A History of the Olympics

According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history.
The ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences.
Approximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival. Coubertin is now known as le Rénovateur. Coubertin was a French aristocrat born on January 1, 1863. He was only seven years old when France was overrun by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Some believe that Coubertin attributed the defeat of France not to its military skills but rather to the French soldiers' lack of vigor.* After examining the education of the German, British, and American children, Coubertin decided that it was exercise, more specifically sports, that made a well-rounded and vigorous person.
Coubertin's attempt to get France interested in sports was not met with enthusiasm. Still, Coubertin persisted. In 1890, he organized and founded a sports organization, Union des Sociétés Francaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA). Two years later, Coubertin first pitched his idea to revive the Olympic Games. At a meeting of the Union des Sports Athlétiques in Paris on November 25, 1892, Coubertin stated,
Let us export our oarsmen, our runners, our fencers into other lands. That is the true Free Trade of the future; and the day it is introduced into Europe the cause of Peace will have received a new and strong ally. It inspires me to touch upon another step I now propose and in it I shall ask that the help you have given me hitherto you will extend again, so that together we may attempt to realise [sic], upon a basis suitable to the conditions of our modern life, the splendid and beneficent task of reviving the Olympic Games.**
His speech did not inspire action. Though Coubertin was not the first to propose the revival of the Olympic Games, he was certainly the most well-connected and persistent of those to do so. Two years later, Coubertin organized a meeting with 79 delegates who represented nine countries. He gathered these delegates in an auditorium that was decorated by neoclassical murals and similar additional points of ambiance. At this meeting, Coubertin eloquently spoke of the revival of the Olympic Games. This time, Coubertin aroused interest.
The delegates at the conference voted unanimously for the Olympic Games. The delegates also decided to have Coubertin construct an international committee to organize the Games. This committee became the International Olympic Committee (IOC; Comité Internationale Olympique) and Demetrious Vikelas from Greece was selected to be its first president. Athens was chosen for the revival of the Olympic Games and the planning was begun.

Sacred flame hits the beach

QIONGHAI, Hainan, May 5) -- After short visits to special cities in Hainan Province, the Olympic torch relay is scheduled to tour the capital, Haikou, on Tuesday, May 6, reported Hainan Evening News.
On Monday morning, the city of Wuzhishan celebrated the torch relay along its short 1.2 kilometer route. Only 6 torchbearers had the honor of carrying the flame here, representing the shortest relay along the flame's entire international and domestic journey.
Nevertheless, the sacred flame was celebrated with intense fervor, and involved perhaps the most uniquely cultural ceremonies, with representatives of ethnic minorities showcasing distinct traditions.
Soon after the conclusion of the relay in Wuzhishan, the sacred flame left for the coastal city of Wanning. Before arriving in the city proper, the sacred flame made a short tour of the holiday district of Xinlong and took a break at breathtakingly beautiful Shimei Bay. The entire 16.63 kilometer long Wanning leg of the relay finished after 180 minutes, with the help of 113 torchbearers.
With hardly enough time to breathe, the escort team hurried the flame off to its next stop, the Qionghai region, where the sacred flame first took off from the meeting site of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia. At 4:40 p.m., the flame began its tour of the city of Qionghai itself. This section of the route took a total of 13.51 kilometers, 120 minutes, and the efforts of 89 torchbearers.
Around 10 p.m., the lantern holding the sacred flame is scheduled to arrive in Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province. Bright and early on Tuesday morning, at 8:00, the sacred flame will begin its 30.2 kilometer route through the city.

Good Health

There is nothing complicated about eating a proper diet. For good health, eat a variety of foods. Do not eat the same foods day after day! Foods should be selected everyday from each of 'basic four.' They are the four groups of food essential to proper nutrition: the milk group, meat group, vegetable-fruit group, and bread-cereal group, Your body will then be supplied with all the nutrients it requires; they are water, minerals, carbohydrate, fats and oils, proteins, and vitamins. A person's diet is determined by his attitudes, likes and dislikes. If you eat foods from each of the basic four groups each day, you will have a balanced diet.

Home ~~~A Joy Forever

Home means a lot to me. “Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home.” I appreciate the warmth of my home, and regard it as one of the brightest and dearest spots on earth. It is the place where I can take refuge whenever I meet with difficulties, failures and even frustrations in my daily life. At home, my dear parents and brothers and sisters will comfort me and cheer me up. And with their concern and encouragement, I will regain my self-confidence and muster up all my strength and courage to face the stern realities of life. To me, home is forever a joy where I can always find love, understanding, care and help.

Advertisements

Advertisements can be seen everywhere in modern society. They appear on the TV screen. They occupy a conspicuous place in newspapers and magazines. They are displayed or painted on walls and even on buses. Indeed, it is difficult nowadays to find a public place without advertisements.
It is true that in economic activities advertisements play an important role. They tell people about new products and help promote sales. Unfortunately some of the advertisements are not true. They cheat consumers one way or another. So, admitting that advertisements can help us, we should also beware of them from time to time.