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SCMP Reporter

Only 557 days to go!

A

YINGYING is the fourth MASCOT

Yingying is an antelope - a symbol of China's vastness (vahst-ness).   He is fast and agile and can  cover great stretches of land as he races across the plains. Yingying's leaping pose captures the essence of the species, which is unique to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of western China.

1. What word means 'of very large or great area'? _________________

2. Yingying is strong in _________________ and _________________ events.

3. Which Olympic ring does Yingying represent? __________________

The Tibetan antelope  was one of the first animals put under protection in China.

B

The Competitors - Australia

The Union Jack (British flag) in the top ___________ corner shows that the first colonisation (kol-oh-nihyz-a-shon) by Europeans was by ____________ . The Southern Cross (on the right half of flag) is a constellation (kon-stuh-ley-shuhn) that can be ____________ from all of Australia's states and territories. The ______________ of Federation is a seven-pointed star representing each state (six in all)  with a point for its territories.

(Use these words: seen, Star, left, Britain)

Did you know Australian started as a penal colony?

Capital: Canberra

Population: 20,264,082 (July 2006 est.)

National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January

Languages: English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)

CIA World Fact Book: https://cia.gov (go to: The World Factbook)

Flags of the World: http://flagspot.net

C

The Sports - Basketball

Basketball has been Olympic sport since 1936. It is played in four periods of 10 minutes each at the Olympic Games. Both the men's and the women's basketball tournament (toor-nuh-mihnt) is played with 12 teams that have to qualify through a continental championship a year in advance to the Olympics. The  host country and the reigning world champion get automatic entry.

A three-point line, or arc, around the hoop allows three points for baskets from beyond 6.25 metres and two points from inside that distance.

The basketball

is an inflated sphere with a strong outer covering. It is about 75cm in circumference (ser-kuhm-fer-uhns) and weighs from 600 to 650 grams. It must be made of leather in the Olympics.

The basket

is the goal and is made up of a horizontal (hawr-uh-zon-tl) and circular metal rim with a net hanging from it. It is mounted

3.05 metres above floor level.

Cross Match

1. circumference

2. horizontal

3. tournament

4. reigning champions

a. In which competitors play a series of contests

b. The measure of the distance around a circle

c. Team holding the current title

d. At right angles to the vertical; parallel to level ground

Visit the official Beijing Olympic Games (in English) website: http://en.beijing2008.cn

Answers

A. 1 vastness, 2. track and field events, 3. yellow; B. left, Britain, seen, Star; C. 1b, 2d, 3a, 4c



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Tibet

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games