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The Olympic Games - London

 

 

Facts :

  • London 2012: Inside track on Olympic running surface
    "When events get under way at the London 2012 Games' main stadium, most people following the drama on the track might not be aware they are also seeing a cutting-edge piece of technology..."
    (BBC)

  • London 2012: The importance of Olympic timekeeping
    "Olympic timekeepers Omega are unveiling the latest technology that will be used at the London 2012 Games.
    It can monitor athletes' performance to the nearest one thousandth of a second.
    How does it work, and how can athletes make every instant count as they go for gold?"
    (BBC)

  • Olympic hat-trick
    "1908, 1948 and 2012 - London's three Games compared.
    London is about to stage its third modern Olympics - the only city to do so - but its seeds were sown in the controversial, yet defining, 1908 Games and the austere, post-war Games of 1948. So, how do they compare?"
    (BBC)

  • London Olympics: Lord Coe's astonishing sponsors outburst - 21 July 2012
    "HEAVY-HANDED security chiefs will ban Olympic spectators for wearing the wrong brand of clothes, it emerged yesterday.
    Games boss Sebation Coe warned anyone wearing a Pepsi T-shirt is likely to be booted out because it would upset sponsors Coca-Cola..."
    (dailyrecord.co.uk)

  • London 2012 Olympics Infographic
    "Discover the facts and figures behind the London 2012 Olympics.
    Explore amazing Olympic facts with our London 2012 infographic - all the important 2012 Olympics facts and figures, including sports, Olympic venues and competitors    ."
    (timeout.com)

 

 

  • English for 2012
    "Find out about London's preparations for hosting the Olympic and Paralympics Games: the venues; the journey of the Olympic torch; the impact of the new facilities on life in London and the wider UK..."
    + HISTORY + SPORTS + VIDEO + FUN
    (learnenglish.britishcouncil.org)



 

 

  • Information :
    Nations participating = 205 (estimated)
    Athletes participating = 10,500 (estimated)
    Events = 302 in 26 sports
    (Wikipedia)

  • Alfred Tennyson poem chosen as Olympic Winning Words
    "A line from an Alfred Tennyson poem has been chosen to inspire athletes taking part in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
    "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield", from Ulysses, will be engraved as a permanent installation in the centre of the Olympic Village...
    Four other poems will also feature around the complex."
    (BBC)

 

 

 

Maps :

 

Map to attract tourists to London
"A map of London imposed on to planet Earth
will be used to promote the city
in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics."
(BBC)

 


Olympic Park Map (london2012.com)

 

Olympic Park Map (mappinglondon.co.uk)


Olympic London Venue Map
(katherinebaxter.blogspot.fr)

 
Explore the Olympic Park - interactive
(london2012.com)

 

News media :

  • BBC offers Olympics streams on TV
    "The BBC is to make 24 live HD Olympic streams available to cable and satellite providers...
    It will be the first time viewers have been given the opportunity to follow one particular sport throughout the day."
    (BBC)

 

The events :

  • London 2012: Isles of Wonder theme for Olympic ceremony
    "Europe's largest bell will ring to start a £27m Olympic opening ceremony inspired by Shakespeare and featuring NHS nurses and 900 local pupils...
    Danny Boyle's opening ceremony takes its theme from Shakespeare's The Tempest."
    ARTICLE + VIDEO
    (BBC)
  • The 2012 Summer Olympic Games "will be held in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012, followed by the 2012 Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September."
    (londonolympics2012.com)

 

The opening ceremony :

  • Olympics: the diplomats invited to the London 2012 party
    "The diplomatic guest list for Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony has been announced by Downing Street – and the line-up is perhaps more interesting for who isn't included as who is.
    There will be 35 presidents, 23 prime ministers, six princes, six governors, two queens, a chancellor, Taoiseach, grand duke, chief justice, sultan, princess and a First Lady.
    But the diplomatic guest list for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Games is perhaps more interesting for who isn't coming as who is.    "
    (telegraph.co.uk)
  • Newsy Video: Olympic Opening Games Epic, Historic, Cheeky
    "Director Danny Boyle created a mystical and mythical meadow, a history lesson rolled into a London stageshow production."  See transcript >>
    + LINKS
    (englishblog.com)

