雅思閱讀模擬試題（9）

雅思閱讀模擬試題（9）關(guān)于這個(gè)問題下面小編就來為各個(gè)考生解答下。

雅思閱讀模擬試題（9）

SECTION 3 QUESTIONS 29–40

Read the text below and answer Questions 29–40.

CALISTHENICS

The world’s oldest form of

resistance training

A From the very first caveman to scale a tree or hang from a cliff face, to the mighty

armies of the Greco-Roman empires and the gymnasiums of modern American high

schools, calisthenics has endured and thrived because of its simplicity and utility. Unlike

strength training which involves weights, machines or resistance bands, calisthenics

uses only the body’s own weight for physical development.

B Calisthenics enters the historical record at around 480 B.C., with Herodotus’

account of the Battle of Thermopolylae. Herodotus reported that, prior to the battle, the

god-king Xerxes sent a scout party to spy on his Spartan enemies. The scouts informed

Xerxes that the Spartans, under the leadership of King Leonidas, were practicing some

kind of bizarre, synchronised movements akin to a tribal dance. Xerxes was greatly

amused. His own army was comprised of over 120,000 men, while the Spartans had just

300. Leonidas was informed that he must retreat or face annihilation. The Spartans did

not retreat, however, and in the ensuing battle they managed to hold Xerxes’ enormous

army at bay for some time until reinforcements arrived. It turns out their tribal dance was

not a superstitious ritual but a form of calisthenics by which they were building aweinspiring physical strength and endurance.

C The Greeks took calisthenics seriously not only as a form of military discipline and

strength, but also as an artistic expression of movement and an aesthetically ideal

physique. Indeed, the term calisthenics itself is derived from the Greek words for beauty

and strength. We know from historical records and images from pottery, mosaics and

sculptures of the period that the ancient Olympians took calisthenics training seriously.

They were greatly admired – and still are, today – for their combination of athleticism

and physical beauty. You may have heard a friend whimsically sigh and mention that

someone ‘has the body of a Greek god’. This expression has travelled through centuries

and continents, and the source of this envy and admiration is the calisthenics method.

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