OLYMPICS/ Volunteers
Contest brings Beijingers to learn English
By Guan Xiaomeng (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-30 17:18
"I passed King's Cross station just 10 minutes before the bombing happened in July of 2005," Yin told chinadaily.com.cn after the contest. "After the bombing I exchanged opinions with the London Metropolitan police and we both learnt a lot from each other."
As a police officer serving at Tian'anmen Square, Yin deals with both security and foreign affairs. "All the foreigners come to us when they have problems at Tiananmen Square. All the police officers from the Bureau are looking forward to the Games and we will try our best to make it more successful."
The third place went to an English major sophomore Lin Jiao from Beijing Sports University. Her presentation was about her work as a translator for the university's boxing team. She looks after foreign visitors and will be working as a venue volunteer in next year's Olympics.
Lin Jiao (second left) performs with her tow schoolmates boxing and the judge of the contest as the acting boxing judge during the contest. |
I was interviewing Lin and sitting quietly near us was an elderly woman.
The student introduced me to her. "She is my close friend, Aunt Chen Peizhi. She used to be one of the contestants and today she is here to cheer me on," she said.
Lin explained the two of them met during a previous contest as partners in the English drama event. "The dress I wore for today's drama was from Aunt Chen," the student said.
In a slight English accent, Chen explained, "I am a retired army woman and I taught myself English. "I felt I became younger after I spent so many days with these young people learning English together."
With the impressive performance of these contestants, I hope other Beijingers will be inspired by them and practice their English before the Games begin in less than a year.
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