赵南望作者2022考研英语基础阅读12022北京海天飞跃计划考研英语（2020年12月5日）TwotopicshavedominatedBritishconversationthissummer.Thefirstiswater,ofwhich,forawhile,therewasbothtoomuchandtoolittle.Inaconjunctionsurrealenoughtoinspiredisbelievingexchangesbetweenstrangers,thecountrywasafflictedbybothfloodsand—wouldyoucreditit?—adrought-inducedbanonhouseholdersusinghoses.Thisparadoxunitedseveralofthenation’sfavouritethemes:theabsurdcapricesofbureaucracy;asensethatBritainsomehowmanagestocockthingsupthatothercountriesdonot;andrain.TheothermainsubjecthasbeentheOlympicgames.ManyBritonsexpectedtheeventtocombinethesameelements:bunglingbureaucracy;nationalhumiliation;rain.Theexpectationgrewstrongerintheweekbeforethegamesbegan,withadebacleintheprovisionofsecuritystaffandthethreatoflongqueuestogetthroughbordercontrols.Evenafterthequirkybutwidelypraisedopeningceremony,withitscameobythequeen,thedoom-andnaysayingcontinued,augmentedbytheearlylackofsuccessforBritishathletes.TheGermanshaveSchadenfreude;Englishneedsawordthatmeans“torevelinone’sownfailure”.Thensomethingoddhappened:Britainstartedwinning.Notjustintheso-called“sitting-downsports”inwhichitoftensucceeds,andinwhich,cyclingaside,theteamtendstobetoff-heavy(surelyonlyinBritainistheclassandeducationalbackgroundofmedallistssoexhaustivelyscrutinised);normerelyinthesortofobscuredisciplinesinwhich,fortwoweekseveryfouryears,millionsarefleetinglyinterested.Britswontheheptathlonandthe10,000metres.AndyMurrayevenwonthetennis.2Anditwasn’tonlythesports.TheOlympicsworked.Draftinginthearmyafterthesecurity-staffingfiascohasreinforceditsreputationasthecountry’smostcompetentoutfit,atleastwhenitcomestodomesticmishaps.Thetransportsystemheldup.Mostofall,boththenewvenuesand,especially,theconvertedones—archeryatLord’sCricketGround;manicbeachvolleyballinHorseGuardsParade—vindicatedthedecisiontoawardthegamestoLondon.Thecityscrubbedupnicely.Weirderthingsfollowed.Evenatthebestoftimes,Britonstendtobeuncomfortablewithpatriotism,findingithardt...
