1A The Worlds Game 11

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Throughout history, people have played
some version of a kicking game. What the
world now calls football, or soccer in the
U.S., began as far back as 2500 B.C. with the
Chinese game of tsu chu. The sport were
familiar with today originated in Britain; by
the 1840s, Englands Football Association
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had established a set of rules, and the
modern game was born. Today more than
120 million regular players from all over the
globe participate in the game annually, truly
making soccer the worlds sport.
Europe: Home of the Rich
and Famous
Europe has the largest number of soccer
players on Earth and is also home to the
worlds richest and best-known professional
teams. Europes major clubssuch as
Spains Real Madrid and Englands
Manchester United have evolved
from local teams to global brands,
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with supporters all over the world.
Some are owned by foreign
businessmen, who invest large
amounts of money in their
clubs, hoping to earn
significant returns on ticket
sales, television and
advertising deals.
Widely considered the greatest soccer player of all time, Brazilian star Pel
is the only person to have won three World Cup tournaments as a player.
Planet
Football
Asia: A Growing Passion
Over the past two decades, an intense soccer
competition among Japan, China, and
South Korea has helped to increase enthusiasm
for the sport across Asia. In China, for example,
recent data suggest that soccer is now more
popular than traditional Chinese favorites such
as table tennis and basketball. This enthusiasm
has also helped to bridge differences and bring
people together. The 2002 World Cup,
co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, was a
victory for cooperation and friendship, and in
the Middle East, youth soccer teams have also
helped to promote peace.
Australia and Oceania:
Soccer Down Under
For decades, Australian sports have been
dominated by cricket, rugby, and Australian
Rules football. Today this region
still has the fewest number of
soccer players and teams. But
interest in soccer is growing, as immigrants
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from the Balkans
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and other countries bring the
sport and their enthusiasm for it to their new
country. The result: in 2006, Australias national
team (nicknamed the Socceroos) made its first
appearance at the World Cup Finals in 32 years.
A skilled midfielder, Englands David Beckham is also a globally
recognized brand, known for his celebrity lifestyle.
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12 Unit 1 Sport and Fitness
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North America:
A Sport for Everyone
In North America, almost 28 percent of the professional players are
womenthe largest number in the world. The womens World Cup finals
are a hugely popular event; one match held in Los Angeles drew a crowd
of over 90,000, one of the largest ever for a womens sport. Mens soccer
is also gaining in popularity throughout North America, despite tough
competition from other popular team sports, such
as baseball, American football, and (especially
in Canada) ice hockey.
Soccer: A Global Force
Thanks to its worldwide popularity and the reach of satellite
television, soccer has experienced a major evolution in recent years.
Todays major teams import both players and coaches from abroad,
and clubs once supported only by their local communities now
have fans all over the world. In the last quarter century, soccer
has succeeded in cutting across national lines to become a global,
interconnected sportone that has the power to unite us all.
Brazilian striker
Ronaldo is the highest
goalscorer in the history
of the World Cup with 15 goals.
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An association is an official group of people who have the same job, aim, or interest.
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A brand usually refers to a type of product that is made by a certain company and is known
by many people.
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An immigrant is a person who has come to live in a country from another country.
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The Balkans is a region in southeastern Europe that includes Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, etc.
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Someone or something that is prominent is important and well-known.
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FIFA is the Fdration Internationale de Football Association (French for International
Federation of Assisiation Football). It is the international governing organization of
professional soccer.
Africa: Soccers New Frontier
Africa has a number of talented players; however, the continent
lacks strong domestic teams and faces the prospect of losing many
of its best players to the European clubs. Several national teams have
powerful athletes, though, and Africas more prominent
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role in the
soccer world was established in 2004 when FIFA
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awarded the 2010
World Cup tournament to South Africa.
South America: Unbeatable Talent
South America produces some of the most exciting
soccer on Earth, and many of the most admired
players. Brazil has won the most World Cup finals
ever and is the only team to have participated in
every World Cup to date. Youth soccer is also an
enormous business in South America (third after
Europe and North America), but as with Africa
and Asia, many of the best players join the wealthy
European teams for the chance to earn big money
and international recognition.
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U.S. star Mia Hamm
scored more goals for
her country than any
other player in history.
A.
1.
Reading Comprehension
Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer for each
question.
What is this reading mainly about?
a, the history of soccer
b, the popularity of soccer around the world
c, the increasing popularity of women's soccer
d. China's
passion for soccer
Which game is NOT mentioned in the passage as a popular
sport in China?
a. table tennis
b. basketball
c, badminton
d, soccer
Asia
Australia
North America
2.
3.
Gritical
Thinking
Do you think
soccer can be
used to improve
international
relations? Why or
why not?
'r,:l::
4.
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
a. ln Asia, soccer is a very competitive sport.
b. ln Asia, soccer has increased in popularity in recent years.
c. Soccer has helped to promote peace in the Middle East.
d. The 2002 World Cup was held in Asia.
According io the passage, South American soccer teams don't pay
as well as
_.
a. African teams
b. Asian teams
c. European teams
d. North American teams
5. ln line 79, the word drew could be replaced with
a. painted
b. controlled
c. arrived
d. attracted
B. Classification. Match each sport (a-h) with the region in which
it is most popular, according to the passage.
a. American football
b. Australian rules football
c. baseball
d. basketball
e. cricket
t. ice hockey
g. rugby
h. table tennis
lA The World's Game I3
version enthusiasm
evolve award
prospect intense
Vocabulary
Practice
A. Gompletion.
Complete the information using the correct form of words from the box'
One word is extra.
Soccer is an extremely popular sport, supported by 1'
fans all over the rvorld.
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B. Words in Gontext. Complete each sentence with the best answer'
1. For many things,
a. the lnternet
is an excellent source of data'
b. a supermarket
2. A decade
is a
period of
--
Years'
a. ten
b. twenty
3. An example of an enormous
animal is
a. a rnouse
b, a whale
4. The frontiers of science are things that are
a. known by everyone b. near its limits
5. lf we are talking about something'S
prospects, we are interested in its
a. future
that 3.
in EuroPe,
"table
football," because it lvas
a Atablesoccergar:
There is, horvever, an indoor 2,
-
of the game
particularly in the United I(ngdom, rvhere it r.vas knorvn as
played on top of a table. In addition,
Germany develoPed a similar game'
called "kicker."
The games eventually
crossed the Atlantic to America, rvhere
the game of "Foosball"
rvas born.
Foosball is played on a special table
rvhere each player controls their "team"
by turning sticks, to rvhich the "players"
are attached. As in real soccer, points are
4.
--by
Putting
the ball in
the other player's goal. Foosball, or table
soccer, requires 5.
-focus,
and excellent hand-eye coordination,r
making it a fast and exciting game.
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Coordination means uslng the ditferent parts of your
body together efficientlY.
Use prospect with:
(a.) prospect forlof
peace, prospect forlof war
(rr) prospect of being (somethingl' prospect
of having (something)
t4 Unit I Sport and Fitness
b.
past