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  3. Chess has changed a lot over the past two decades. The rise of the professional chess circuit has seen the competitive aspect of

Chess has changed a lot over the past two decades. The rise of the professional chess circuit has seen the competitive aspect of

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问题
    Chess has changed a lot over the past two decades. The rise of the professional chess circuit has seen the competitive aspect of the game overtake the scientific and artistic. The sole aim of the modem master is to win.
    In international chess, a player’s nerves and stamina are as crucial as his intellect and wisdom. The pressure of the game has always been intense: a chess clock is use to ensure that each player completes the stipulated number of moves in the allotted time—-failure to do so results in immediate loss of the game. But now the playing sessions themselves are becoming longer , and many games are played without a break. The increased pressure has swung the pendulum in youth’s favour. Over the past 30 years, each new world champion has been younger than his predecessor. It is significant that, of the world’s ten highest-ranked players, eight are under 30.
    Much of modern chess is played off the board. Every professional must now take seriously his pre-match preparation, not least because the age of computer databases has had a profound impact on chess. A small portable computer can hold one million chess games, and give instant access to hundreds of games of a prospective opponent.
    In one recent contest, each of the protagonists employed large teams of assistants to work round the clock searching for flaws in the other’s repertoire. The opening stages of a chess game are now analyzed to near exhaustion. Simply being better prepared in a chess opening can be the deciding factor in the game.
    The chess world today boasts more first-rate players than at any stages in its history. Hundreds of grandmasters chase modest prize money the world over. Success demands physical as well as mental exertion. A single game may last up to eight hours. A lapse in concentration can mean disaster. So the adversaries are always in a state of nervous tension.
    The presence of the chess clock adds to the tension. The climax of the game is often a furious "time scramble". When this occurs, each player has only seconds to make several moves or face instant forfeiture. With minds racing and hands twitching, the masters blitz out their moves and press their clocks with a co-ordination that any athlete would admire. Such moments are not for reflective intellectuals. The game descends into a primeval struggle in which nerves, tenacity and an overwhelming will to win separate victor from vanquished.
    At the top level of chess, the pain of losing is unbearable. Winning brings a chance to recover from exhaustion. But one victory is not enough to win a tournament, the chess master must be ready for the struggle the next day. Most chess competitions last for 9-11 days, with play on every day, and there is an all-year-round tournament circuit. World championship matches are more exacting.
Question 56 to 60
Complete the following sentences with information given in the passage, using a maximum of 3 words for each sentence.
Nowadays, the professional chess circuit puts more emphasis on its______rather than its scientific and artistic qualities.
选项
答案competitive aspect／competitive quality
解析 (文章开头便指出国际象棋在过去二十年发生了很大的变化，提到professional chess cir-cuit的兴起见证了该比赛的competitive aspect已超过了the scientific and artistic。即国际象棋比赛更加注重竞争方面，而非其科学和艺术价值。)
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本试题收录于： A类竞赛（研究生）题库大学生英语竞赛（NECCS）分类
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大学生英语竞赛（NECCS）

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