countdown 倒计时

　　gala 晚会

　　marathon 马拉松

　　racquet 球拍

　　shuttlecock 毽子

　　Bonus

　　Expressions

　　go walk about

　　(来访的人)在人群中漫步

　　The royal family went on a walkabout at the barbecue party, shaking hands with ordinary people.

　　皇室成员穿梭在烤肉排队的人群中，频频和群众握手。

　　put one’s best foot forward

　　竭尽所能

　　Come on, put your best foot forward for this interview. You have no other choice.

　　来吧，让我们努力准备这个面试。我们已经别无选择。

　　throw in the towel

　　承认失败，随后放弃

　　意思相近的短语有 throw in the sponge

　　I can’t move this huge rock; I’m throwing in the towel and going home.

　　我搬不动这块大石头，我还是放弃吧。

　　Chatter box

　　Wang and Xiao are talking about applying for a university.

　　Wang: I haven’t heard any news from Peking University so far. Have you?

　　Xiao: Not yet. They’re supposed to publish the results in a couple of days. So, take it easy.

　　Wang: I’m praying that I’ll be admitted. It doesn’t matter which department, I don’t care.

　　Xiao: I agree.

　　STUDENTS in Beijing plan to celebrate Wednesday’s 100-day countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in different ways.

　　Some are holding a gala, some organized a marathon and others plan to hang national flags in their dorms to show their support for the Games.

　　21st Century went walk about on campuses and talked to students about how they feel with the Olympics just 100 days away.

　　China University of Political Science and Law

　　More than 1,000 students took part in a 15-kilometer long-distance walk. The route started from the university and wound its way north to the Ming Tombs, near where the Olympic triathlon will be held in August. Students wore uniforms that symbolize the five different colors of the Olympic rings.

　　Lu Jia

　　18 sophomore, international law school

　　Did you enjoy the long-distance walking?

　　Lu: It was a long way and I almost threw in the towel halfway through. It was a great relief when I passed the finishing line. Sport is hard for us at university because we don’t have physical training classes anymore, like we had in high school. The Olympic Games is bringing a sporting atmosphere to our campus and forcing us to get into the spirit of athletics.

　　Beijing Jiaotong University

　　The university volunteer association has started collecting sports equipment donated by students. Footballs, basketballs, badminton racquets, table tennis bats and so on will all be sent to a primary school for the kids of migrant workers in Tongzhou County in north Beijing.

　　Liu Yan

　　19, freshman, a member of the association

　　Why did you donate sports equipment?

　　Liu: The primary school is so poor that it even can’t afford basic sports equipment. Many of the kids we talked to haven’t touched a basketball in their lives. For most of them, the Olympics seem a distant proposition, even though it will happen in the city they live in. We are helping draw them closer to the Games by introducing them to basketball and football, allowing them to get involved with the fun side of sports.

　　University of International Business and Economics

　　The university is said to have one of the largest campus student dorm in Asia. It has 2,500 rooms and around 10,000 people live in the building. This Sunday, all the lights will be turned off; then some will be turned on to form “Beijing” and the five rings symbol.

　　Dong Liang

　　20, sophomore, law student

　　How do you think you will feel the moment you see the word “Beijing” and the five rings symbol?

　　Dong: We had a similar light-based ceremony last year, which projected the words “I love UIBE”. People screamed and clapped their hands for 10 minutes. It gave me a real sense of belonging. I felt I had to try my hardest to honor my university. I imagine I will have the same feeling when I see Beijing and the five rings all lit up. I will put my best foot forward and try to do everything I can to support the Olympic Games.