Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Unit 5 – Page 1
UNIT 5 - HOSTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES
5.1 EFFECTS OF HOSTING AND CO-HOSTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES
1.
2.
3.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is an important international event. It is particularly concerned by the Chinese
societies. A lot of information about the Games can be obtained from various sources, e.g. newspaper, TV, internet etc.
The Games will certainly bring many effects to the host and co-host cities and affect the people there. From the sources
listed in the table, find the effects of hosting and co-hosting the Olympic Games on Beijing and Hong Kong. Use them
to fill the table below.
Expand the table by looking for more effects and the people affected.
Table 1 - Effects of hosting the Olympic events on Beijing and Hong Kong
Change caused by
the Olympic Games
Beijing government
encourage citizens to
learn English and
courtesy.
Positive effect
Gainer
More people can speak
Those who are ready
simple English.
and willing to learn
They also learn more about
courtesy.
Negative effect
Not mentioned
Loser
Not mentioned
Source
亞洲電視:奧運精華遊 -
2007-06-03(01) : 00:00 06:55
http://app.hkatv.com/web
tv/control.php?program=
1000118
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Change caused by
the Olympic Games
Unit 5 – Page 2
Positive effect
Gainer
Negative effect
Loser
Source
Beijing Shougang
Group (1) reduces its
steel output by half,
(2) relocates its
The Group will reduce its All Beijing residents
emissions of sulfur dioxide,
soot and dust by 49.18
percent, 50.32 percent and
The company will
Steelwork workers
suffer an economic loss
of 2.6 billion yuan
(US$350 million) from
China Internet
Information Center :
Steel maker to reduce
output by half for
facilities from
Beijing, and (3) has
been increasing
investment in
environmental
protection.
49.22 percent respectively
in 2008, compared with that
of 2007.
production reduction.
Olympics
8,400 employees have
no work to do after
blast furnace
shut-down. They have
to retire or seek jobs
http://www.china.org.cn/
english/olympic/238218.
htm
All the pollutants are
expected to plunge by more
than 70 percent during the
Olympics.
Beijing upgrades its Waiting time will be shorter. All Beijing residents.
subway by (1)
Subway can cope better
facelifting it, and (2) with passenger flow.
Wheelchair users
having new subway
cars.
The new subway cars will
be friendly to wheelchair
users.
after occupational
training.
Not mentioned
Not mentioned
China Internet
Information Center :
Beijing Spends 4 Bln
Yuan to Upgrade Subway
for Olympics
http://www.china.org.cn/
english/news/216386.htm
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Change caused by
the Olympic Games
Beijing’s old city is
swallowed by urban
sprawl
Unit 5 – Page 3
Positive effect
Gainer
Negative effect
Loser
Some residents are happy to Residents who live in Some residents feel sad Residents who live BBC : China's middle
have better housing and
old and broken housing for their homes
in old and broken class rebels
compensation.
destroyed.
housing
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/h
Some residents who
lose their homes do not
have enough
compensation.
Hong Kong Sports
Institute (HKSI) is
converted to
competition arena and
training grounds for
show-jumping and
dressage (Equestrian
event).
Source
The long-run Hong Kong
sport may be benefited.
Athletes
The relocation is
disruptive to elite
athletes who use HKSI.
i/asia-pacific/3829935.st
m
Elite athletes
South China Morning
Post (23-4-2006):
Construction of new
equestrian venue gets
under way
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
5.2
Unit 5 – Page 4
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HOSTING /
CO-HOSTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES
1. Choose an urgent and important problem to solve
A. List five negative effects of hosting the Olympic events in the space below. For the same
or similar problems happen in both Beijing and Hong Kong, put them as one entry.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
B.
Put the above five problems in appropriate position in the diagram below. Which of the
problems are both urgent (have influence soon) and important (have big influence)? Give
reasons to support that they are urgent and important.
Non-urgent
Urgent
IV
I
III
II
Important
Unimportant
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Unit 5 – Page 5
2. Suggest and choose solutions - For any ONE urgent and important problem stated above,
suggest two solutions. (Hint: Figure out the details of your solutions with the 6 Ws). Choose
the better solution by filling the diagram below.
Problems:
Solution 1
Solution 2
What are the assumptions
behind this solution?
What are the assumptions behind
this solution?
Are the assumptions
reasonable?
Are the assumptions reasonable?
What are the advantage(s) of
What are the advantage(s) of this
this solution?
solution?
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Unit 5 – Page 6
What are the disadvantage(s)
of this solution?
What are the disadvantage(s) of
this solution?
Both solutions have their own advantage(s) and disadvantage(s). We choose
solution _______ because our major concern is




Cost (In terms of monetary, social, environmental costs etc)
Effectiveness
Reasonability
Compromise of the above factors
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Unit 5 – Page 7
Possible changes leading to
 better practicability
 better effectiveness
 lower cost
 less adverse side effects
 justice
Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section,Education Bureau