A
Hundreds of spectators cheered them on at the North American Wife Carrying Championship. The annual event, now in its 15th year, was held at the base of a grassy ski mountain at the Sunday River resort in Maine.
“The people in Finland put together this event because they felt there should be at least one news story in the year that makes people laugh，” said competitor John Lund, who spent four years in Finland, the birthplace of wifecarrying as a modern sport.
The competition began there in the 1990s and was inspired loosely by the legend of a 19thcentury outlaw who tested the mettle (耐力) of his gang of robbers by having them run an obstacle course with a woman on their backs.
The sport has since gained enthusiasts around the world. The event on Saturday in Maine was one of several official qualifying competitions for international championships in Finland, with the others held in Australia, Sweden and Estonia.
Nearly every team employed the “Estonian carry”， in which the woman hangs the head down with her legs hooked around the man's neck and her arms around his waist, which frees his hands. Despite the competition's name, the couple does not need to be married.
The winners on Saturday were Jesse Wall, a gym owner, and his friend Christina Arsenault. Under the rules of the game, they won Arsenault's weight in beer and five times the numerical value of her weight in cash. Asked what he planned to do with the 10 cases of beer, Wall looked around and said, “Share them with everyone here.”
[语篇解读] 本文是一篇新闻报道。在第十五届“背老婆锦标赛”中，获胜者是健身房老板Jesse Wall和他的朋友Christina Arsenault，他们赢得了与Arsenault体重相当的啤酒和相当于她体重数字五倍的现金。
1．What does the writer want to tell us?
A．The wifecarrying sport was originally held in Australia.
B．The annual event in Maine has been around for 15 years.
C．People had to use the “Estonian carry” in the championship.
D．People had to get married to take part in the championship.
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段第二句“The annual event, now in its 15th year, was held at the base of a grassy ski mountain at the Sunday River resort in Maine.”可知，在缅因州星期日河度假胜地的一座长满草的滑雪山脚下举办的是第十五届比赛。据此可知，这项活动已经举办了15年，故B项正确。
答案：B
2．Why did the Finnish invent the event?
A．To make an amusing news story.
B．To attract more travelers to Finland.
C．To test people's courage and patience.
D．To make people join in outdoor activities.
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段第一句中的“‘The people in Finland put together this event because they felt there should be at least one news story in the year that makes people laugh，’ said competitor...”可知，芬兰人组建这次活动是因为他们觉得一年中至少应该有一个让人发笑的新闻故事，故A项正确。
答案：A
3．Which of the following countries is the official qualifying competition not held in?
A．Finland. B．Australia.
C．Sweden. D．Spain.
解析：细节理解题。根据第四段第二句“The event on Saturday in Maine was one of several official qualifying competitions for international championships in Finland, with the others held in Australia, Sweden and Estonia.”可知，这项有官方举办资格的锦标赛除了在芬兰举行，其他地方还有澳大利亚、瑞典和爱沙尼亚，故选D项。
答案：D
