1. The passage discusses the history and global popularity of soccer. It originated in China over 2500 years ago and the modern game was established in Britain in the 1840s with a standardized set of rules. Today it is played by over 200 million people worldwide, truly making it the world's sport.
2. The passage explains that soccer's popularity is due to factors like camaraderie around supporting a team, its international quality with teams having players from many countries, and the promise of wealth for some professional players. However, its main appeal is its simplicity - it can be played anywhere with minimal equipment.
3. The passage notes soccer's particular popularity in Africa due to its simplicity and ability to be played in
1. The passage discusses the history and global popularity of soccer. It originated in China over 2500 years ago and the modern game was established in Britain in the 1840s with a standardized set of rules. Today it is played by over 200 million people worldwide, truly making it the world's sport.
2. The passage explains that soccer's popularity is due to factors like camaraderie around supporting a team, its international quality with teams having players from many countries, and the promise of wealth for some professional players. However, its main appeal is its simplicity - it can be played anywhere with minimal equipment.
3. The passage notes soccer's particular popularity in Africa due to its simplicity and ability to be played in
1. The passage discusses the history and global popularity of soccer. It originated in China over 2500 years ago and the modern game was established in Britain in the 1840s with a standardized set of rules. Today it is played by over 200 million people worldwide, truly making it the world's sport.
2. The passage explains that soccer's popularity is due to factors like camaraderie around supporting a team, its international quality with teams having players from many countries, and the promise of wealth for some professional players. However, its main appeal is its simplicity - it can be played anywhere with minimal equipment.
3. The passage notes soccer's particular popularity in Africa due to its simplicity and ability to be played in
1. The passage discusses the history and global popularity of soccer. It originated in China over 2500 years ago and the modern game was established in Britain in the 1840s with a standardized set of rules. Today it is played by over 200 million people worldwide, truly making it the world's sport.
2. The passage explains that soccer's popularity is due to factors like camaraderie around supporting a team, its international quality with teams having players from many countries, and the promise of wealth for some professional players. However, its main appeal is its simplicity - it can be played anywhere with minimal equipment.
3. The passage notes soccer's particular popularity in Africa due to its simplicity and ability to be played in
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Reading Explorer 3: Unit 1 Lesson A
DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer for each question.
The World's Game
[A] Throughout history, humans have played some kind of kicking game. What the world now calls football - or soccer in the United States - began as far back as 2500 B.C.E. with the Chinese game of cuju. However, the sport we know today originated in Britain. In the 1840s, England's Football Association established a set of rules, and the modern game was born. Today, more than 200 million players all over the globe participate in the game, truly making soccer the world's sport.
[B] So, why is soccer so popular? Maybe it's the game's camaraderie: the feeling that the team on the field is your team; their win is your victory, and their loss is your defeat. Or maybe it's the game's international quality. In countries like France, England, Spain, and Brazil, major teams have players from many different nations, and these clubs now have fans all over the world. Or perhaps it's the promise of great wealth. A number of professional soccer players, including Brazil's Neymar and Nigeria's Victor Moses, come from poor families. Today, both of these players make millions of euros every year.
[C] Soccer is popular for all of these reasons, but ultimately, the main reason for its universal appeal may be this: It's a simple game. It can be played anywhere with anything - a ball, a can, or even some bags tied together. And anyone can play it. "You don't need to be rich ... to play soccer," says historian Peter Alegi. "You just need a flat space and a ball."
[D] It is this unique simplicity that makes soccer the most popular sport in Africa. Here, even in rural areas far from the bright lights and big stadiums, children and adults play the game, often with handmade balls.
A Love for Soccer
[E] The story of soccer in Africa is a long one. In the 19th century, European colonists brought the game to Africa. Early matches were first played in the South African cities of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in 1862. In time, the sport spread across the continent. Today, several of the game's best players come from African nations, including Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. All over the continent, thousands of soccer academies now recruit boys from poorer cities and towns to play the game. Many learn to play in their bare feet, and they are tough, creative competitors. Their dream is to play for the national team or to join one of the big clubs in Europe someday. For some, the dream comes true.
