Table of Contents
BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 123
ACADEMIC READING TEST 123 – PASSAGE – 2
ACADEMIC READING TEST – 123
READING PASSAGE – 2
Egypt’s beautiful game
A. It is estimated that over a billion people watched the 2014 World Cup – the biggest TV event in human history – and that football is a trillion-dollar industry.
The fact that a handful of countries dominate the World Cup does not lessen interest in the competition or the sport by people in the remotest of regions. Take the largely inaccessible Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia, where shepherds with few possessions sport Arsenal or AC Milan T-shirts, and where women who may not know of the existence of the UK wear pendants with Wayne Rooney’s face on them. In Qiqihar, in northern China, middle-school children choose ‘English’ names for themselves, like David Beckham or Ronaldo, while in the Sinai, where temperatures soar and there are no other signs of life outdoors, adolescent boys dribble, kick, header, and feint with homemade footballs, dreaming of lifting themselves from abject poverty by playing for a famous team.
Although football generally stimulates the economy, many places grind to a halt when a big match is on – indeed the inhabitants of Cairo quip that the best time to drive across town to shop is during a final between Al Ahly and Zamalek.
B. As a codified game, football is a modem phenomenon, but the fifth-century-BC Greek historian, Herodotus, noted that young Egyptian males played with a ball made from straw-filled goatskin. The 1882 occupation of Egypt by the British saw the introduction of the game prescribed by the English Football Association in 1863, and almost immediately, football became the national sport and gripped the Egyptian psyche.
C. Psychologists propose that football appeals to fans for two main reasons: firstly, however vicariously, they participate in a triumphal world greater than their own, especially important when their lives seem mundane or troublesome; secondly, by attaching themselves to one club, they experience a powerful sense of belonging.
In the past 50 years, Egypt’s population has risen exponentially while its quality of life – but for a fortunate few – has deteriorated markedly. Injustice, corruption, and tyranny have borne down upon the average Egyptian, who, for 90 minutes once or twice a week, forgets his woes in a football match. Fans also believe that on the field, there are still some rules, though that is not to say there is no corruption or lawlessness within football: referees are not always fair, and fans, themselves, behave fanatically and dangerously.
D. In Egypt’s case, a fan’s loyalty to a club is interwoven with class and political allegiances. Al Ahly, for example, founded in 1907, boasted a famous anti-British revolutionary as one of its honorary presidents, and in 1956, the beloved Gamal Abdel Nasser was honorary club president as well as President of the Republic of Egypt. In some ways, Al Ahly remains the people’s club, whereas Zamalek, by contrast, established in 1911, allowed foreigners to play for it, and was associated with affluent Egyptians allied to Kings Fuad and Farouk. In fact, the club was named Farouk in the 1950s.
E. In more recent times, Hosni Mubarak, president until 2011, was accused of using football as a way to divert the masses from the parlous state of the nation or coerce them into outbursts against teams from other African nations, like Algeria. He, himself, seldom missed a game played by the national team, and his appearance brought on a media frenzy along with patriotic songs and the chanting of slogans. Two of his sons – fabulously wealthy playboys – were frequently photographed socializing with football stars. On the financial side, club owners and managers contributed funds to Mubarak’s campaigns. It is rumoured that, even in disgrace, he is supported by football stars and billionaires.
F. Egypt has been in turmoil for the last decade. During the 2011 revolution, when Mubarak was deposed, a group of Ahly fans known as the Ultras took an active role in demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. In February 2012, during a football match in Port Said, the Ultras were attacked: 74 people died in the brawl. The Ultras claim they were assaulted by both fans from the opposing team and members of the security forces as punishment for their role in Tahrir Square. Other examples of apparently unprovoked violence may signal that even football no longer serves as a fantasy for the frustrated masses. In any case, it is as thorny a game off the field as it is on.
G. It seems the beautiful game in Egypt may need a radical facelift. Egypt’s poor showing in the 2014 World Cup – it failed to qualify whereas its rival Algeria did – meant that more Egyptians have started following European teams. Match violence and unprecedented social upheaval had already reduced support. Still, as every fan knows, when life is sweeter in Egypt again, there will be magical moments to savour at local stadiums too.
Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 2 has seven sections, A-G.
Which section contains the following information?
14. a comparison of football clubs
15. a hope for the future
16. a brief history of Egyptian football
17. a description of the manipulation of football for political ends
18. hypotheses on the allure of football for spectators
19. examples of the global reach of football
Questions 20-24
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 20-24 on your answer sheet, write:
YES – if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO – if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
20. Egyptian football players are represented in South American teams.
21. FIFA estimates that Egypt’s football economy is worth $2 billion a year.
22. European football stars have great importance in rural Africa.
23. While their own lives may be chaotic, some Egyptians like the rule-bound nature of a football game.
24. The Mubarak family involvement with football was largely sporting.
Questions 25-26
Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
25. According to the writer, what has caused the violence at Egyptian football matches?
A. Alcohol consumed by fans
B. Police assaulting fans
C. The very poor standard of play
D. A number of complex issues
26. What does the writer think will happen to Egyptian football teams?
A. They should qualify for the World Cup.
B. They will thrill their fans again.
C. They may continue to suffer losses.
D. They should limit their political affiliations.
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
ANSWERS
14. D
15. G
16. B
17. E
18. C
19. A
20. NOT GIVEN
21. NOT GIVEN
22. YES
23. YES
24. NO
25. D
26. B