Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. shortlist (v.) [shawrt-list] – to select a few candidates for a job, award, etc., from all those who applied and from where someone will finally be chosen
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. shortlist (v.) [shawrt-list] – to select a few candidates for a job, award, etc., from all those who applied and from where someone will finally be chosen
Example: The International
Olympic Committee shortlisted five
out of nine cities that applied to host the 2012 Olympics.
2. win over (phrasal
v.) [win oh-ver] – to get someone’s support or approval
Example: She won over the contest judges by giving a
highly creative performance.
3. consecutive (adj.) [kuhn-sek-yuh-tiv] –following after something without a stop or pause in between
Example: Wrestler Saori Yoshida
won two consecutive Olympic gold
medals in 2004 and 2008.
4. troubled (adj.) [truhb-uhl] – full of problems
Example: Greece, Italy and
Spain are currently seen as troubled
economies by analysts.
5. bid (n.) [bid] – an effort to win, get, or do something
Example: London
won its bid to host the 2012
Olympics.
Article
Read the text below.
Istanbul, Tokyo and
Madrid have been shortlisted by
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Each
city has until September 2013 to win
over the IOC and get selected as the 2020 host city.
The three cities
became the finalists after Doha, Qatar and Baku, Azerbaijan were both removed
from the IOC’s possible choices.
Doha wanted to host
the Olympics in October when the weather in the city would be cooler.
However, according to the IOC, the suggested schedule would mean the Olympics
would receive fewer television viewers, as other sports events would also be
happening during that time.
As for Baku, the
city was removed because it does not have experience in hosting any other major
international sports event.
Tokyo, Japan is the
only finalist to have hosted the Olympics before, back in 1964. Prime minister
Yoshihiko Noda said holding the 2020 Games in Tokyo would signify the
country’s recovery from the 2011 natural disasters. Pyeongchang, South Korea,
however, is already hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics, and the IOC may not
want two consecutive Olympics in
Asia.
On the other hand, this is Spain’s
third bid to host the Summer
Olympics, but the IOC is uncertain about this as the country’s economy is currently troubled.
Istanbul, Turkey,
on the other hand, is making its fifth bid. However, Istanbul is also trying
to host the 2020 European football championship. Most likely, the IOC would not
allow the city to host two major international sports events in the same
year.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
What do you think are the reasons cities are
competing to host the Olympic Games?
·
How would you feel if Tokyo won the bid to host
the 2020 Olympics? Why would you feel this way?
Discussion B
·
What are the possible advantages and disadvantages
of having a big international event where you live?
·
Do you think governments should spend a lot of
money in hosting international events? Why or why not?