[Sports ★★★]
(P1) Olympic authorities in Rio are scrambling to complete safety tests in the Olympic Village that should have been carried out a long time ago. It has been reported that 19 of the 31 apartment buildings have yet to be fully checked. The Australian delegation has complained that their assigned accommodation isn’t fit to live in. Other teams have had to hire outside contractors to deal with problems including water leaks and electrical faults. The president of the Argentine Olympic Committee has also complained. He’s saying two of the five floors assigned to his country are uninhabitable.
(P2) Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada admits that there are many problems. He says people are working around the clock to get the apartment buildings ready for all 18,000 athletes and coaching staff that will arrive on August 5. The Australians hope to move in soon. Rio’s Mayor, Eduardo Paes, has admitted that they had been assigned to the worst building in the complex. The Olympic Village was built by the construction company Odebrecht and property developer Carvalho Hosken. They had planned to profit by selling the apartments after the Games. However, a plunge in Rio real estate prices and the jailing of Odebrecht’s president for corruption earlier this year could explain why the work wasn’t completed to a high standard.
WORDS: 216
SOURCE: http://www.newser.com/story/228676/19-of-31-olympic-village-buildings-not-ready-yet.html
VOCABULARY: scrambling, delegation, faults, uninhabitable, property developer, plunge
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Is it unacceptable or acceptable that the buildings aren’t ready yet? Why?
- In your opinion, how many months prior to the start of the Olympic games should the buildings be completed? Why?
- Should the construction company and property developer be held responsible for not having the buildings completed by now? Why or why not?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- How many apartment buildings in total are there in the Olympic village?
- Two of the issues with the buildings are water and sewer. (T or F)
- Who is the mayor of Rio de Janiero?
- How many people will be living in the apartments?
- Who constructed the village?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- fully checked (p1)
- isn’t fit to live in (P1)
- working around the clock (P2)
- wasn’t completed to a high standard (P2)
Image source: AP Photo/Leo Correa http://www.newser.com/story/228676/19-of-31-olympic-village-buildings-not-ready-yet.html