ThShe appears as a tiny dot on the screen, barely visible at the end of a traditional Beijing hutong alleyway.

But Yu Ying, 1.6m tall and considered diminutive¹ among her friends, soon fills the screen as she races toward the camera.

"I am small, but with great energy!" she screams.

That is how, in a one-minute video, the effervescent Yu managed to win a shot at the "best job in the world".

Yu, 25, is one of two Chinese mainland applicants² among 50 candidates shortlisted to spend six months as the "caretaker" of Hamilton Island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef as part of a tourism promotion⁴ drive by the Queensland state government.

The "dream job" pays $150,000AUD ($96,000USD) for half a year and offers accommodation as well as airfare from the successful candidate's home country to "the island of white sands and clear waters."

The winner is expected to have fun - sunbathing⁵, swimming, snorkeling, sailing - and report to a global audience through weekly blogs and video updates.

The 5-sq-km pristine⁶ island has a population of about 1,300.

The 50 shortlisted candidates from 22 countries and regions were picked from over 34,000 applicants from across the world. Candidates had to submit a video application in English of up to one minute explaining why they are qualified⁷ for the post.

In her video, Yu pairs a traditional Chinese green top with a black mini-skirt and stiletto heels to present a mix of tradition and modernity.

"Passers-by on the street where I filmed the video thought I was crazy," said Yu, who works as a media professional at a cultural exchange company in Beijing. "But I come up with dreams all the time and I try to realize them," she said.

"Yu's presentation is very impressive—good English, good communication ability and a charming oriental smile," Wendy Levy⁸, executive director (international) of Queensland's tourism bureau, told China Daily yesterday.

Yao Yi, 30, an information manager for multinational⁹ manufacturer Procter & Gamble's office in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, is the other mainland applicant³ who clinched¹⁰ a spot on the shortlist. Yao said being Chinese strengthened his candidacy.

"If the tourism administration recruits a Chinese for the job, the Great Barrier Reef will become very popular in China and attract more Chinese tourists," he said.

The 50 candidates will be whittled¹¹ down to a final 11, 10 of whom will be chosen by Tourism Queensland with an 11th "wild card" applicant decided¹² by popular vote.

The shortlisted applicants will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May to take part in the final selection process with the winner announced on May 6.

"I have traveled to most of Europe and North Africa, and I want to leave my footprints on the sunny beaches of Queensland this time," Yu said.

Yao said he had a bigger purpose in applying for the job.

"Back in the 1960s, the reef was not as beautiful as it is today because of over-fishing; but today, the spot has recovered its charm due to the locals' environmental protection efforts," he said.

"I hope to learn how to protect the environment by working there and promote my experience in China after I come back," he said.

Questions:

1. What is the population of Hamilton Island?

2. How many applicants were shortlisted?

3. According to Yao, why was the Great Barrier Reef “not as beautiful” back in the 1960s?

Answers:

1. About 1,300.

2. 50.

3. Over-fishing.