地球上最盛大的“表演”

Before you read

Here are some numbers from the text.What do you think they refer to?

A.3.6 billion B.100 and 200 C.18 D.2008

E.65 F.9 billion

Now look at the text quickly to see if your ideas are correct.

Over half the world's population watched the 2012 London Olympic Games on television—3.6 billion people.And many went to the capital itself to watch in the flesh:the record for the largest number of people using the tube(the London underground rail system)per day was broken in the firstweek ofthe Olympic Games—4.4 million passengers in one day.

Just like the previous Games in Beijing in 2008,where the bar was set very high indeed,theLondon Gamesweretrulyglobal.The records did not stop at the logistics,either.Human sporting performances also set new standards.Thirty-two world records were broken and reset during the Games,including the number of individual gold medals won by any Olympian:swimmer Michael Phelps finished the Games with 18 gold medals to his name.The fastest man in history was at it again,too.The incredible Usain Bolt won the 100m and 200m sprint gold medals,just like he did when he stunned the world in Beijing four years earlier,becoming the first man ever to defend those titles.

Any two countrieswatching the same Games will experience those Games differently.British athletes did very well at home.With 65 medals,29 of them gold,the UK finished third in the overall medal table,behind the United States and China.It was Britain's most successful Games for over 100 years.By winning two gold medals in London,track cyclist Chris Hoy emerged as Great Britain's most successful athlete in Olympic history with a total of seven medals,including six golds.Heather Stanning and Helen Glover took the first Great Britain golds in women's rowing history,and Mo Farah did the distance double,winning gold in both the men's 5,000m and 10,000m track.The list went on.

By contrast,however,Australia was less successful than usual,finishing tenth in the medals.Traditionally,there has always been a friendly rivalry between the UK and Australia in sport.International news headlines were made when John Coates,the head of the Australian Olympic Committee,was asked what he thought of the British swimmer Rebecca Adlington winning gold in Beijing.He replied,“It's not bad for a country that has no swimming pools and very little soap.”

Perhaps just as memorable as the sport at London 2012 was the “art”.UK film director Danny Boyle,of Slumdog Millionaire fame,directed a stunning opening ceremony rich with British history and culture in a global context.And who can forget the Queen “jumping” out of a helicopter with James Bond?

But was it all worth it?The cost of the games was almost￡9 billion,massively over the original budget.Many people in the UK argued that people who live in London should pay a lot of the bills,since a high percentage of the money was spent on improving London transport and venues.Why should someone in Scotland,for example,pay extra tax to improve the lives of Londoners?At the same time,Londoners said they shouldn't have to pay for the Olympics,since any profit from the Games would be shared by the whole country,as they're all British taxpayers.

Opinion about the legacy of the Games still varies depending on who you ask.As people's economic fortunes vary,it might well look like an extravagant luxury,spending so much on a sporting event...But what an event it was!

Activity 1:Sporting idioms

In the article we can see the phrase,“the bar was set very high”.This idiom comes from the sporting event called the high jump.It means China set a high standard for a modern Olympic Games.What sports do you think the idioms below are taken from?

A.entering the home stretch

B.infighting

C.a game of two halves

D.falling at the first hurdle

Activity 2:Comparatives and superlatives

Complete the following sentences that describe some of the records mentioned in the article.

1.London 2012 was the UK's_________successful Games for over a century.

2.The _________number of passengers that the London underground system has carried in a single day is 4.4 million.

3.Michael Phelps won _________gold medals in a single Games than any other athlete.

4.Usain Bolt is the _________man ever to run the 100 and 200 metres.

Fun corner

A person from London is called a Londoner.But where in the UK do you think these people are from?

1.a Geordie 2.a Brummie

3.a Scouser 4.a Mancunian

5.a Cornish person 6.a Cockney

7.a Manx person

Today's expression

“The ball is in your court”,which originates from tennis,is an idiomatic expression meaning that it is your responsibility or decision to do something.