 

The closing ceremony - 12 August 2012 :

 

The results :

 

Visiting London :

 

  • London: Guide books for an Olympic city
    "London will host the Olympics and a range of guide books and histories - including one by Paddington Bear - have been timed for the 2012 Games."
    (telegraph.co.uk)

 

 

The torch :

 

  • London 2012 Olympic torch relay route revealed - with an interactive map
    "The London Olympics torch relay begins on 19 May 2012 at Land's End and ends 70 days later at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium. Explore our map to find out where the relay will stop overnight and the islands it will visit."
    (BBC)

 

The logo :

  • The London Olympics Logo (londonolympics2012.com)
    "The jagged emblem, based on the date 2012, comes in a series of shades of pink, blue, green and orange and will evolve in the run-up to the Games.
    The word London and the Olympic rings are included in the first two digits of the new logo."

 

The motto :

 

The medals :

  • Olympic medals (francetvinfo.fr)


    Close-ups of Olympic medals - 10 photos
    "Medals were first awarded as prizes for Olympians at the 1896 Games. Since then, each Olympics has had its own unique medal design, differing in size, imagery and material. Here we take a closer look at the medals from recent Olympic Games."
    (sports.yahoo.com)

  • London 2012: Olympic medals timeline
    "Medals have been presented to event winners and runners-up since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
    For each host city, different medals are minted and the designs and sizes have changed through time.
    Explore them by clicking on the medals...
    Test your medal! Match the Olympic medal to the correct games"
    (BBC)



  • Do medals mean money? A look at Olympic bonuses (sports.yahoo.com)

Jeux Olympiques 2012: Les plus grosses primes de médaille par pays ! (sportune.fr)

Gold medal will earn $600K in gold
"ANY Malaysian who wins a badminton gold medal at the London Olympics will also receive a gold bar worth more than $600,000."
(dailytelegraph.com.au)

London Olympics 2012: no cash incentives for Great Britain's medallists
"Great Britain is the only major London 2012 medal contender not to be offering any financial bonus to athletes who win gold medals at this summer’s Games."
(telegraph.co.uk)

 

  • Collecting precious medals - interactive
    "Since the 1950's, the world's super powers in terms of winning Olympic medals have been the U.S., Russia and Germany.
    Here are the top ten countries dating back to the first games in 1896..."
    (hosted.ap.org)

 

The mascots :

  • "Here are Wenlock and Mandeville, the mascots for the 2012 Olympics in London, England.
    Wenlock will represent the Olympic games and Mandeville will represent the Paralympic games."
    (dailymail.co.uk)

 

  • Meet the mascots (mascot-games.london2012.com)
    Discover new sports (+ ILLUSTRATED VOCABULARY) - Play games - Explore the gallery - Make your mascot


 

The songs :

  • Muse - Survival - "Olympic athlete montage video featuring Muse's London 2012 official song, Survival." (YouTube)
    + LYRICS
    "Race, life’s a race
    And I am gonna win
    Yes, I am gonna win..."
    (lyricspremiere.com)



    "To mark a month to go to the opening ceremony of the Games, a track by rock band Muse, called Survival, was announced as the official theme."
    Watch the clip.
    (BBC)
  • The official song : 'Proud' by Heather Small (YouTube)
    + the LYRICS     (sing365.com)
    "What have you done today to make you feel proud?
    It's never too late to try"

 

Souvenirs :

 

The sports :

  • Olympic Sports Guides (telegraph.co.uk)

  • Diving for gold
    "Competitive diving debuted at the Olympics in 1904 for men and was introduced in 1912 for women. The competition consists of four events for each."
    (hosted.ap.org)

  • The art of gymnastics
    "Artistic Gymnastics is the best known of the three disciplines and is one of the most popular events at the Olympics."
    (hosted.ap.org)

  • 2012 Summer Olympic Sports - interactive (nbcolympics.com)

 

Safety and Security :

  • London 2012 security: Covering all fronts - interactive
    "A closer look at some of the extreme security measures which will be present throughout London for the duration of the Olympic Games."
    (hosted.ap.org)

