Massive changes in all of the world’s deeply cherished sporting habits are underway. Whether it’s one of London’s parks full of people playing softball, and Russians taking up rugby, or the Superbowl rivaling the British Football Cup Final as a televised spectator event in Britain, the patterns of players and spectators are changing beyond recognition. We are witnessing a globalization of our sporting culture.
That annual bicycle race, the Tour de France, much loved by the French is a good case in point. Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair with France, Belgium and Holland, Spain and Italy taking part. But in recent years it has been dominated by Colombian mountain climbers, and American and Irish riders. The people who really matter welcome the shift toward globalization. Peugeot, Michelin and Panasonic are multi-national corporations that want worldwide returns for the millions they invest in teams. So it does them literally a world of good to see this unofficial world championship become just that.
This is undoubtedly an economic-based revolution we are witnessing here, one made possible by communications technology, but made to happen because of marketing considerations. Sell the game and you can sell Coca Cola or Budweiser as well.
The skilful way in which American football has been sold to Europe is a good example of how all sports will develop. The aim of course is not really to spread the sport for its own sake, but to increase the number of people interested in the major money-making events. The economics of the Superbowl are already astronomical. With seats at US $125, gate receipts alone were a staggering $10,000,000. The most important statistic of the day, however, was the $100,000,000 in TV advertising fees. Imagine how much that becomes when the eyes of the world are watching.
So it came as a terrible shock, but not really as a surprise, to learn that some people are now suggesting that soccer change from being a game of two 45-minute halves, to one of four 25-minute quarters. The idea is unashamedly to capture more advertising revenue, without giving any thought for the integrity of a sport which relies for its essence on the flowing nature of the action.
Moreover, as sports expand into world markets, and as our choice of sports as consumers also grows, so we will demand to see them played at a higher and higher level. In boxing we have already seen numerous, dubious world title categories because people will not pay to see anything less than a "World Title" fight, and this means that the title fights have to be held in different countries around the world!
Which of the following is NOT related to the massive changes（）
A. Good economic returns
B. Revival of traditional games
C. Communications technology
D. Marketing strategies
参考答案：B
解析：
[A]意为：好的经济效益。第二段提到，那些重要人物(people who really matter)对这一全球化趋势持欢迎态度。Peugeot(汽车制造商)，Michelin(轮胎制造商)和Panasonic(电器制造商)都是跨国公司，它们都在赛队身上投资百万，想在世界范围内增加自己的收益。它们知道，这种非官方的世界锦标赛成为这样(指全球化)实际上对它们好处无穷(a world of good)。[C]意为：通信技术。第三段提到，我们所看到的无疑是一场以经济为基础的革命，是通信技术的发展使这场革命成为可能，但是这场革命的发生却有其市场推广方面的考虑([D]表达的内容)。推广某种体育比赛就等于促销可口可乐或百威啤酒。
可见，[A]、[C]、[D]表达的内容文章都提到了。