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A total of 300,000 meals will be delivered every day for visitors to the World Expo next year, as a part of organizers' attempts to create a "people-oriented expo."

Chinese and western fast food eateries, food courts and theme restaurants will be scattered across the 5.28-sq-km expo garden. Expo visitors will have access to food within a walk of five minutes or less, no matter where they are on the grounds, according to the Chinese organizers of the expo.

Shanghai Expo organizers will recruit food suppliers to provide local foods such as hairy crab and soup dumplings at the upcoming expo.

Fast-food employees will work alongside world-renowned chefs and touted culinary innovators to bring their passion and flair to the approximately 400,000 daily tourists.

"The commercial service facilities in the expo site are designed to meet the catering and shopping needs of 70 million visitors," said Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of Shanghai World Expo Coordination bureau.

The Shanghai Expo is the largest world's fair ever. It is designed to be part of a two-pronged demonstration of China's rising global clout, along with last year's Beijing Olympics.

So far, a record 241 countries and international organizations have confirmed attendance. Some 172 have appointed their commissioners general and 220 have signed participation contracts. Among the 42 countries to build stand-alone pavilions, 38 have already celebrated ground-breaking or begun construction.

The public has also shown its excitement about the 2010 party as approximately eight million tickets have been sold since sales began in March. So far, the rate of ticket sales is meeting the organizers' expectations.

Organizers say the expo will include "humanized" service. For example, a total of 80 information desks will be set up across the expo garden. Also visitors will have access to drinkable water at around 2,000 faucets.

Organizers will provide readily available, convenient, comfortable and quality services to visitors, Chen said.

Questions:

1. What local foods will be served at the expo?

2. How many countries have celebrated ground-breaking or begun construction of their pavilions at the expo?

3. What kind of service will the expo include, according to organizers?

Answers:

1. Hairy crab and soup dumplings.

2. 38.

3. “Humanized”.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.