[F] But the chance to make money with a professional team is probably not the main reason for soccer's popularity in Africa. "Soccer is the passion of everyone here," says Abubakari Abdul-Ganiyu, a teacher who works with youth clubs in Tamale, Ghana. "It unifies us." In fact, more than once, the game has helped to bring people together. In Ivory Coast, for example, immigrants and Muslims faced discrimination for years. Yet many of the country's best soccer players are from Muslim and immigrant families. As a result, the national team has become a symbol of unity and has helped to promote peace throughout the country.
[G] All over Africa, soccer is popular with parents and teachers for another reason: It keeps young people - especially boys - in school and out of trouble. "Most clubs in Tamale, Ghana, don't allow boys to play if they don't go to school," explains Abubakari. "We're trying our best to help young people and to make them responsible in society. Soccer helps us do this. For us, soccer is also a tool for hope." ____ 1. According to paragraph B, why is soccer an international sport? a. Soccer teams compete against other countries in the World Cup. b. Fans can support teams from their own country. c. Professional teams have players from many different countries. d. Soccer is a popular sport in parts of Asia and in Latin America. ____ 2. Which is the best example of a handmade soccer ball? a. a ball that once was used by the national team b. plastic bags tied together with rubber bands c. a smaller ball intended for use by young children d. a product of a name-brand company like Nike ____ 3. What is the purpose of paragraph F? a. to discuss discrimination in the Ivory Coast b. to describe youth clubs in Ghana c. to explain why immigrants enjoy soccer d. to show how soccer brings people together ____ 4. The following sentence would be best placed at the end of which paragraph?
Even if they don't join a national team, many young players become skilled in the game. a. Paragraph A b. Paragraph C c. Paragraph E d. Paragraph G ____ 5. Which statement would Abubakari Abdul-Ganiyu most likely agree with? a. Soccer helps boys stay in school to improve their future lives. b. School teams do better in soccer matches than youth clubs. c. It is good that some schools have started soccer teams for female students. d. You have to drop out of school to join a professional team.
DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer for each question.
Balancing Act
[A] Ask anyone to name the countries that dominate international soccer competitions, and they are likely to mention Brazil, Germany, Italy, or Argentina. This, of course, is correct. Each of these countries has been a World Cup champion more than once. Few would mention Norway, China, Japan, or the United States, but they would be wrong. Each of these countries has either won or been to a final of at least one Women's World Cup.
[B] Women's soccer does not yet generate the same level of interest as the men's game, but this is gradually changing. In the last 30 years, the Women's World Cup has gone from a small tournament that very few people noticed to a major international sporting event. When the United States defeated Norway 2-1 in the first Women's World Cup held in China in 1991, very few people were watching. By the 2015 event held in Canada, television audiences had grown to 750 million people worldwide. In the United Kingdom - a traditional soccer hotbed1 - television viewership for the 2015 event increased by over 500 percent from the 2011 tournament. When the United States defeated Japan 5-2 in the 2015 final, over 25 million Americans watched on television - a record viewing of the American national soccer team, for either men or women. [C] While the popularity of the women's game versus the men's game has become slightly more balanced in recent years, the growth of women's soccer has also produced balance in another way. As mentioned in the introduction, some countries that have appeared in the final of the Women's World Cup could only dream of doing so in the men's tournament.
[D] Despite being called "the world's game," men's soccer has only produced world champions from Europe or South America. Teams from outside of these two continents have never even reached the final. Amazingly, European and South American dominance of the men's tournament has been so complete that only two teams from outside of these continents have ever made it to the semi-finals. These were the United States in 1930 and South Korea in 2002. This statistic becomes even more incredible when you consider that there have been 21 men's World Cups and therefore 84 semi-finalists.
