Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Beijing's Preparation for the 2008 Olympics
Caption: Building materials are unloaded at the site of the Beijing 2008 Olympic National Swimming Center in 2006.
"The way ahead is so long; I see no ending, yet high and low, I will search with my will unbending." This proverb, as stated in "Looking Back on Beijing's Bid for the Olympics", describes China's drive to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games. Officially known as Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the games will begin on August 8th and run through August 24th. Since being awarded the games by the International Olympic Committee in 2001, Beijing, People's Republic of China, has built and renovated several structures, and they have been stressing to achieve three themes where the games are concerned. The themes include that the Olympics should be environmentally friendly or "green," high tech, and for the people. While there is some controversy surrounding the fact that Beijing will serve as host, the events will be fantastic. Beijing is extremely excited to have been awarded the games as they lost out on hosting the 2000 games to Sydney, Australia.
According to the "2008 Summer Olympics" article on Wikipedia.com, approximately ten thousand five hundred athletes will participate in over three hundred events during the 2008 Olympic Games. These events, will be in the following sports, with the aquatic sports listed by specific disciplines: archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, football/soccer, gymnastics, handball, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, softball, swimming, synchronized swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, and wrestling.
