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The Olympics
Temat: Sport
Do some Exercises: Słuchaj i zapisuj Tworzenie zdań Ukryte słowa
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein. Today, we answer a question about the Olympics HOST: Our listener question this week comes from China. Mister Miao wants to know about the Olympic summer games that open next month in the Chinese capital, Beijing. Tens of thousands of international athletes, fans, heads of states and other officials will gather for the opening ceremonies August eighth. Chinese movie director Zhang Yimou designed the show. It will include a huge fireworks display, the parade of athletes and thousands of performers. The ceremony will also remember the millions of victims of the powerful earthquake in Sichuan province. One of the most exciting opening ceremony moments, however, remains a secret. Runners have transported the flame for the Olympic torch from Olympia, Greece around the world to China. But Chinese officials have not said who will use the flame to light the Olympic torch in Beijing. Which brings us to some Olympic history. The torch that marked the first Olympic games was lit more than two thousand seven hundred years ago. A fire burned in the ancient Greek city of Olympia during celebrations to honor the god Zeus. Men took part in foot races. More races and other sports were added later. Greece held these Olympic games every four years for the next one thousand years. But the ancient Romans banned them in the fourth century. The modern Olympic games began more than one hundred years ago. Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France proposed a world celebration of sports like the ancient games of Greece. The first modern Olympics were held in the Greek capital, Athens, in eighteen ninety-six. Athletes from eight countries competed in ten sports. The purpose was to help athletes develop strength and values through competition. It also provided a way for athletes of all nations to become friends. The Olympic symbol of five linked rings represents this friendship. The rings represent the linking of the major populated areas of the world-Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the two American continents, represented by one ring. The colors of the rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red. The flag of each nation competing in the games has at least one of these colors. Under the rings is the Olympic saying in Latin: "Citius, Altius, Fortius." The words mean "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." You can hear more about the upcoming Olympics on the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS on Wednesday, July twenty-third. Source: Voice of America
