The e-Book

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on 2018 FIFA World Cup
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Russia and Qatar Win World Cup Votes (2nd December, 2010)

Russia and Qatar have been chosen to host the 2018 and 2022 football World Cup finals. It is the first time for an Eastern European and a Middle Eastern nation to hold the event. There was a lot of drama ahead of the vote in Zurich on Thursday. The English bid looked to be very strong, especially with Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron and David Beckham all campaigning. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said: "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise you will never regret it."

Advertisements

The two host nations could not be more different. Russia is huge and fans will have to travel long distances. Qatar is tiny and temperatures during the tournament will reach 50 degrees Celsius. They are planning to build special air-conditioned stadiums to keep the players and fans cool. Not everyone is happy with the vote. US President Barack Obama said he felt FIFA made "the wrong decision" in awarding the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Former Belgian star Marc Wilmots said FIFA made political and economic decisions, not sporting ones.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Russia and Qatar have	a.	of the vote
2	a Middle	b.	been chosen
3.	a lot of drama ahead	c.	regret it
4.	The English bid looked to	d.	us
5.	You have entrusted	e.	Eastern nation
6.	you will never	f.	be very strong

Paragraph 2

1.	The two	a.	economic decisions
2	fans will have to travel	b.	Celsius
3.	50 degrees	c.	host nations
4.	keep the players	d.	decision
5.	made the wrong	e.	long distances
6.	political and	f.	and fans cool

LISTENING GAP FILL

Russia and Qatar have ____________________ the 2018 and 2022 football World Cup finals. It is ____________________ Eastern European and a Middle Eastern ____________________. There was a lot of drama ahead of the vote in Zurich on Thursday. The English bid looked ____________________, especially with Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron and David Beckham all campaigning. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said: "____________________ us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise you ____________________."

The two host nations could ____________________. Russia is huge and fans will have to ____________________. Qatar is tiny and temperatures during the tournament will reach 50 degrees Celsius. They are ____________________ special air-conditioned stadiums ____________________ and fans cool. Not everyone is happy with the vote. US President Barack Obama said he felt FIFA made "____________________ " in awarding the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Former Belgian star Marc Wilmots said FIFA made ____________________ decisions, not sporting ones.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Russia and Qatar have been (1) ____ to host the 2018 and 2022 football World Cup finals. It is the first time for an Eastern European and a Middle Eastern nation to (2) ____ the event. There was a lot of drama ahead (3) ____ the vote in Zurich on Thursday. The English bid (4) ____ to be very strong, especially with Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron and David Beckham (5) ____ campaigning. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said: "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise you will (6) ____ regret it."

The two host nations could not be (7) ____ different. Russia is huge and fans will have to travel long distances. Qatar is tiny and temperatures during the tournament will (8) ____ 50 degrees Celsius. They are planning to build special air-conditioned stadiums to keep the players and fans (9) ____. Not everyone is happy with the vote. US President Barack Obama said he (10) ____ FIFA made "the wrong decision" in (11) ____ the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Former Belgian star Marc Wilmots said FIFA made political and economic decisions, not sporting (12) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	chosen	(b)	chose	(c)	choice
2.	(a)	holding	(b)	hold	(c)	held
3.	(a)	for	(b)	from	(c)	of
4.	(a)	looking	(b)	looks	(c)	looked
5.	(a)	all	(b)	both	(c)	whole
6.	(a)	no	(b)	never	(c)	non
7.	(a)	more	(b)	most	(c)	many
8.	(a)	hold	(b)	reach	(c)	arrive
9.	(a)	freezing	(b)	cold	(c)	cool
10.	(a)	felt	(b)	feel	(c)	feeling
11.	(a)	award	(b)	awarding	(c)	awards
12	(a)	one	(b)	tos	(c)	ones

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	Russia and Qatar have been escohn
2.	eMldid Eastern nation
3.	a lot of raamd
4.	oldeok to be very strong
5.	eDtpuy Prime Minister
6.	you will never rtreeg it
Paragraph 2
7.	host atiosnn
8.	travel long scsdatien
9.	50 rgsedee Celsius
10.	keep the lpyaesr and fans cool
11.	reorFm Belgian star
12.	political and economic ciednssio

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	said he felt FIFA made "the wrong decision" in awarding the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Former Belgian
( )	Eastern European and a Middle Eastern nation to hold the event. There was a lot of drama ahead of the vote in
( )	Zurich on Thursday. The English bid looked to be very strong, especially with Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron
( )	and David Beckham all campaigning. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said: "You have entrusted
( )	The two host nations could not be more different. Russia is huge and fans will have to travel long distances. Qatar
( 1 )	Russia and Qatar have been chosen to host the 2018 and 2022 football World Cup finals. It is the first time for an
( )	us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise you will never regret it."
( )	star Marc Wilmots said FIFA made political and economic decisions, not sporting ones.
( )	is tiny and temperatures during the tournament will reach 50 degrees Celsius. They are planning to build special
( )	air-conditioned stadiums to keep the players and fans cool. Not everyone is happy with the vote. US President Barack Obama

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	the 2022 Cup Host and World 2018 football finals.
2.	was a lot of drama ahead of the vote There.
3.	to The be English very bid strong looked.
4.	Prime Igor Deputy Minister Shuvalov Russia’s.
5.	will I never can regret promise it you.
6.	host not different two could more The nations be.
7.	- to conditioned build stadiums special air Planning.
8.	vote the with happy is everyone Not.
9.	wrong the made FIFA felt He decision.
10.	the tournament Qatar Awarding 2022 to.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about football (soccer) for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. FIFA: Search the Internet and find more information about FIFA and its World Cup. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about football (soccer). Include imaginary interviews with Russian and Qatari football bosses. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the boss of FIFA. Ask him three questions about football (soccer). Give him three of your opinions on how to make the World Cup better. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on 2018 FIFA World Cup (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)