I remember the moment a few years ago while watching TV when I realized that if I were riding in the Tour de France, at age 42 I’d be the oldest person in the race. It hit me that my dream of racing in cycling’s biggest event was over…it was not going to happen.

It’s just that now I had an excuse…I was too old, too far past my prime years. So what happened? Is there a physiological reason people in their mid-40’s are no longer able to compete at the professional level in most sports?

In most sports, this age sweet spot falls in the mid-20’s to early 30’s. Although there have been numerous examples of Olympians competing, and sometimes winning medals, over the age of 40.

The oldest Olympic marathon winner was the 38-year-old Romanian athlete Constantina Dita Tomescu, competing at the Beijing Olympic Games. 

Dara Torres, at the age of 41 in 2008, is the oldest swimmer to compete in the history of the Olympics, missing the gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle by hundredths of a second.

 If you want to join these sports,it depends on how well your body can bring oxygen into the lungs, how well this is carried in our blood to the working muscles, and how much oxygen the muscles can use to fuel contraction.

Exercise can improve all of these, and the higher the VO2max, the more "aerobically fit" a person is. That is, they can do more endurance work for their body weight.

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1.How old is the writer?

A 41

B 42

C 43

D 44

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第1段第1句...at age 42 I’d be the oldest person in the race.可知，故选D。

2.Which sport does the writer like best?

A Cycling.

B Marathon.

C Swimming.

D Jumping.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第1段第2句It hit me that my dream of racing in cycling’s biggest event was over…it was not going to happen.可知。

3.Where does Constantina Dita Tomescu come from?

A Brazil.

B Romania.

C India.

D Ghana.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第4段第1句The oldest Olympic marathon winner was the 38-year-old Romanian athlete Constantina Dita Tomescu, competing at the Beijing Olympic Games.可知。

4.If you want to join these sports,it depends on________.

A how well your body can bring oxygen into the lungs

B how well oxygen is carried in blood to the working muscles

C how much oxygen the muscles can use to fuel contraction

D all the above

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据第6段第1句If you want to join these sports. It depends on how well your body can bring oxygen into the lungs ...可知。

5.Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage?

A People can’t take part in sports over 40.

B Dara Torres attended the 2012 Olympics Games.

C You need exercise if you want to have more oxygen in your lungs.

D In most sports, this best age falls in the early 20’s to early 30’s.

解析：选D。D 内容理解题。根据第3段第1句In most sports, this age sweet spot falls in the mid-20’s to early 30’s .可知，故选D。