 

 

 

 

  • The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, - 4 May 2011
    "says the death of Osama Bin Laden is no reason to "lower our guard" against the threat of terrorism at next year's Olympic Games in London.
    "We have to go for a maximum security and we will continue to go for a maximum security."
    (BBC)


 

Drugs :

  • Passport to a drug free Olympics?
    "The 2012 Olympics in London will be the first summer games to use "biological passports" to try to stop drug cheats...
    Simply put, the passport is an ongoing electronic record of variables in the blood of an athlete.
    By monitoring changes in these variables, researchers can determine if a competitor is using illegal substances or practices."
    (BBC)

Eco-policy :

  • Polluted air 'puts Olympic athletes at risk' - 16 January 2012
    "Fears are growing that during the Games, beginning in July, athletes, who take in much more air than a sedentary person, will take in high levels of pollutants such as particulates, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, and could suffer pulmonary irritation, chest pain and decreased lung capacity... 
    (independent.co.uk)

 

  • Eco-policy : "The Olympic Park will incorporate 45 hectares of wildlife habitat, with a total of 525 bird boxes, and 150 bat boxes.
    Local waterways and riverbanks are to be enhanced as part of the process."
    (Wikipedia)


The venues :

 

  • Playing London's Games
    "Olympic Park will be the center of the action for many events in the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
    Once industrial land, the plot in East London has been converted into green space and is home to eight sporting venues."
    (projects.wsj.com)

 

 

  • Le village olympique
    "rassemble 2.818 appartements destinés aux 10.490 athlètes inscrits et leurs équipes, soit onze résidences dédiées aux sportifs.
    Ces installations s'étendent sur plus de 250.000m2 au total."
    (20minutes.fr)

 

 

  • Map of the Olympic Park - to download (london2012.com)



  • London 2012: Kapoor bemoans Orbit ticket price - 11 May 2012
    "Artist Anish Kapoor has admitted entrance to the Olympic Orbit tower will cost "a hell of a lot of money", at a sneak preview of the sculpture.
    The looping red tower that looms over London's Olympic Stadium was officially unveiled to the media on Friday.
    Designed by Kapoor and structural designer Cecil Balmond, the sculpture, known as ArcelorMittal Orbit, stands at the heart of the Olympic Park...
    At 114.5 metres (376ft), the Orbit is the tallest sculpture in the UK - twice the height of Nelson's Column."
    (BBC)

 

  • OLYMPIC VENUES : "New aerial photos of London 2012 Olympic Games venues." - 22 photos
    (telegraph.co.uk)



    "The Olympic Park is a 2.5-square-kilometre site in Stratford, East London.
    It is home to five new permanent venues - Olympic Stadium, aquatics centre,
    velodrome, handball arena, international broadcast/main press centre
    - and two temporary venues: basketball arena and the hockey centre.
    The Olympic Village consists of residential blocks on edge of the Olympic Park,
    providing new homes and school and medical facilities after the games."

 

The athletes :

 

 

  • Olympians face financial hardship
    "Unlike athletes in many other countries, American Olympians receive no direct support from the federal government."
    (money.cnn.com)
  • Olympics 2012: Athletes in training
    "In just over a week, the years, months, days, and minutes athletes have spent training will be put on display.
    The 10,000 competitors who will be vying for medals in 26 different sports have begun arriving in London.
    Here’s a look at many of those athletes competing for a spot in the upcoming Games, which run from July 27 to Aug. 12. -- Lloyd Young (35 photos total)"
    (boston.com)

  • 50 olympic athletes to watch
    "From Qatar to South Africa, Russia to the U.S., TIME takes you around the globe to meet the extraordinary men and women you’ll be seeing this summer at the London Games."
    (olympics.time.com)

  • Get To Know The U.S. Men's Gymnastics Team
    "A short guide to the five men America will be cheering for at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
    The men's gymnastics competition begins Saturday, July 28th. "
    (buzzfeed.com)

 

  • Olympic Portraits, Part I: American Athletes
    "I focus on athletes from around the United States. Many of the photos are from a recent media summit in Dallas, Texas, where members of the Olympic team posed for photographers before resuming their training." 
    (theatlantic.com)

 

Transport :

 

  • London 2012 Olympics debate: London will be a nightmare during the Games
    "Londoners have been told to go for a beer after work and not use the Jubilee Line if they want to avoid congestion on their commutes during the Olympics..." 
    (telegraph.co.uk)


    "Squeeze: commuters pile on to a train at Clapham Junction."