[E] The women's game, by contrast, has had much better global representation. Since the establishment of the tournament in 1991, the winners have been the United States (North America), Germany (Europe), Norway (Europe), and Japan (Asia). In terms of semi-finalists, there have been eight from North America, 14 from Europe, two from South America, and four from Asia. When we consider that there have been seven Women's World Cups with 28 semi-finalists, this means that no continent has produced more than 50 percent of teams reaching the final four.
[F] As women's soccer continues to grow, the Women's World Cup also continues to expand. While the original tournament featured only 12 teams, the 2015 edition expanded to 24 participating countries. With more and more national teams becoming strong competitors, it is likely that women's soccer will continue to make "the world's game" a truly global affair.
1 A hotbed is a place where a particular kind of activity happens a lot.
____ 6. What is this passage mainly about?
a. the challenges that the Women's World Cup faces in becoming more popular b. the growth of women's soccer across the globe c. the main differences between men's soccer and women's soccer d. why women do not like soccer as much as men do ____ 7. In paragraph A, what is the author inferring? a. Most people do not know very much about soccer. b. Women's soccer does not get the same amount of attention as men's soccer. c. England and France are not as good at soccer as people think. d. The World Cup is not as important as soccer fans like to believe. ____ 8. In the United Kingdom, how much bigger was the audience for the 2015 Women's World Cup than the 2011 competition? a. less than 250 percent b. exactly 750 percent c. over 500 percent d. about 300 percent ____ 9. What is the purpose of paragraph D? a. to explain how the women's game is more global than the men's game b. to provide reasons why only a few countries have ever won the World Cup c. to explain that only a handful of countries from two regions have ever won the World Cup d. to show that Europe has also dominated the Women's World Cup ____ 10. What is the purpose of paragraph E? a. to show that more continents participated in the Women's World Cup than in the World Cup b. to explain that the Women's World Cup is expanding c. to show that there has been more balance between continents in the last stages of the Women's World Cup d. to show that Europe has also dominated the Women's World Cup
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and look at the infographic. Choose T (true) or F (false) to answer each question.
Balancing Act
[A] Ask anyone to name the countries that dominate international soccer competitions, and they are likely to mention Brazil, Germany, Italy, or Argentina. This, of course, is correct. Each of these countries has been a World Cup champion more than once. Few would mention Norway, China, Japan, or the United States, but they would be wrong. Each of these countries has either won or been to a final of at least one Women's World Cup.
[B] Women's soccer does not yet generate the same level of interest as the men's game, but this is gradually changing. In the last 30 years, the Women's World Cup has gone from a small tournament that very few people noticed to a major international sporting event. When the United States defeated Norway 2-1 in the first Women's World Cup held in China in 1991, very few people were watching. By the 2015 event held in Canada, television audiences had grown to 750 million people worldwide. In the United Kingdom - a traditional soccer hotbed1 - television viewership for the 2015 event increased by over 500 percent from the 2011 tournament. When the United States defeated Japan 5-2 in the 2015 final, over 25 million Americans watched on television - a record viewing of the American national soccer team, for either men or women.
[C] While the popularity of the women's game versus the men's game has become slightly more balanced in recent years, the growth of women's soccer has also produced balance in another way. As mentioned in the introduction, some countries that have appeared in the final of the Women's World Cup could only dream of doing so in the men's tournament.
[D] Despite being called "the world's game," men's soccer has only produced world champions from Europe or South America. Teams from outside of these two continents have never even reached the final. Amazingly, European and South American dominance of the men's tournament has been so complete that only two teams from outside of these continents have ever made it to the semi-finals. These were the United States in 1930 and South Korea in 2002. This statistic becomes even more incredible when you consider that there have been 21 men's World Cups and therefore 84 semi-finalists.
