阅读理解AB篇.docVIP

A ①The Olympic flame is one of the most important symbols of the Olympic Games. Lighting the flame has been an important part of every Olympic opening ceremony since it was first used in Berlin in 1936. The idea of keeping a flame lit throughout the Games was first used by the ancient Greeks in Olympia. ②A few months before the opening of the Games, a ceremony is organized on the site of the original Games, the ancient sanctuary（圣所）of Olympia. An actress dressed as a ceremonial priestess, in the robes of the ancient Greeks, lights the torch via the same technique used in the original Games. ③She uses a parabolic(抛物面) mirror to focus light rays from the sun. The parabolic mirror has a curved shape. When it is held toward the sun, the curvature(曲度) focuses the rays to a single point. The energy from the sun creates a great deal of heat. The priestess(女教士) holds a torch in the center of the parabolic mirror, and the heat ignites(点燃) the fuel in the torch, sparking a flame. ④If the sun is not shining on the day of the lighting ceremony, the priestess can light the torch with a flame that was lit on a sunny day before the ceremony. ⑤The flame is carried in a fire pot to an altar(圣坛) in the ancient Olympic stadium, where it is used to light the first runner’s torch. ⑥When the first torch is lit, the relay begins. ⑦The flame is carried by relay all the way to its final destination. Although it is usually carried by runners on foot, other modes of transportation are also used. For air transportation, the flame is sheltered in a security lamp, similar to a miners lamp. At night, the flame is kept in a special cauldron(圣火盆). ⑧The highlight of the opening ceremony of the Olympics is the entrance of the Olympic flame into the stadium. The final torchbearer is always a citizen of the host country whose identity is kept secret until the last moment. ⑨The final torchbearer does a lap around the stadium before lighting the huge cauldron with the Olympic flame. Pigeons（鸽子）are then r