  • Transport
    "London 2012 is aiming for 100 per cent of spectators to get to the Games by public transport, or by walking or cycling...
    This work will help tens of thousands of spectators get to and from the Games each day...
    At Games time, BP – London 2012’s official Carbon Offset Partner – will help keep more than 5,000 Games Family vehicles running smoothly with advanced fuels, low-carbon bio fuels and engine oils."
    (london2012.com)

 

Art and Architecture :

 

Listening :

  • OLYMPICS - 5 resources
    - Jenny : impact of the Olympics on the British economy
    - Jenny : the Olympics and architectural changes
    - Jenny : tickets for the Olympics
    - Victoria : I’m really excited about the Olympics coming to London
    - Victoria : how some British feel about the Olympics
    (audio-lingua.eu)



Videos :

 

 

 

  • Olympians face financial hardship
    "Unlike athletes in many other countries, American Olympians receive no direct support from the federal government."
    (money.cnn.com)
  • Reuters Video: Olympic pin craze grips London
    "In line with Olympic tradition, pin enthusiasts from across the world gather at London 2012 to trade and collect pins. Tara Cleary reports."
    + TRANSCRIPT  + LINKS
    (englishblog.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • LONDON 2012 - VIDEOS
    "The official channel of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games."
    (YouTube)
  • Reuters Video: The Tourism Dilemma of London 2012 + TRANSCRIPT
    "An industry group says bookings ahead of London's 2012 Olympics are down more than 90 per cent, raising concerns about the economic benefit of hosting the Games."
    (englishblog.com)
  • London 2012 - Olympic architecture
    It is less than a year until the Olympic velodrome - with its smooth, curved elliptical lines - will be filled with the world's fastest cyclists. But before any medals have been awarded, the new building is winning its own plaudits.
    It has been shortlisted for the 2011 Stirling Prize for architecture.
    (BBC)

 

  • The official song : 'Proud' by Heather Small (YouTube)
    + the LYRICS     (sing365.com)
    "What have you done today to make you feel proud?
    It's never too late to try"

 

 

 

Photos :

  • OLYMPIC VENUES : "New aerial photos of London 2012 Olympic Games venues." - 22 photos
    (telegraph.co.uk)



    "The Olympic Park is a 2.5-square-kilometre site in Stratford, East London.
    It is home to five new permanent venues - Olympic Stadium, aquatics centre,
    velodrome, handball arena, international broadcast/main press centre
    - and two temporary venues: basketball arena and the hockey centre.
    The Olympic Village consists of residential blocks on edge of the Olympic Park,
    providing new homes and school and medical facilities after the games."



Posters :

  • London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics posters: the verdict - 7 November 2011
    "The 12 official London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic posters range from brain-teasing minimalism to euphoric squiggles,
    from invention to condescension. They may not all be winners but they put the creative spirit back at the heart of the Olympics."
    (telegraph.co.uk)

 

 

Webcams :

  • Webcams (london2012.com)
    "View the latest London 2012 webcam images taken of the Olympic Park site. They show progress taking place on the venues, recording images throughout the day and night."

 

Virtual tours :

  • London 2012: a virtual tour of the Olympic Park
    "From the showpiece of the Olympic stadium to the cutting-edge sustainable design of the Velodrome, our 3D map of the Olympic Park takes you on a tour of the architectural stars of London 2012. Click on the blue buttons across the top to begin, and other arrows for more detailed information."
    (guardian.co.uk)

 

 

Teaching resources :

 

 

Cartoons : (Si le lien est inaccessible, enregistrer l'image pour obtenir la taille initiale.)

