Comprehension
Do sports mega events like the summer Olympic Games benefit the host city economically? It depends, but the prospects are less than rosy. The trick is converting...several billion dollars in operating costs during the 17-day fiesta of the Games into a basis for long-term economic returns. These days, the summer Olympic Games themselves generate total revenue of $4 billion to $5 billion, but the lion's share of this goes to the International Olympics Committee, the National Olympics Committees and the International Sports Federations. Any economic benefit would have to flow from the value of the Games as an advertisement for the city, the new transportation and communications infrastructure that was created for the Games, or the ongoing use of the new facilities.
Evidence suggests that the advertising effect is far from certain. The infrastructure benefit depends on the initial condition of the city and the effectiveness of the planning. The facilities benefit is dubious at best for buildings such as velodromes or natatoriums and problematic for 100,000-seat Olympic stadiums. The latter require a conversion plan for future use, the former are usually doomed to near vacancy. Hosting the summer Games generally requires 30-plus sports venues and dozens of training centers. Today, the Bird's Nest in Beijing sits virtually empty, while the Olympic Stadium in Sydney costs some $30 million a year to operate. 
Part of the problem is that Olympics planning takes place in a frenzied and time-pressured atmosphere of intense competition with the other prospective host cities — not optimal conditions for contemplating the future shape of an urban landscape. Another part of the problem is that urban land is generally scarce and growing scarcer. The new facilities often stand for decades or longer. Even if they have future use, are they the best use of precious urban real estate? 
Further, cities must consider the human cost. Residential areas often are razed and citizens relocated (without adequate preparation or compensation). Life is made more hectic and congested. There are, after all, other productive uses that can be made of vanishing fiscal resources.
Question: 1

The central point in the first paragraph is that the economic benefits of the Olympic Games

Updated On: Sep 26, 2024
  • are shared equally among the three organising committees
  • accrue mostly through revenue from advertisements and ticket sales
  • accrue to host cities, if at all, only in the long term
  • are usually eroded by expenditure incurred by the host city
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The division of the "lion's share" among the three organizing committees is not relevant to the passage, so (1) is dismissed. The sources of revenue, whether from 'ticket sales' or "advertisements," are not mentioned in the first paragraph, eliminating (2). The discouraging view in (4) is not reflected in the first paragraph. The passage specifically discusses the challenge of converting short-term success into long-term economic returns, which aligns with (3).

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Question: 2

Sports facilities built for the Olympics are not fully utilised after the Games are over because

Updated On: Sep 26, 2024
  • their scale and the costs of operating them are large
  • their location away from the city centre usually limits easy access.
  • the authorities do not adapt them to local conditions.
  • they become outdated having being built with little planning and under time pressure
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Option (2) is questionable because the passage does not state that the sports facilities are situated away from the city center. The idea of authorities being indifferent, as suggested by (3), is not found in the passage, so it is ruled out. The passage does not indicate that sports facilities become outdated due to poor planning, eliminating (4). The passage specifically mentions the sports facilities in Beijing and Sydney in the context of the large scale of an Olympic stadium and the significant operating costs required for maintenance. Therefore, (1) accurately captures the information presented in the passage.

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Question: 3

The author feels that the Games place a burden on the host city for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that

Updated On: Sep 26, 2024
  • they divert scarce urban land from more productive uses
  • they involve the demolition of residential structures to accommodate sports facilities and infrastructure
  • the finances used to fund the Games could be better used for other purposes.
  • the influx of visitors during the Games places a huge strain on the urban infrastructure.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Option (1) is referred to in the third paragraph: "Even if they have future use, are they the best use of precious urban real estate?". Option (2) is explicitly mentioned in the fourth paragraph: "Residential areas often are razed… citizens relocated". Option (3) is implied in the last sentence of the passage: "other productive uses that can be made of vanishing fiscal resources." However, the passage does not identify visitors as an Olympic headache. Therefore, the correct answer is (4).

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