【明報專訊】Designed by Ryo Taniguchi, who graduated from Cabrillo College in California where he majored in art, these two digital, futuristic looking characters officially became the mascots (吉祥物) for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games after a public vote. Based on the theme of "innovation from harmony", the superhero mascots defeated the other 2 pairs of designs, which featured well-loved animals like a fox, lion and raccoon (狸貓) and traditional Japanese elements such as fire and cloud.

The pair won 109,041 votes from millions of elementary school children studying in 16,769 schools across the country. The blue Olympic mascot embodies both ancient tradition and modern innovation. Its design is high-tech, cutting-edge, but according to Taniguchi it is a robot with a strong sense of justice. It is very athletic and has a special power that allows it to transport itself wherever it likes instantaneously.

Its partner, the pink paralympic mascot, carries the Japanese motif of cherry blossom. It has a cool personality and a kind heart that loves nature. It possesses super powers of talking with stones and the wind and moving things by just looking at them.

The names of the mascots will later be chosen by the Mascot Selection Panel. They will be unveiled in the coming summer.

(Sources: Time, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games site)

■English highway﹕well-, high-

We can join an adverb with another word to form a compound adjective.

e.g. Donna is a well-behaved child.

The food from that high-class restaurant is expensive.

■Game １

MoMo's backpack features one of the mascots! But there are three differences between it and the original one (picture 1a). Can you find them?

■Game ２

MoMo is reading the website of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. But a technical error has had the words messed up. Can you unscramble the words in red and write down the correct ones? (see the picture)

(Answers on next text)

■Glossary

futuristic (adj) 具有未來觸覺的

innovation (n) 創新、創意

embody (v) 呈現

instantaneously (adv) 立刻

[Smarties' Power English 第212期]