Intermediate Instant Lesson™

World Cup traffic and hooligans?

Pre-Reading Activities

A: Discussion Work in pairs and answer these questions.

1. What do you know about soccer? (If you are an expert, you have three minutes to talk about soccer! If you don't know much, tell the others in your group what you know!) 2. What is the name of the most important world soccer event? 3. How would you feel if this event were held in your country? 4. What would you worry about if one of the most important games at this event were held in your city or hometown? Write a list of things that you might worry about.

a. b. c. d. 5. This event is being held in Germany in 2006. What particular things do you think the German people might be worried about in hosting this event?

Reading Activities

A: Checking Your Predictions Read today's article. Are any of the problems that are described in today's article problems you thought of?

Germans worried about World Cup traffic, hooligans

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ERLIN (Reuters) Thu Jan 19, 2006 Germans are worried about olicing, transport problems and ooligans at this year's World Cup, ccording to a survey published on hursday.

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he 1,000 Germans questioned by he TNS Emnid polling institute were urprisingly gloomy about the roblems that could affect the onth-long finals starting on June 9.

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ermans have previously expressed ptimism about the tournament,

ore than three-quarters -- 77 ercent -- said it was probable or ighly probable there would be rioting hooligans in the city centers f cities hosting matches" and two-hirds predicted trouble with ampaging fans inside the stadiums.

ome 42 percent of Germans even aid they were expecting one match o be canceled because of a terror care and 24 percent said a terror ttack was either probable or highly robable.

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aying in polls it should highlight the ountry's efficiency, and attract nvestors and tourists.

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he latest study found 96 percent greed it was "highly likely" or likely" there would be a massive olice clampdown in Germany uring the tournament while 94 ercent fear extremely long queues ue to security checks outside the enues. ome 89 percent expressed fears of verfilled buses and trains to the adiums and a similar number said

here would be traffic chaos on roads ll around the stadiums.

ermans are also pessimistic about he country's chances of winning a ourth World Cup. Three-quarters eckoned victory was unlikely, of hom one in seven gave their team o chance.Less than one in four said German victory was likely.

espite this pessimism, demand for ickets among Germans far outstrips upply.

Article © 2006 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2006 www.english-to-go.com Glossary: hooligans - people who behave in a noisy, violent way in public places

optimism - a feeling of hopefulness about the future clampdown - stopping something or controlling it

B: Reading For Specific Information Complete this table of information using the article.

Number of people in survey: __ Percentage of people who felt it was likely there would be strong control by police: 96

Percentage of people who were worried about queuing: __ Percentage of people who were worried about crowded public transport: 89

Percentage of people who were worried about traffic jams: __

Percentage of people who were worried about hooliganism in the city centers: __

Percentage of people who were worried about cancellations due to terrorist activities: 42

Percentage of people who said terrorist strikes were likely: __

Percentage of people who thought it was unlikely that their country would win the World Cup: __

C: Vocabulary Find words in the article with these meanings:

1. a word that means a sporting competition where teams win matches and then play more matches until one team is left ___________ 2. a word that means a large sporting ground with rows of seats around it ___________ 3. a word that means feeling worried or gloomy about something ___________

D: True Or False Read the article again and say whether the following sentences are true or false.

1. The article says that it is not surprising that Germans were pessimistic about World Cup problems in the latest poll. 2. Many Germans believe that the World Cup will help bring money into Germany. 3. Germans are worried about hooliganism only in the centers of hosting cities. 4. A large number of Germans want to go and watch the World Cup.

Post-Reading Activities You may do one or more of these.

A: Problem Solving Work in pairs. Imagine you are hosting the World Cup with an important game being held in your city or hometown. Choose one of the things you said would be worried about if you were hosting it in Pre-Reading Activity A. How would you plan to solve this worry? What would you do? Brainstorm and then present your ideas to the class.

B: Research Who are the strongest soccer teams in the world at the moment? Who won the last world cup? Who is most likely to win the next one?

Work in pairs and find answers to these questions. Use the Internet, books or ask any friends who know about soccer!

TEACHERS' NOTES AND ANSWER KEY

Pre-Reading Activities

A: Discussion - Notes 1. If some students know a lot, and others know only a little, try to pair them up so that the knowledgeable ones can be interviewed by the ones who only know a little. 2. Soccer's biggest event is the FIFA World Cup, usually known as the World Cup. The 2006 event is being held in Germany with games being played in twelve towns and cities: Berlin, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Hanover, Kaiserslautern, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart. 4. Answers will vary but students may list things like terrorism, crowd control, traffic congestion, depending on where they live! 5. Answers will vary but could include hooliganism and terrorism.

Reading Activities

A: Checking Your Predictions - Answers Answers will vary. Problems described in the article are policing, transport problems, long queues and hooligans.

B: Reading For Specific Information - Answers Number of people in survey: 1000 Percentage of people who felt it was likely there would be strong control by police: 96 Percentage of people who were worried about queuing: 94 Percentage of people who were worried about crowded public transport: 89 Percentage of people who were worried about traffic jams: around 89 ("a similar number") Percentage of people who were worried about hooliganism in the city centers: 77 Percentage of people who were worried about cancellations due to terrorist activities: 42 Percentage of people who said terrorist strikes were likely: 24 Percentage of people who thought it was unlikely that their country would win the World Cup: 75

C: Vocabulary - Answers 1. tournament, 2. stadium, 3. pessimism

D: True Or False - Answers 1. F (they were surprisingly gloomy.), 2. T, 3. F (they are also worried about fans rioting in the stadiums), 4. T.

Please note: The official website of the FIFA World Cup is at http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/