 

 

Cartoon: Back to Reality ...
"The Olympics are over (yes, really!), and it's back to reality
for everyone in Britain after two weeks of sporting heaven.
In this cartoon from the Daily Telegraph, Christian Adams compares
everyday actions to Olympic events (see here for list)...."
+ VOCABULARY + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

 

Cartoon: What did we do before the Olympics?
"This cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun 
focuses on the post-Olympic blues,
which many people in Britain are suffering from. 
The Daily Telegraph explains..."
+ COMMENT + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Synchronized Tweeting
(bizarrocomics.com)

 

 

Michael Phelps - Cartoons
(cagle.com)

 

 

Cartoon: Domestic Olympics
"This cartoon is by Martyn Turner,
an English political cartoonist, caricaturist
and writer whose cartoons appear
daily in The Irish Times.
In the cartoon, the cartoonist associates
real Olympic events with their domestic counterparts."
+ COMMENT + TWO SIMILAR CARTOONS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Cartoon: One lump - shaken not stirred ...
"This cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express relates
to the Queen's appearance in the James Bond spoof
during the Olympics opening ceremony on Friday..."
+ COMMENT + EXPLANATION + VOCABULARY + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Olympic Uniforms - Cartoons
(cagle.com)

 

 

Cartoon: Olympic Fever
"This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent on Sunday is a comment
on the evolving attitude of the Great British Public to the Olympic Games."
+ COMMENT + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

 

Olympic Security - Cartoons
(cagle.com)

 

Cartoon: Olympic Cash
"This cartoon by Paul Thomas from The Daily Express relates to the decalaration
by UK Treasury minister David Gauke
that paying tradesmen in cash is morally wrong..." 
+ BACKGROUND + THE CARTOON + VOCABULARY  + QUESTIONS + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

Olympics 2012 - New cartoons
(cagle.com)

 

Cartoon: Army on Standby
"An extra 1,200 troops have been put on standby to protect the Olympics
as the fallout continues from the G4S fiasco.
Defence chiefs yesterday placed the servicemen and women
– some recently back from Afghanistan
– on 48 hours notice to work as guards at London 2012."
  Full story >>
+ THE CARTOON + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Cartoon: On Your Marks ...
"This cartoon by Paul Thomas 
from The Daily Express relates to news that
the army has been asked to provide
up to 3,500 extra troops to guard
the London Olympics, due to the fact that
private security firm G4S will be unable
to deliver the number of staff it promised."
Read more >>
+ NOTE + QUESTION + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Cartoon: Security Leak
"This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent on Sunday relates to news that
some 3,500 British troops are being called in to help fill the gap in security after British security group G4S bungled the contract to help protect the 2012 Olympic Games..."
+ VOCABULARY + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Cartoon: Beckham Out Of Olympics
"This cartoon by Paul Thomas 
from The Daily Express relates to news
that David Beckham has been left
out of Britain's squad
for the London Olympics..."
+ COMMENT + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

Cartoon: Olympic Wind Farm
"This cartoon by Paul Thomas from The Daily Express relates to news that
the Olympic Stadium will be transformed into the "British countryside"
for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games on 27 July.
A cast of 10,000 volunteers will help recreate country scenes,
against a backdrop featuring farmyard animals
and landmarks like Glastonbury Tor..."  Read more >>
+ EXPLANATION + GRAMMAR + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

Cartoon: Civil Servants Working From Home
"This cartoon by Paul Thomas 
from The Daily Express relates to plans to give tens of thousands of civil servants the chance
to work from home for seven weeks to help
ease congestion on London’s transport network during the Olympics."  Read more >>
+ EXPLANATION + VOCABULARY
+ LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

Cartoon: The Olympic Torch
"This cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun relates
to the Olympic torch lighting ceremony,
which took place in ancient Olympia this morning.
The torch will travel around Greece for a week before arriving in Cornwall
on Friday May 18."  Read more >>
+ COMMENT + NOTE + VOCABULARY + LINKS
(englishblog.com)

 

 

Mac Cartoon: Look on the Bright Side
"This cartoon by Mac from The Daily Mail combines two news stories:
the spiralling cost of the Olympics and
the growing number of pensioners
facing fuel poverty."
+ COMMENT + IDIOM
(englishblog.com)

 

Olympics 2012 Cartoons
and Comics
(cartoonstock.com)