[E] The women's game, by contrast, has had much better global representation. Since the establishment of the tournament in 1991, the winners have been the United States (North America), Germany (Europe), Norway (Europe), and Japan (Asia). In terms of semi-finalists, there have been eight from North America, 14 from Europe, two from South America, and four from Asia. When we consider that there have been seven Women's World Cups with 28 semi-finalists, this means that no continent has produced more than 50 percent of teams reaching the final four.
[F] As women's soccer continues to grow, the Women's World Cup also continues to expand. While the original tournament featured only 12 teams, the 2015 edition expanded to 24 participating countries. With more and more national teams becoming strong competitors, it is likely that women's soccer will continue to make "the world's game" a truly global affair. 1 A hotbed is a place where a particular kind of activity happens a lot.
Pie Chart #1 Pie Chart #2
____ 11. Europe has been the most successful confederation in both men's and women's tournaments.
____ 12. CONMEBOL and UEFA combined make up more than 90 percent of the semi-finalists for the men's World Cup.
____ 13. Countries from CONCACAF have done better in the men's tournament than the women's tournament.
____ 14. An African country has never been to the semi-finals of either version of the World Cup.
____ 15. The number of female semi-finalists from UEFA is three times the number of male semi-finalists from UEFA. DIRECTIONS: Choose the word from the box that has the same meaning as each underlined word or phrase.
competitors established passion responsible universal
During international events such as the World Cup matches, soccer is often referred to as "The Beautiful Game" because so many people have a strong love for it. Where did this phrase come from and how did it get started? No one knows exactly, but people who love the game think the movements of the players are very graceful on the field. Some sports commentators used the term in the 1950s, but it was made famous when the Brazilian player Pele published his autobiography My Life and the Beautiful Game in 1977. Although Pele's book was the primary cause for the popularity of the phrase, the use of it is now global. You hear it everywhere soccer is played today.
16. ... so many people have a strong love for it.
________________
17. Where did this phrase come from and how did it get started? ________________
18. No one knows exactly, but people who love the game think the movements of the players are very graceful on the field. ________________
19. Although Pele's book was the primary cause for the popularity of the phrase ... ________________
20. ... the use of it is now global. You hear it everywhere soccer is played today. ________________
DIRECTIONS: Complete the sentences using the words in the box.
defeat recruit unity unique victory
The World Cup is a soccer competition sponsored by the international football organization FIFA. The event is (1) ________________ in attracting more spectators than even the Olympic Games. The games have been held every four years since 1930. Every country tries to find and (2) ________________ its best players to be on its national team. In the final competition, 32 teams compete, each hoping to (3) ________________ the other teams and become the champion. In the 2014 World Cup, Germany had a (4) ________________ over Argentina in the final game and became the overall winners. The passion for the sport is a symbol of (5) ________________ for fans from many different countries worldwide.
21. (1) ________________
22. (2) ________________
23. (3) ________________
24. (4) ________________
25. (5) ________________
Reading Explorer 3: Unit 1 Lesson A Answer Section 1. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Main Idea TOP: Sports and Fitness 2. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Unfamiliar Vocabulary TOP: Sports and Fitness 3. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Main Idea TOP: Sports and Fitness 4. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Sentence Insertion TOP: Sports and Fitness 5. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Inference TOP: Sports and Fitness 6. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Main Idea TOP: Sports and Fitness 7. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Inference TOP: Sports and Fitness 8. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Supporting Detail TOP: Sports and Fitness 9. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Purpose TOP: Sports and Fitness 10. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 OBJ: Purpose TOP: Sports and Fitness 11. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: Page 13 OBJ: Analyzing Infographics TOP: Sports and Fitness 12. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: Page 13 OBJ: Analyzing Infographics TOP: Sports and Fitness 13. ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: Page 13 OBJ: Analyzing Infographics TOP: Sports and Fitness 14. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: Page 13 OBJ: Analyzing Infographics TOP: Sports and Fitness 15. ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: Page 13 OBJ: Analyzing Infographics TOP: Sports and Fitness 16. ANS: passion
