The Opening Ceremony This set the scene for the Games with an amazing show featuring music, dancing, historical figures, fireworks and British humour. A huge number of volunteers practised for months to make everything perfect. The best moment was when the old lady in Buckingham Palace turned round and showed that she was neither a lookalike nor an actor but Her Majesty the Queen. The next best bit was when she jumped out of a helicopter with James Bond (although I think that actually was an actor!).
Team GB
I was very proud of our team as we kept on winning medals and finished in third position in the medal table, which is truly a great result for Great Britain. There were so many incredible sportsmen and women. The ones that stand out for me are Mo Farah, the Somalian-born Londoner who won the 10,000 and 5,000 metres with the whole stadium going crazy, Jessica Ennis, the popular super-athlete from Sheffield who won the heptathlon, and Nicola Adams who won the first female boxing medal in Olympic history for Britain.
The Olympic Stadium crowd
Although the crowd cheered on the British, there was lots of support for athletes of other nationalities too like the wonderful Usain Bolt, from Jamaica, who won the 100 and 200 metres sprint to become the fastest man alive. There was also Oscar Pistorius of South Africa who was the first disabled person to compete in the Olympics. He went on to win two gold medals and a silver in the Paralympics.
New sports
I have really enjoyed being able to watch sports which are not normally shown on television. Before the Olympics I didn’t expect to love watching judo or find myself screaming at the television during a game of wheelchair tennis, but I really got into them. I didn’t know anything about goalball before the Paralympics but it became one of my favourite sports.
The organisation and the atmosphere
It took seven years of planning and 70,000 volunteers to make everything go well. Many people have said that the organisation was not as perfect as that of the Beijing Games, but there was a much better atmosphere which spread out through the whole city. The volunteers were always friendly and helpful and Londoners even began talking to each other, and visitors, on the underground trains!
1.What did the blogger say changed about Londoners during the Olympics?
a)They volunteered. b)They watched new sports. c)They talked to each other on the trains.
2. How long did the Olympics and Paralympics last?
a)a couple of months b) two weeks c) seven years
3. What does the blogger think was the best thing during the opening ceremony?
a) the British humour b) the volunteers c) the Queen's appearance
4. How did the London Olympics compare to the Beijing Olympics, according to the blogger?
a)It was better organised, but the atmosphere wasn't as good.
b)It was very similar.
c)It was not as well organised, but there was a better atmosphere.
5. Which of these British athletes was born in a foreign country?
a)Jessica Ennis b) Mo Farah c) Nicola Adams
6. Which athlete competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics?
a)Usain Bolt b) Oscar Pistorius c) Mo Farah
7. Which sport was completely new to the blogger?
a)wheelchair tennis b) goalball c) judo
Task 2. Make up the sentences correctly
1. or/you/ would/like/What/tea/coffee/to/drink
?
2. My brother /comes/late/never
.
3. already/We /a new /laptop/bought/have
.
4. Ann and James /Will/next/be/year/students
?
5. Have/they/since/to/worked/1999
?
6. he /is/taking/my/umbrella/always/Why
?
7. your/friend /a good camera/has/got/see, /I
.
8. the weekend/Daniel /ride/Does/usually/at/a bike
1.c
2.a
3.c
4.c
5.c
6.b
7.b
1. What would you like to drink, tea or coffee?
2. My brother never comes late.
3. We have already bought a new laptop.
4. Will Ann and James be students next year?
5. Have they worked since 1999?
6. Why is he always taking my umbrella?
7. I see, your friend has got a good camera.
8. Does Daniel usually ride a bike at the weekend?