QATAR TO HOST 2022 SOCCER WORLD CUP The tiny Middle Eastern nation of Qatar has a soccer team, but it has never played in soccer’s greatest tournament, the World Cup. However, something amazing will happen in 2022, when Qatar will become the first nation in the Middle East to host the men’s Soccer World Cup games. Some fans were confused about this choice. Where will the athletes compete? Qatar doesn’t have any stadiums built yet. Also, the weather in Qatar gets extremely hot in the summer. However, Qatar has plans to fix those problems. The country has announced plans to build enough stadiums for the tournament. To keep everyone cool, each stadium will have solar-powered air-conditioning. Qatar is also building a new airport and train system. Because the stadiums will be so close together and connected by train, fans will be able to watch two games in one day. Qatar has big plans for its new stadiums. Game officials say that after the World Cup, they will take the stadiums down. The stadiums will be taken apart and sent to countries that don’t have enough money to build their own stadiums. Qatar is very happy to be the first Middle Eastern nation to host the tournament. As the country’s Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa AI-Thani said to the World Cup organization, “Thank you for believing in change .... Thank you for giving Qatar a chance.” 1. Why is it so amazing that Qatar will host the World Cup? A. Qatar has never played in the World Cup. B. Soccer is not played in the Middle East. C. Qatar has very few soccer fans. D. Qatar is a small country. 2. The word “host” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________________. A. invite B. present C. organize D. build 3. What is one problem that Qatar will address? A. Their team is not good enough to compete. B. It is very, very hot in Qatar in summer. C. Qatar’s stadiums are very far apart. D. There is a lot of pollution in Qatar. 4. How did some soccer fans feel about the decision? A. They thought it was strange. B. They did not care. C. They were very excited. D. They were very sad. 5. What will happen to the stadiums after the World Cup in Qatar? A. They will be used by the Qatar soccer team. B. The stadiums will host musical concerts. C. They will be given to other countries. D. They will be sold to fans as souvenirs. 6. What can be inferred from the article? A. The tournament was moved from Japan to Qatar. B. Qatar is a wealthy country. C. The rules of soccer will be changed in 2022. D. Soccer is the official sport in Qatar.