(III)   A marathon is a popular long distance road race, which requires a lot of effort to complete. Marathon runners cover avery long distance-26 miles and 385 yards-more than 42 kilometres! The word marathon has its roots in ancient history, as itgets its name from a coastal town in Greece.   On the 12th September, 490 BC, an important battle took place at Marathon between the Athenian Army and Persianinvaders. The invading army were defeated, and an Athenian general sent a Greek runner to Athens to announce the news ofthe victory.   The town was about forty kilometers away from Athens. The man ran to Athens as fast as his legs could carry him. Hepassed on the message, before collapsing with exhaustion and dropping to the ground, dead.   A men's marathon of around forty kilometers was included in the first modern Olympic Games, which was held in1896 in Athens, Greece, although a women's marathon event was not officially included in the program until the Los AngelesOlympics in 1984.   The marathon continues to be a very popular sport and over five hundred marathons take place every year, worldwide.Half-marathons of around twenty-two kilometers are also very popular, as are mini-marathons (sometimes known as “funruns") which typically cover a much shorter distance.
【題組】14. The words marathon gets its name from_______ .
(A) a place
(B) a famous person
(C) an ancient festival
(D) a modern city