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2012 London Olympics
Facts and Figures

The Games of the XXX Olympiad

Wordchecker | Quiz

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are being held in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August. Around 10,500 athletes representing 204 nations and territories are competing in 302 events covering 26 sports at what is officially known as The Games of the XXX Olympiad.

Bid

London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympics after competing against strong bids from New York, Madrid, Paris and Moscow. London also hosted the games in 1908 and 1948, making this year’s event the third time the games have been held in London since the modern Olympics began in 1896. The motto of this year’s Olympic Games is "Inspire a Generation".

Visitors

People from all over the world are visiting London for the Olympics, and they’ll be among over 500,000 spectators expected to attend. Over 9,000,000 seating tickets have been sold, with prices ranging from around $30 for standard seats at regular events to around $3,000 for the best seats at the July 27 Opening Ceremony.

Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony begins with thousands of athletes marching into the Olympic Stadium behind their national flags. A spectacular show follows that culminates in the arrival of the Olympic Torch and the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. The lighting of this flame marks the official start of the London Olympics, and for the next 16 days the world’s top athletes will be competing with all their might for one of over 4,000 Olympic medals on offer.

Closing Ceremony

After all the events have been held, and all the medals have been awarded, the Closing Ceremony will take place on August 12. At the end of this ceremony the flame in the Olympic Cauldron will finally be extinguished, and the games will be over.

Paralympic Games

Not long after the London Olympics are over, the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will begin. The Opening Ceremony will be held on August 29 and the competition will continue for the next eleven days, until the Closing Ceremony on September 9. Around 4,200 athletes, each with some form of physical or intellectual disability, will be competing in 503 events covering 21 sports. Around 150 countries are sending athletes to compete in the London Paralympics, and over 1,000,000 seating tickets are expected to be sold.

Wordchecker
motto (noun): a short statement that expresses an aim or a belief
Our school motto is “Carpe Diem”, or “Seize the Day” in English.
spectator (noun): someone who is watching a public event, such as a sports event
After scoring, Ronaldo waved at the spectators sitting behind the goal.
spectacular (adjective): very impressive
Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display was really spectacular this year.
culminate (in) (verb): to finally end with a certain result, or in a certain way
All our training and hard work culminated in a victory at the Olympics.
cauldron (noun): a large round metal container, often used for cooking
We cooked the soup in a huge cauldron that hung over the campfire.
might (noun): power or strength
We pushed the rock with all our might, but it wouldn’t move.
extinguish (verb): to put out a fire or a flame
It took the firemen over an hour to extinguish the fire.
disability (noun): a condition that limits the use of part of the body or brain, often caused by accident or illness
Many people live normal lives despite having a disability.

Quiz

1	Athletes are going to the London Olympics in order to represent their .
2	There will be fewer than thirty played at the London Olympics 2012.
3	Before hosting the 2012 Olympics, London had already hosted the Olympics .
4	During the 2012 Olympics, around half a million people are expected to .
5	The 2012 Olympic Games will officially begin when the .
6	The 2012 London Paralympic Games will take place the Summer Olympics.