Holidays & Events

World Cup
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. What type of competition is the World Cup?

2. What is a host nation?

3. Where is this year’s World Cup?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match up as many words and meanings as you can.

Check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on page 2.

1. international a) a player whose main job is to prevent a team from scoring

2. compete b) related to the whole world, global

c) a viewer of an event (may watch live or on TV)
3. qualify
d) the country that holds the main competition
4. host nation
e) a single game or competition between two teams or players
5. match f) an object that is given to a team or player as a reward
6. spectator g) a person who strongly supports a certain team or player

7. fan h) to show (through competition) that you are

good enough to play in a tournament
8. trophy
i) a player whose main job is to score goals
9. forward
j) to play against another person or team
10. goalkeeper

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Reading
1. The FIFA World Cup comes around every four years. The World Cup
is an international football (soccer) competition. Football teams
from around the world compete to win the World Cup Trophy.
The best teams in the world qualify for this event. The host nation
also qualifies.
2. The host nation of the World Cup changes every year. This is a
competition, too! Many countries compete for the chance to host
the world. After all, hundreds of millions of people watch these
matches. Some watch live, but most watch on TV. More people
watch the World Cup than the Olympics!

3. Football, also known as soccer, is a sport that millions

of spectators also love to play. All you really need is a
foot and a ball. It’s no wonder it’s an international sport!

4. Every fan hopes their team will win the World Cup Trophy.
The top forwards also compete for the “Golden Boot.”
This award goes to the top goalscorer. The best goalkeeper
also wins a prize. This prize is called the “Golden Glove.”

5. Which country will host the World Cup next?

May the best team win!

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Comprehension
Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner.
Then write the answers below.

1. How often does the World Cup take place?

2. What special right does the host nation get?

3. Why do many countries want to host the World Cup?

4. What award does the top forward receive after the World Cup?

5. What is the Golden Glove award for?

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Vocabulary Review
A. Fill in the Blanks

Use a word from the reading to fill in the blanks. Each word can only be
used once. Some words will not be used. Write your own sentence using
the word you wrote in the blank.

1. The main job of the is to score goals.

2. Football teams play many before they qualify for the World Cup.

3. Did you hear that loud cheer? The football are watching the World Cup finals!

4. Which country will be this year’s nation of the World Cup?

5. The players want to win the World Cup . It’s the number one goal!

6. The has an important job. He has to stop the other team from scoring goals!

7. The World Cup has an audience. Everyone will be watching!

8. More than 30 teams will in this year’s competition.

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Vocabulary Review cont.

B. Look at the Pictures

Circle the sentence that best describes the picture.

1. a) This nation watched the match.

b) This goalie is in the net.

c) This forward took a shot.

d) This team wants to win.

2. a) The forward got a nice goal.

b) The goalkeeper will make the save.

c) The timekeeper stopped the clock.

d) The team won the match.

3. a) This fan watched the match.

b) This goalie is in the net.

c) The score just changed.

d) This spectator wants to win.

4. a) The forward’s foot is on the ball.

b) The goalie kicked the ball.

c) This team stood in the net.

d) The fans cheered.

5. a) Teams compete for this trophy.

b) Everyone qualifies for this event.

c) The spectators win this award.

d) The host nation earns this prize.

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Discussion
1. Do you like football? What is the 4. What is your favorite football team?
difference between football and soccer? If you don’t like football, talk about
your favorite team of a different sport.
2. Do kids play football (or soccer) in your country?
Did or do you play football? Tell your partner 5. Which do you prefer, being a spectator
about some team sports that you played/play. or playing sports? Explain your
preference to your partner.
3. Football is an international sport because it doesn’t
require a lot of equipment. What equipment do
professional football players and teams use?

On the Ball
FACT OR FICTION?
on the ball
Read the story. Do you think it’s true or not? Which details seem like fact? quick or ready to move or act,
Which details seem like fiction? Tell your class about a time when you were paying attention
on the ball. Which World Cup teams do you think will be on the ball?

The Dog That Was On the Ball

Once upon a time, there was a dog named Pickles. The dog was out for a
walk with its owner when it spotted an object in a garden. The object was
wrapped in some newspaper. The dog’s owner picked up the object. It
was a trophy. This was not just any trophy. It was the missing World Cup
Trophy! Earlier that week, a thief had stolen the trophy from a museum
in London.

This story made international headlines. England was the host nation
of the World Cup that year. A few weeks after Pickles found the trophy,
England won the competition. Pickles celebrated with the winning team.
He also appeared in movies and on many TV shows. This dog was really
on the ball!

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 World Cup
Holidays & Events

Listening
Fill in the blanks as you listen to the recording.

1. The FIFA World Cup comes around every four years. The World Cup
is an international football (soccer) competition. Football teams from
around the world to win the World Cup Trophy. The
best teams in the world for this event. The host
nation also qualifies.

2. The nation of the World Cup changes every year. This is

a competition, too! Many countries compete for the chance to host
the world. After all, hundreds of millions of people watch these
. Some watch live, but most watch on TV.
More people watch the World Cup than the Olympics!

3. Football, also known as , is a sport that millions of

spectators also love to play. All you really need is a foot and a ball.
It’s no wonder it’s an sport!

4. Every hopes their team will win the World Cup Trophy. The top
forwards also compete for the “Golden Boot.” This award goes to the
top goalscorer. The best goalkeeper also wins a . This
prize is called the “Golden Glove.”

5. Which will
host the World Cup next?May the team
win!