英语听力精选进阶版 6352（在线收听）

Can we expect many world records at the Games? Some experts aren't holding their breath.

Meaningful world records have only been achieved in a few Olympic sports. At the Beijing Games, world records were broken in 33 separate events: one in women's team archery, four in weightlifting, five in athletics (of which Usain Bolt set three), two in track cycling and the remainder in swimming.

Yet swimming world records might be scarce in the London Aquatics Centre. In the aftermath of Beijing 2008, the sport spent a year involved in technological warfare as rival companies vacuum-packed their swimmers in ultra-aerodynamic suits to give them a competitive edge. Then the world governing body, FINA, rewrote the rules on swimsuits and restored some order, but by then the damage to the record books had been done.

Since 2009, wearing considerably slower suits, only Ryan Lochte in the men's 200m medley and China's Sun Yang in the men's 1500m freestyle have set new world records, both at last year's World Championships. No woman has broken a world record since the 2009 suits were banned.

In the 1980s mostly Eastern Bloc athletes set records. In the years since, a succession of doping revelations has left the authenticity of many from that era in doubt.

David Moorcroft, Britain's former 5,000m world record-holder, thinks records are more credible now and we're getting performances more representative of what athletes are naturally capable of.

Some are betting the hunt for records at London 2012 may come from the Olympic Velodrome. "It's going to be an extremely fast venue," said British Cycling's performance director, Dave Brailsford. "Hopefully we'll see some records fall."

Quiz 测验

1. According to the article, what did FINA do when companies were developing more technology to make swimmers faster?

It rewrote the rules about what swimmers could wear in competitions.

2. Who set most records in the 1980s?

Eastern bloc athletes.

3. Is this true, false or not given? Cases of doping have made people doubt world records from the past.

True.

4. What expression refers to people who don't believe something is going to happen for sure?

They don't hold their breath.

5. What word means 'it's not allowed'?

Banned.

Glossary 词汇表

to hold (their) breath 屏住呼吸

to achieve 取得

archery 射箭（术）

weightlifting 举重

athletics 田径运动员

track cycling 场地自行车

swimming 游泳

scarce 稀少的

technological warfare 技术战

ultra-aerodynamic 超级空气动力学的

a competitive edge 竞争优势

a world governing body 世界管理机构

a record book 一个记录本

200m medley 女子200米混合泳

1500m freestyle 1500米自由泳

to be banned 禁止

doping 服用兴奋剂

the world record-holder 世界纪录保持者

The Olympic Velodrome 奥林匹克自行车赛场