Unit21Lesson1ReadingSun.pptVIP

I. Read and answer the questions. Why would athletes today have broken records if they’d taken part in the first Olympic Games? 2) What reasons are given for improved performance? 3) What is doping and why is it illegal? 4) How did drugs affect world records in the 1980s? 5) Why are drug tests at sporting events often one step behind? 6) What would the effect of gene-therapy be on sport? 7) What is the Olympic spirit? Check your answers: Why would athletes today have broken records if they’d taken part in the first Olympic Games? 2) What reasons are given for improved performance? Athletes are stronger and faster today than they were during the time of the first Olympic Games. Better equipment, training and diet. Doping is using performance-enhancing drugs and it is illegal because it is cheating. 3) What is doping and why is it illegal? 4) How did drugs affect world records in the 1980s? Ben Johnson was caught taking drugs when he broke the 100m world record in 1988 and no one knows if Florence Griffith was taking drugs when she set the women’s 100m record the same year. 5) Why are drug tests at sporting events often one step behind? Drug tests are only developed after the new drugs are being used. This means that there is a time period when people are using the new drugs and no one knows about them. 6) What would the effect of gene-therapy be on sport? 7) What is the Olympic spirit? It would create super athletes who could do the 100m in just 8 seconds for example, and no one would know if they had gene- therapy or not. This would spoil the spirit of sport. The spirit of competition that emphasizes taking part rather than winning. As athletic performances have continually improved, records have risen. Ben Johnson was still the 100 meters world record holder because he had taken drugs in the 1988 Olympics. 3) Doping can help athletes enhance their performance, however, the drugs also cause serious health problems in later life for tho