Americans are getting ready for the biggest soccer event in the world.For the first time the world cup soccer competition will be held in the United States.While millions play the game around the world,soccer or football has only recently become popular here.It is only in the last 30 years that large numbers of young Americans became interested in soccer.Now it is the fastest growing sport in the country.A recent study found that almost 18 million young boys and girls play soccer in the United States.

The study also found that soccer is beginning to replace more traditional games like American football as the most popular sport among students.And so,when the world cup begins next week,more than one million Americans are expected to go and see the teams play.Organizers say this year's world cup will be the biggest ever.All the seats at most of the 52 games have already been sold.

Soccer has been played in the United States for a little more than one hundred years.But how did the sport come to this country?And how long has it existed in other parts of the world?No one knows exactly where the idea for soccer came from,or when people began playing the game.Some scientists say there is evidence that ball games using the feet were played thousands of years ago.There is evidence that ancient Greeks and Romans and native American Indians all played games sim-ilar to soccer.

Most experts agree that Britain is the birthplace of modem soccer.They also agree that the British spread the game around the world.Unlike the game today,which uses balls of man-made material or leather,early soccer balls were often made of animal stomachs.The rules of early soccer games also differed from those we have today.

1.For how long has soccer been played in the United States?

A.About a hundred years.

B.About fifty years.

C.Only recently.

D.About thirty years.

參考答案：A

參考解析：細(xì)節(jié)題。見第三段第一句話。

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?

A.Americans were preparing for the world cup when the author wrote this article.

B.More younger Americans became interested in soccer in the last 30 years.

C.Soccer is the fastest developing sport in the world.

D.The article was written before the world cup held in the United States.

參考答案：C

參考解析：是非題。見文中第一段第五旬提到，足球在美國是發(fā)展最快的運(yùn)動，但沒有說在世界范圍內(nèi)是發(fā)展最快的運(yùn)動。故選C。

3.What is the author going to state in the next paragraph?

A.There have been attempts to start a professional soccer organization in the U.S..

B.In the 12th century soccer games in Britain often involved whole towns.

C.Professional soccer grew quickly in Europe.

D.Experts believed that the United States would win.

參考答案：B

參考解析：推理題。文中最后一段講述了英國足球是現(xiàn)代足球的發(fā)明國，接下來就應(yīng)該介紹一下足球在英國的發(fā)展才符合邏輯。故選B。

4.Who invented the modem soccer game?

A.American Indians.

B.British.

C.Geeks

D.Romans.

參考答案：B

參考解析：細(xì)節(jié)題。見最后一段第一句，英國是現(xiàn)代足球的發(fā)明者。

5.Which was the most popular sport as a traditional game among students?

A.Basketball.

B.American football.

C.Soccer.

D.Tennis.

參考答案：B

參考解析：細(xì)節(jié)題。見第二段第一句，“…soccer is beginning to replace more traditional games like American football as the most popular sport among students.”可知“American football”是在青少年中最為流行的傳統(tǒng)運(yùn)動。故選B。

參考譯文

美國準(zhǔn)備著迎接世界上最大的足球盛宴，他們有史以來第一次承辦了世界杯。當(dāng)全世界有數(shù)以百萬計(jì)的人在踢足球時(shí)，這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動在關(guān)國才剛剛火熱起來。大批美國青年人對足球感興趣還是最近30年的事。但現(xiàn)在它是美國發(fā)展最快的運(yùn)動。一項(xiàng)最近的調(diào)查顯示大約有一千八百萬的美國青年男女踢足球。

這項(xiàng)調(diào)查同樣表明，足球已經(jīng)開始代替更多的傳統(tǒng)運(yùn)動，比如橄欖球，成為學(xué)生當(dāng)中最流行的運(yùn)動。因此，世界杯下周開賽時(shí)預(yù)計(jì)去看球的美國人超過一百萬。主辦方聲稱這一屆的世界杯會成為歷史上最盛大的一屆。52場比賽中大部分場次的座位已全部售完。

足球在美國僅僅有一百多年的歷史，但這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動是怎樣流傳到這個(gè)的?足球在世界其他地方存在多久了?沒有人確切地知道足球是從哪里起源或是人們從什么時(shí)候開始踢足球。某些科學(xué)家表示，有證據(jù)證明用腳玩的球類運(yùn)動幾千年前就有了?，F(xiàn)在也有證據(jù)顯示古希臘、古羅馬和美國土著印第安人玩類似于足球的運(yùn)動。

大部分希賽網(wǎng)都承認(rèn)英國是現(xiàn)代足球的發(fā)源地，他們同樣也認(rèn)為英國把足球傳播到了世界各地。不同的是，現(xiàn)在比賽中用的足球是人造材料或是皮革質(zhì)地，而過去使用的球常常是用動物的胃做的。早期足球比賽的規(guī)則也與現(xiàn)在有所不同。