共用题干 Going Back to Its Birthplace

No sporting event takes hold of the world"s attention and imagination like the Olympic
Games.The football World Cup fascinates fans in Europe and South America;baseball"s
World Series is required viewing in North America;and the World Table Tennis
Championships attracts the most interest in Asia.
But the Olympics belong to the whole world.Now,after travelling to 17 countries over
108 years,the summer Games are returning to Athens,the place where the first modern
Olympics was held.
Participation in the Games is looked on not only as an achievement,but also as an
honour. The 1 6 days between August 1 3 and 29 will see a record 202 countries compete,
up from Sydney"s 199.Afghanistan is back,having been banned from Sydney because the
Taliban government didn"t let women do sports.There is also a place for newcomers East
Timor and Kiribati.
A total of 10,500 athletes will compete in 28 sports,watched by 5.3 million ticket-
paying viewers as well as a television audience of 4 billion.
Athens is to use its rich history and culture to make the Olympics as special as
possible.The Games will open with cycling events which start in front of the Parthenon and
Acropolis monuments.The final event will be a historic men"s marathon following the original
route run by Phidippides in 490 BC to bring news of victory over the Persians.
The ancient stadium at Olympia,first used for the Games nearly three centuries ago,
will stage the shot put competitions.And the Panathenian Stadium,where the first modern
Olympics was held,is to host the archery（射箭）events.
If the well-known ancient sites deliver a great sense of history to the Games,the 39
new venues add a modern touch to the city of Athens.The main Olympic stadium,with a
giant glass and steel roof, is the landmark（标志）building of the Olympics.
"We believe that we will organize a"magical"Games,"said Athens 2004 President
Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki. "Our history with the Olympic Games goes back nearly
3,000 years,and Athens 2004 could be the best ever." The World Table Tennis Championships attracts the most interest in Asian countries.