环球英语 — 96：China Prepares for the Olympics, Part 1

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Hello, I’m Marina Santee.

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And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight 1. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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A long line of cars waits in front of the red traffic light. The drivers leave their car engines on while they wait. Pollution rises up from the cars’ exhaust 2 pipes - clouds of poisonous gases released 3 into the atmosphere. It is hard to see very far through these grey clouds. But in the distance, there stands a large, strange building. Its tall metal bars cross over each other. Together, they form the shape of a bird’s home - a nest made of sticks. Builders have just completed this special building. It is the city’s new sports centre. After a few more minutes, the traffic lights change to green. The cars speed away, leaving a large thick grey fog behind them. The large “bird’s nest” building disappears behind this fog. Welcome to Beijing, the home of the next Olympic Games.

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The games begin in August 2008. China’s capital city is excited about them. The people of Beijing want to show their city to the world. And the whole world will be watching the Olympic Games. But before this, there are still some serious issues 5 for the city to deal with. And one of the main problems is pollution. There are three million cars in Beijing. And there is a large amount of traffic on the roads each day. This is seriously reducing the quality of air in the city. How will the world’s top sportsmen 6 and women be able to perform in such difficult conditions?

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The local government in Beijing is trying to reduce the amount of air pollution. It is holding a number of traffic test events. One test involves preventing people from driving their cars. One million drivers will not use their cars in the city for two weeks. The authorities 7 want to see how this will improve the air quality. They hope the air will be less polluted 8. Then they can ban the cars from the city again during the Olympic Games.

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The central Chinese government has also spent a lot of money cleaning Beijing. They have paid high-polluting industries to move their factories outside the city. So now, large factories are releasing 9 their dirty gases into the air around Beijing - not in the city centre. But can these actions really make a difference? Jacques Rogge is the chief of the International Olympic Organization. He believes that China will deal with the problem of pollution - just like other Olympic cities have in the past. He said:

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“This is not the first time that the Olympic Games have faced the issue 4 of bad air quality. Remember the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Seoul and Atlanta. The organizers 11 dealt with the issue of air quality successfully 12 there.”

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And about China, he said:

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“We know that the organisers and the government are concerned about this problem. And they are working hard to create the right conditions for good air quality at their Olympic Games.”

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However, Jacques Rogge did express concern about some of the sporting events. He is especially worried about events that last for a long time. In such events, sports people will breathe in a lot of polluted air. He said:

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“Sports that take a long time - cycle races, for example, are a concern. We may have to delay 13 these events. The races should only take place when the air is cleaner.”

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Wang Junyan is the chief organizer 10 of the bicycle events for the Beijing Olympics. She does not think it is possible to cancel the races now. And she takes a different meaning from the Olympic chief’s words. She says:

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“Jacques Rogge’s words are telling the people of China an important message. We have to work harder to improve our environmental 14 problems.”

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Poor air quality may be the most serious issue that the Olympic organizers face. But it is not the only one! They want to present a positive image of China and its people to the world. However, the organizers fear that some people’s behaviour will ruin this image. Zhang Faquiang is a member of the Chinese Olympic Committee 15. He explains more:

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“The Olympic Games is not just a matter of sport. It is also a matter of raising the quality of the people. We want an Olympic Games where people know how to behave correctly. So we will continue to do important work on this.”

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But what is this “important work”? Well, it includes encouraging people to consider how they behave in public. There will be thousands of people at the Games. People will have to do a lot of waiting. And one practice the authorities are encouraging is queuing 16. The authorities are asking people to wait in line, to queue 17, for service in a store. They believe that this is better than pushing to try and be first.

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Local authorities are also working against another kind of common behaviour - spitting 19. Wanting to clear extra liquid from our mouths is a natural act. And people in many countries spit 18 directly 20 onto the street. But for the Beijing authorities, this makes the streets look very unpleasant 21. So, officials have given out “spit bags” to the public. People can then spit into these bags instead of onto the street. This will leave the city looking cleaner.

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Information posters on the walls of the city encourage people of Beijing with these words: “Take part and enjoy yourself. Welcome the Olympic Games by behaving better.” The authorities believe that changes in people’s behaviour now will create a better atmosphere in the city. And the people of Beijing seem to agree. They are proud of their city. They want to make sure that visitors will have a very enjoyable experience. And they will do their very best to make sure that Beijing is ready for August 2008.

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The Olympics are really about sport at the highest level. In a later Spotlight programme, we will tell of some Chinese sports men and women. And we will look at how they are aiming to prove that China is the top sporting country in the world.