1) What type of animal pollinates some plants that grow ice-cream ingredients?

          a) honeybee
          b) humming bird
          c) deer


2) Newspaper House was how many feet tall?

          a) two
          b) 12
          c) 16
 


3) In which state is the Willow School located?

          a) New York
          b) New Jersey

          c) Oregon

 

4)  About how many schools has the U.S. Green Building Council approved as green schools?

         a) 85
         b) 320
         c) 650

5)  What is another word for benefit?

         a) fake
         b) destroy
         c) help

ANSWERS:
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. C

Welcome to GeoTrek
This is the third of three special GeoTrek issues this year. Each issue examines a region or country with respect to physical geography, culture, and news. Please e-mail the editors at wrnews@weeklyreader.com to let us know how you used the GeoTrek issues in your classroom.

Before You Read
Help students find China on a map. Ask: What do you know about China? What do you think Beijing, China’s capital, is like? How might the Olympics in China be unique?

Vocabulary
manufacturer: creator of products such as cell phones or toys
modern: new
native: to have always lived in that part of the world

province: an area

Background
• Why was China poor in the past? Communists took control of China in 1949. The government seized all property and ran all farms and factories. By 1976, China was one of the world’s poorest countries. In 1978, a new leader, Deng Xiaoping, shifted the country to a more market-driven economy, in which individuals could start their own companies.
• How are Chinese citizens participating in the Olympics? More than 70,000 citizens from throughout the country will help as volunteers. Some will act as tour guides. Others will work as security guards.

• How many athletes will take part in the Summer Olympics? About 10,700 athletes from nations around the world will compete, including about 600 U.S. athletes. There will be competitions in
28 sports, with 302 total events.
• What are the Olympic mascots? The Chinese mascots represent the colors of the Olympic rings. One of the symbols is a flame. The others represent popular Chinese animals: a fish, a panda, a Tibetan antelope, and a swallow. The mascots’ names, when combined, are Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni, which means “welcome to Beijing” in Mandarin.

Think Critically
Why might a nation want to host the Olympics, even though doing so requires a lot of money and work?

Extend the Lesson/Teaching Activities
• Have students research a landmark featured on page 4 of the GeoTrek issue. Each student should create a travel brochure for his or her site, persuading people to visit.

• Ask students to imagine that your city or state is competing to host a future Olympics. As a class, come up with a list of reasons why your area would be a good spot.