Hong Kong teenager's Google Doodle unveiled to millions on search site

If you booted up your computer on 13 July and searched for something on the internet, the chances are you may

stumble across the first ever 'Google Doodle' to be designed by a Hong Kong teenager. Seventeen-year-old Wong

Chiu-yung became the first person in the city to have their own design featured on Google's homepage after winning

the first competition of its type to be held in the city.

For 24 hours Wong's environmental design, where the word Google is spelled out using flowers, trees and water, will

grace the homepage in place of Google's four-coloured logo. Google Doodles celebrate holidays, well-known

birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and major events such

as soccer's World Cup.

Some can be played as games, others are interactive animations, some even work as musical instruments. The first

doodle was a burning man stick figure in 1998. Google

founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page put the stick figure

behind the second 'o' to let staff know they were at the

Burning Man music and art festival in Nevada.

More than 2,000 doodles have been created since.

Wong's doodle was one of 3,500 submitted by young Hongkongers under Doodle 4 Google, a programme that invites

students to submit designs. This was the first year the contest has been held in Hong Kong after running in the United

States for seven years. The theme was "If I was a green hero....''. and the brief was to come up with a doodle to

highlight creative and innovative ideas for green solutions to the environmental challenges faced by the city and

Press-cut Exercise 1Sep 12

Name: ______________________ F.4E ( )

Wong Chiu-yung, 17, won the Doodle 4 Google 2014 competition, landing her environmental design on Google's front page.

world.

"If I were a green hero I would live a green lifestyle. Water is a precious resource, as it sustains life and nourishes all

that is on earth," wrote the 17-year-old student from Pok Oi Hospital Tang Pui King Memorial College. The contest

was judged based on three criteria: artistic merit, creativity and how well it communicated the theme.

The contest's theme inspired many young minds. "One of the ideas was to send all the recycling to space, and use all

the energy generated from the recycled materials to make soda for everyone," said Dominic Allon, managing director

of Google Hong Kong. One of the judges, Green Monday founder David Yeung, said Wong's doodle "expressed the

theme creatively, emphasising the importance of water nourishing the earth". "It is nicely spaced with a lot of artistic

details," Yeung said.

A. Vocabulary tableVocab item P.o.S. Meaning A sample sentence

1. stumble across Phr v find or discover sth unexpectedly.

I stumbled across an extremely simple but very exact method for understanding where my money went.

2. grace v Making sth more attractive He went to the beautiful old Shaker dresser that graced this homely room.

3. interactive adj If you describe a group of people or their activities as interactive, you mean that the people communicate with each other

This will make computer games more interactive than ever.

4. come up with Phr v Think of All you had to do was think a little harder and come up with a new solution

5. precious adj valuable and should not be wasted or used badly

After four months in foreign parts, every hour at home was precious.

6. nourishes v To nourish a person, animal, or plant means to provide them with the food that is necessary for life, growth, and good health

The food she eats nourishes both her and the baby.

7. criteria n a factor on which you judge or decide something

a factor on which you judge or decide something.

8. inspired v aroused or guided by or as if aroused or guided by divine

His speech inspired the soldiers.

1

inspiration

B. Complete the fact sheet about Wong Chiu-yung’s design after reading the article.

WONG CHIU-YUNGWinner of ‘Doodle 4 Google’ competitionAge: 17

School: Pok Oi Hospital Tang Pui King Memorial College

What is the theme of her design? Water

Why did she pick this theme for her design? Water is a precious resource, as it sustains life and nourishes all that is on earthC. Complete the introduction of Google Doodle based on the information in the article. Answer in

complete sentences whenever necessary.All about Google DoodleWhy Doodle? What do Google Doodles celebrate? Google Doodles celebrate holidays, well-known birthdays,

anniversaries, achievements and major events .

How many doodles have been created so far? More than 2,000

Are Google Doodles always static? No, since some can be played as games, others are interactive

animations, some even work as musical instruments.

Doodle’s birth… When was the 1st Google Doodle born? 1998 How did the 1st Google Doodle look like? (Put a tick next to the correct answer.)

What did it celebrate? It celebrated the Burning Man music and art festival in Nevada.

Doodle 4 Google 2014 What was the aim of the program? Its aim is to invite students to submit designs

What was the theme this year? The theme was "If I was a green hero....'

What messages did the competitors need to convey in this contest? They needed to come up with a

doodle to highlight creative and innovative ideas for green solutions to the environmental

challenges faced by the city and world.

What makes an ideal doodle for the contest? An ideal doodle has high artistic merit, creativity and

communicate s the theme well.

Why did the judges choose Wong Chiu-Ying as the winner? Because she expressed the theme

creatively, emphasising the importance of water nourishing the earth

D. You have entered the Doodle 4 Google contest and have to create a Google Doodle under the theme “If I was a green hero…” .

a) Design your own doodle which sticks to the theme.

b) Use about 60 words to explain your ideas behind your design.

3

A. Vocabulary tableVocab item P.o.S. Meaning A sample sentence

1. stumble across Phr v

2. grace v He went to the beautiful old Shaker dresser that graced this homely room.

3. interactive If you describe a group of people or their activities as interactive, you mean that the people communicate with each other

4. come up with Phr v

5. precious After four months in foreign parts, every hour at home was precious.

6. nourishes

7. criteria n a factor on which you judge or decide something

8. inspired

B. Complete the fact sheet about Wong Chiu-yung’s design after reading the article.

WONG CHIU-YUNGWinner of ‘Doodle 4 Google’ competitionAge: __________

School: ______________________________________________

What is the theme of her design? _________________________

Why did she pick this theme for her design? _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

C. Complete the introduction of Google Doodle based on the information in the article. Answer in complete sentences whenever necessary.All about Google Doodle

Why Doodle? What do Google Doodles celebrate? __________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

How many doodles have been created so far? ________________

Are Google Doodles always static? No, _________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Doodle’s birth… When was the 1st Google Doodle born? ________________ How did the 1st Google Doodle look like? (Put a tick next to the correct answer.)

2

What did it celebrate? _____________________________________________________

Doodle 4 Google 2014 What was the aim of the program?______________________________________________________

What was the theme this year? _______________________________

What messages did the competitors need to convey in this contest? ___________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

What makes an ideal doodle for the contest? _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Why did the judges choose Wong Chiu-Ying as the winner? _________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________