5thCLASS_1_96_jg:Layout 1 5/3/12 17:35 Page 8


1. Read the title of the extract and look at the illustrations. What do you think the story will be about? Make a prediction.


2. How often are the Olympic Games held? 3. Where were the most recent Olympic Games held? Where will the next ones be held?


Olympic Marathon MorrisGleitzman


The TWENTY-SEVENTH Summer Olympics arrive in Australia – four years early! ‘Manchester,’ I pleaded softly. ‘Please, let it be Manchester.’ Hoppy, my pet wallaby, stared at me as if I was mad, but I didn’t care. ‘Manchester,’ I moaned desperately, ‘or Beijing.’ I held my breath. Hoppy held his. The bloke on the telly announced that the Olympic Games in the year 2000 had been awarded to... Sydney. Australia went bananas. In our lounge room and across our town and up and down the state and right across the country people leapt out of their chairs and whooped with joy and hugged each other and their pets. All except me. I just sat there and watched Dad try to do a delighted cartwheel and crash into the electric bug zapper. ‘Here we go,’ I muttered to Hoppy. ‘We’re cactus, now.’ It started that evening.


Why do you think the boy doesn’t want the games to be held in Australia? 8


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