VIDEO LISTENING
London 2012: What next for the Olympic Park?

The marathon task of dismantling several sporting venues at the Olympic Park in London is about to begin.

The park is the size of over 350 football pitches with 200,000 temporary seats in it.


BEFORE YOU WATCH

Match the words below to their definitions to help you understand the video

apprentice / cauldron / extinguished / festival / harness / imperceptibly / legacy /

navigating / promenade / punctuation / radically / transformation / volunteer

a. organized set of special events
b. something, usually of value, that is handed down to the future
c. large pot, usually made of metal
d. put out a fire or turned off a light
e. describes an action that isn’t noticed or felt because it is very small or slow
f. paths made for walking
g. complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone
h. planning and then following a route
i. describes an action that is extreme or completely different
j. control something in order to use its power
k. marks, such as full stops, commas, and brackets, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements, and to clarify meaning
l. someone who has agreed to work for a skilled person, often for low pay, in order to learn that person's skills
m. person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it



Same or different?

1. altogether

a) the same as simultaneously
b) the same as partially
c) the same as completely

2. acquire

a) the same as gain
b) the same as forfeit
c) the same as acquiesce

3. dismantled

a) the same as raised
b) the same as disassembled
c) the same as subverted

4. eventually

a) the same as henceforth
b) the same as subsequently
c) the same as ultimately

AFTER YOU WATCH

True or false?

1. Over four million people have already visited the Olympic Park.
2. Some of the venues will change substantially once the Olympics is over.
3. This weekend is not expected to be as busy as previous ones.
4. The aquatic arena will remain unchanged.
5. The main stadium will be sold after the Olympics has finished.
6. The riverbank arenas are only temporary structures.
7. The basketball arena can’t be reused.
8. David Stubbs says that the Olympic Park will serve no useful purpose in future.
9. The transformation of the park will be completed by next summer.
10. Some volunteers will be unemployed after the Olympics is over.

What's the missing word?

1. Slowly, imperceptibly as far as the crowds are_________________, the curtain is coming down.
2. Around the packed promenades, a transformation_________________.
3. It will remain a key__________________for athletics.
4. Many of his____________________will find it hard to return to life outside the Games.








KEY

1. festival: organized set of special events
2. legacy: something, usually of value, that is handed down to the future
3. cauldron: large pot, usually made of metal
4. extinguished: put out a fire or turned off a light
5. imperceptibly: describes an action that isn’t noticed or felt because it is very small or slow
6. promenades: paths made for walking
7. transformation: complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone
8. navigating: planning and then following a route
9. radically: describes an action that is extreme or completely different
10. harness: control something in order to use its power
11. punctuation: marks, such as full stops, commas, and brackets, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements, and to clarify meaning
12. apprentice: someone who has agreed to work for a skilled person, often for low pay, in order to learn that person's skills
13. volunteer: person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it

Same or different?
completely
gain
disassembled
ultimately

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
6. True
7. False
8. False
9. False
10. True

What's the missing word?

1. concerned
2. awaits
3. venue
4. colleagues