3. The Olympic Flame evokes the legend of Prometheus, who had stolen fire from Zeus to give it to mortals. During the celebration of the ancient Olympic Games, in Olympia, a fire was lit and kept burning through out the whole period during competitions. This tradition was reintroduced in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Currently, the Olympic flame symbolizes the historical continuity of the games and the strong links with the city of Olympia. The Olympic flame is lit on an altar in front of the temple of Hera by a group of women. The flame is then taken by the athletes first to Athens and then to the city of the games.

4. The Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (“Swifter, higher, stonger”), was created in 1891 by the French Henry Didon. It was officially established in 1994. It says: “Life is simple, because the struggle is simple. The good fighter bucks, but never leaves. He bends, but doesn’t give up. If something impossible gets up before him, he turns away and goes further. If you are short of breath, rest and wait. If knocked out, he encourages his brothers with the word and presence. And even when everything seems to crumble before him, despair never upsets him.”

5. It is played at the opening day of the Games, following the entrance of the Olympic Flag. The Official Hymn was adopted by the International Olympic Committee in 1957. It’s based on a poem of the Greek poet Costis Palamas and was set to music by Spirous Samaras in 1896. The first time that the people sang this hymn was in the Athens Olympics in 1896. The Olympic Hymn exists only in the original language (Greek), and also, in English and French, because they are official languages of the COI.

6. The oath was written by the Coubertin Baron. The oath has to be taken by an athlete from the host country while the Olympic flag is holding. The oath of the athletes was taken for the first time in the games of 1920. “The most important thing in the Olympic Games isn’t winning but competing, as well as the most important thing in life isn’t the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing isn’t to have conquered but to have fought well.”

7. The Olympic flag has a completely white background and in its centre are five rings (blue, black and red, yellow and green, some of these colours with white background are present in the flags of all countries). These symbolize the five continents, the union of these before the Olympics. In the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, the mayor of the host city for the current games presents the flag to the mayor of the city that will be the next venue. The flag is held in this city until the next Olympic Games.

9. London, The Olympics. Reading.

10.  The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad or "London 2012 Olympic Games", are going to be celebrated in London, England, the United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948. London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005, defeating Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris after four rounds of voting. The 2012 Summer Olympic programme features 26 sports and a total of 39 disciplines. The 2012 Paralympic Games programme has 20 sports and 21 disciplines

11. How many London monuments, sports and British icons can you identify?

13.  1.- When was London elected as the host city of the Olympics?  2.- Which were the most important rivals against London in the selection?  3.- How many days are the Olympics going to last in London?  4.- True or false (justify your answer if it is false) : a) There are 39 sports in the summer Olympic programme. b) Swimming is a discipline of the aquatic sports. c) It´s the third time that London hosts the Olympic games. d) The main participants apart from London were Moscow, Madrid, New York City and Berlin.

14.  1.- London was elected as the host city on 6 July 2005.  2.- They were Moscow, Madrid, New York City and Paris.  3.- 16 days, from the 27 th July to 12 th August 2012.  4.- a) False. In the summer Olympic programme there are 26 sports. b) True. c) True. d) False. The main participants apart from London were Moscow, Madrid, New York City and Paris.

15. Fill in the blanks (use the words in the box below): Olympia is the mother of the Olympic Games. The ancient Greeks ______ chosen the most peaceful and picturesque landscape, 2 hours away ________ the present town of Pyrgos. The Olympic Games and The Amfiktionies were the most important celebrations of ____ the Greeks. In the plain of Olympia there ___ one of the most sacred places in the ancient times, the grove of Olympia, ____ was called Altis. In the enclosure of Altis _______ built temples and other majestic buildings. The ______ important of all, a really majestic building of Altis ______ the temple of Zeus. Other edifices in Altis was the sanctuary of Pelops, the temple of Hera (Heraion), the Mitroon (temple of Mother of Gods), the parliament, the altar of Zeus, the twelve Treasures (treasuries of cities that _______ built in the foot of the sacred hill, called Kronio).There ________ many more edifices and a great number of statues that decorated Olympia, but many times had been pillaged and the temples had _______ burnt by barbarous nations. been were(x3) from is had that all was most

16. Then big and destructive earthquakes and floods, of the near rivers Alfeios and Kladeos, destroyed everything !! From the excavations of 1875 were found some masterpieces that nowadays decorate Greek and many European museums. Olympia was the center of the ___________ Greece because of the Olympic Games. The games according ___ the tradition started when Pelops won the chariot races from the king of Pisa, Oinomaus. So, he took for a prize his kingdom and _____ married ____ his daughter Hippodameia. The history refers that Lycourgus of Spart started the games and Iftos from Ilida. The games _______ done every fourth year.The Spondoforoi, that were always from a noble race, were starting with their followings to visit the Greek towns just to proclaim truce, and to invite the spectators, the athletes, and the officials that represented their towns to Olympia, for the games. were got to(x2) ancient