YDS READING PASSAGES / TEST 5 28. Soru

-10. THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

At the Congress of Paris in 1894, the control and development of the modern Olympic Games was entrusted to the International Olympic Committee — IOC — with headquarters to be established in Switzerland. Today the committee is responsible for maintaining the regular celebration of the Olympic Games; seeing that the Games arc carried out in the spirit that inspired their revival; and promoting the development of amateur sport throughout the world. The original committee in 1894 consisted of 14 members and Couberlin, the leader of the movement aiming to restart the Olympic Games of ancient Greece, and membership since then has been self-perpetuating. Convinced that the downfall of the ancient Olympic Games had been caused by outside influences that undermined the spirit of the Games, Coubertin felt that the revived Games would go the same way unless they were in the hands of people whose concern was to keep the spirit of amateur sport alive arid who were responsible in no way to any outside influences. Thus IOC members are regarded as ambassadors from the IOC to their national sports organisations. They are in no sense delegates to the committee and may not accept from the government of their country, or from any organisation or individual, any instructions that in any way affect their independence. The IOC is a permanent organisation that elects its own members. Each member — the present membership is about 70 — must speak French or English and be a citizen of or reside in a country that has a National Olympic Committee. With a very few exceptions, there is only one member from any one country. Members were originally elected for life, but anyone elected after 1965 must retire at 75.

According to the passage, the International Olympic Committee ------ .