English Learning: Paris 2024 Olympics Legacy
Dialogue
Alice: Hey Bob, have you been following all the buzz about the Paris Olympics?
Bob: Alice! Of course! My social media feed is basically 90% croissant emojis and 10% athletic prowess.
Alice: Right? But beyond the fancy opening ceremony and the medals, I’m actually curious about the ‘legacy’ stuff.
Bob: Legacy? You mean like, are we all suddenly going to start wearing berets and saying ‘Ooh la la’ after it’s over?
Alice: Haha, not quite. More like the environmental improvements, new infrastructure, social benefits, that sort of thing.
Bob: Ah, the serious stuff. Well, I did read something about the Seine. They’re supposedly making it swimmable again, aren’t they?
Alice: Exactly! Imagine, swimming in the Seine! That feels like something straight out of a really old movie, or a very brave tourist’s bucket list.
Bob: And they’re actually going to use it for Olympic events, right? Triathlon and open water swimming. Talk about a glow-up for a river!
Alice: Totally! It’s supposed to be much cleaner. They’ve invested a *lot* in purification systems. Hopefully, it lasts beyond the games.
Bob: True. I’d be less keen on a ‘legacy’ of just sparkling water for a month and then back to… whatever was in it before.
Alice: And what about the urban regeneration? I heard they built a whole new aquatic centre and the Olympic Village is going to be converted into housing.
Bob: Yep, affordable housing, apparently. That’s a pretty tangible benefit, beats having empty stadiums gathering dust.
Alice: Definitely. Though I imagine the residents will get some pretty intense flashbacks every four years when the torch relay passes by.
Bob: Imagine trying to explain to your kids, ‘Yes, darling, mommy used to train for the decathlon right where our kitchen is now.’ Olympic glory in your living room!
Alice: Well, let’s hope the legacy is truly sparkling and sustainable, not just a fleeting splash. Cheers to cleaner water and affordable homes, Bob!
Bob: Hear, hear, Alice! Now, where’s my baguette? All this talk of Paris has made me hungry.
Current Situation
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games aim to leave a significant and positive legacy for the city and its inhabitants, extending far beyond the athletic competitions. A central focus is environmental sustainability, with ambitious efforts to make these the “greenest” games yet.
One of the most ambitious projects is the revitalization of the River Seine, making parts of it swimmable for the first time in over a century. This involves substantial investment in water purification infrastructure, with the goal of improving public health and providing new recreational spaces. Several Olympic events, like triathlon and open water swimming, are planned to take place directly in the Seine, symbolizing this transformation.
Urban regeneration is another key pillar. The Olympic Village in Saint-Denis, built with sustainable principles, is designed to be converted into approximately 2,800 homes (including affordable housing) and offices after the Games, addressing local housing needs. New sports facilities, such as the Olympic Aquatic Centre, will also be opened for public use post-Games.
Beyond infrastructure, the legacy also targets social inclusion, promoting sports participation among all age groups and improving accessibility for people with disabilities. While economic benefits are anticipated through tourism and job creation, the long-term goal is to integrate these developments seamlessly into the city’s fabric, ensuring enduring benefits for the community rather than creating ‘white elephants’ (unused, expensive facilities).
Key Phrases
- all the buzz about: A high level of excitement or discussion about something.
Example: There’s all the buzz about the new movie coming out next month.
- athletic prowess: Great skill or ability in sports.
Example: Her athletic prowess was evident in her gold medal win.
- legacy stuff: The lasting impact, inheritance, or long-term benefits of an event or project.
Example: We need to think about the legacy stuff after the charity project finishes.
- a glow-up: A significant improvement in appearance, quality, or condition. (Often used informally).
Example: The old park got a glow-up and now looks fantastic with all the new plants.
- tangible benefit: A real, touchable, or concrete advantage that can be clearly seen or measured.
Example: Affordable housing is a tangible benefit for the local community.
- gathering dust: Not being used, neglected, or left idle for a long time.
Example: My old bicycle has been gathering dust in the garage for years.
- a fleeting splash: A temporary or brief impact that doesn’t last long.
Example: We hope the advertising campaign isn’t just a fleeting splash but brings lasting change.
- Hear, hear!: An exclamation used to express agreement with what someone has just said.
Example: “We should all work together to achieve this goal!” – “Hear, hear!“
Grammar Points
1. Present Perfect Continuous
Use: This tense is used for actions that started in the past and are still continuing up to the present moment, or for actions that have recently stopped but have a clear present result.
Structure: have/has + been + verb-ing
Example from dialogue: “Alice: Hey Bob, have you been following all the buzz about the Paris Olympics?” (She’s asking if his continuous action of following started in the past and is still ongoing.)
Another example: “I have been studying English for two hours.”
2. Future Tenses: ‘Will’ vs. ‘Going to’
These two forms are used to talk about the future, but they often have slightly different nuances.
- ‘Will’:
Use: Used for predictions (often based on opinion), spontaneous decisions made at the moment of speaking, promises, offers, and requests.
Example: “I think it will rain tomorrow.” (Prediction)
Example from dialogue: (Implied) “I’d be less keen on a ‘legacy’… if it goes back…” (Alice is speculating about a future event. Though not direct ‘will’, it sets up a future context).
- ‘Going to’:
Use: Used for plans and intentions that have already been decided before the moment of speaking, or for predictions based on current evidence.
Example: “We are going to visit Paris next summer. We already bought the tickets!” (A definite plan)
Example from dialogue: “The Olympic Village is going to be converted into housing.” (This is a plan already in place.)
Example from dialogue: “They’re actually going to use it for Olympic events, right?” (Referring to a known plan.)
3. Conditional Sentences (Type 1)
Use: Type 1 conditionals are used to express real or very probable situations in the future. They talk about a possible condition and its likely result.
Structure: If + present simple, subject + will + base verb (or another modal verb like ‘can’, ‘may’, ‘should’).
Example from dialogue (implied): “Hopefully, it lasts beyond the games.” (Meaning: If it lasts beyond the games, then it will be a true legacy.)
Direct example: “If they clean up the Seine, people will swim in it.”
Another example: “If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.”
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (Present Perfect Continuous).
- She __________ (study) for her exams all week.
- They __________ (work) on the new project since January.
- How long __________ you __________ (wait) for the bus?
Show Answers
- has been studying
- have been working
- have / been waiting
Exercise 2: Choose the correct future tense (will/going to).
- I think it __________ (rain) tomorrow. (prediction based on opinion)
- We __________ (visit) Paris next summer. We already bought the tickets! (plan)
- Oh, I left the door open! I __________ (close) it right now. (spontaneous decision)
Show Answers
- will rain
- are going to visit
- will close
Exercise 3: Complete the conditional sentences (Type 1).
- If the weather __________ (be) good, we __________ (go) for a picnic.
- If you __________ (study) hard, you __________ (pass) the exam.
- If they __________ (clean) the river, more people __________ (use) it for recreation.
Show Answers
- is / will go
- study / will pass
- clean / will use
Exercise 4: Match the key phrase to its meaning.
- all the buzz about
- athletic prowess
- a glow-up
- gathering dust
- tangible benefit
- ____: Not being used, neglected.
- ____: A significant improvement.
- ____: A lot of excitement/discussion.
- ____: Great skill in sports.
- ____: A real, concrete advantage.
Show Answers
- d
- c
- a
- b
- e
Leave a Reply