单选题 Section B Reading in Depth Directions: There are two passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice. Passage One Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage. Gladiators Successful gladiators (角斗士) were the movie stars of the first century—so famous that free men queued to take their chances in the arena. Bloody, brutal but popular, gladiatorial contests are often seen as the dark side of Roman civilization. Given they belonged to such a civilized and sophisticated society, the Romans' deep attraction to extreme violence remains surprising and strange. Historians have struggled to 98 大学英语分级阅读实训教程 4 explain how a country that civilized so much of the world could be so keen on watching men and women fight to the death. Ritualized, public violence had been a favorite entertainment of the Romans for centuries. The practice began as an ancient funeral ritual: when a tribal chief died, his warriors would make a blood sacrifice to his spirit by fighting to the death by his tomb. This ritual was adapted over time. The noble people began to put on gladiatorial exhibitions in memory of the dead and by the time Julius Caesar (尤利乌斯·恺撒) was in charge, these exhibitions had become public spectacles. The games took place in amphitheaters (圆形露天剧场). Gladiators would be sent to the arena (竞技场)—named after the sand which covered the ground and soaked up the blood—to fight to the death before cheering crowds of thousands. As the contests became more organized, gladiators became more specialized. There were five types of gladiator, each with their own unique weapons. The games were so popular that successful gladiators could become extremely rich and very famous. As a result, while most gladiators were condemned criminals, slaves or prisoners of war, some were freedmen who chose to fight, either as a way to achieve fame and fortune, or simply because they enjoyed it. Naturally, it was a dangerous career with a high turnover. The few lucky ones would survive years in the arena and retire. Some would then become instructors at gladiator training schools, controlled by the state so that they couldn't be used to train private armies. Gladiatorial contests were definitely mass entertainment and, over time, some of the upper classes began to get fed up with their brutality. In a letter to a friend, the philosopher Seneca criticized popular enthusiasm for gladiators and advised his friends and acquaintances not to attend. Despite Seneca's disapproval, the popularity of the games continued and, along with chariot races (战车比赛), would form the backbone of public entertainment for centuries to come. New Words 1. civilization: n. the culture and way of life of a society or country at a particular period in time e.g. Some people think that nuclear war would mean the end of civilization. 2. sacrifice: n. the act of killing an animal or person and offering them to a god or gods e.g. They made sacrifices to ensure a good harvest. 3. specialized: adj. trained, designed, or developed for a particular purpose, type of work, place etc. e.g. Some of the language in the report is so specialized that the ordinary reader will struggle to understand it. Phrases and Expressions 1. be keen on 热衷于;渴望 2. get fed up with 厌烦;厌倦 What does the author say about the gladiators of the first century