四段。從Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement可知，C項為正確答案。
4.對危險運動，本文作者所持的態(tài)度是_________。
A.肯定的 B.否定的 C.客觀的 D.主觀的
【答案】C
【解析】本題應在理解全文的基礎上來進行判斷。綜觀全文，作者的態(tài)度是較為客觀的，因此，C項為正確答案。
5.從文章中可以推理出_________。
A.古人不喜歡危險的體育運動 B.為生存而作出的努力對人類進化很重要
C.興奮是種很特殊的體驗，因此也吸引人 D.體育運動中可以有多種方式體驗危險
【答案】D
【解析】其他三個選項可能從理論上推理出來，但是本文中沒有提及也得不出這樣的結(jié)論。閱讀理解的核心是要理解現(xiàn)在文章中的意思而不是自己想象、發(fā)揮出來的意思。
