Question

1. the soccer war

soccer is an extremely popular sport throughout most of
the world. however, as with anything that people feel
intensely about, emotions sometimes get out of hand. english
fans have been known for brawling in the stands. a riot in a
game between argentina and chile in 1964 resulted in the
deaths of 309 people. but up until now at least, there has only
been one out - and - out soccer war.
the war took place between el salvador and honduras, two
central american countries. the year was 1969, and for many years the
salvadoran economy had been in a dire condition: too many people with
too little land and too few jobs created a situation of extreme poverty. as
a result, many desperate salvadorans had been illegally crossing into
honduras looking for work, and they harbored a strong sense that they
were mistreated there. so tensions were already very high at the
beginning of a world cup qualifying match between the two countries.
the first game of the three game playoff was held in honduras,
and the home team eked out a 1 - 0 win in the last minute of play. fighting
broke out afterward in the streets, and the stadium was set on fire. the
second game was played in el salvador, and the el salvador team won.
more rioting and fires followed. by the time the third game was played, in
mexico city, an actual military encounter appeared inevitable. and that is
exactly what happened. immediately after el salvadors close victory,
armies began skirmishing along the border of the two countries, then el
salvador invaded honduras and bombed its airfields. the war was over
in less than a week, but ill feelings between the two countries persisted
for years afterward.

1. central idea

(mark ci for central idea, tg for too general, and jad for just a detail)
soccer matches between countries often cause hard feelings.
el salvador and honduras fought a war over a soccer match.
honduras won the first game 1 - 0.

1. subject matter

another good title for this passage would be
a. three deadly days
b. worth a war?
c. support the home team
d. winners and losers

1. supporting details

the number of games the two teams played was
a. one.
b. two.
c. three.
d. four.

1. conclusion

the author of this passage seems to suggest that
a. soccer fans have no self - control.
b. the salvadorans and hondurans were fighting about more than soccer.
c. it is a better idea to have one playoff game than a series.
d. neither team was particularly talented.

1. clarifying devices

the writer develops the first paragraph with
a. a summary of the troubles between el salvador and honduras.
b. a series of questions and answers.
c. exaggeration.
d. examples of violence related to soccer games.

1. vocabulary in context

as used in the passage, dire means
a. dreadful.
b. unnecessary.
c. angry.
d. without rain.

Explanation:

1. Central Idea:

• "Soccer matches between countries often cause hard feelings" is too general (TG) as it doesn't specifically refer to the El Salvador - Honduras war.
• "El Salvador and Honduras fought a war over a soccer match" is the central idea (CI) as it captures the main event of the passage.
• "Honduras won the first game 1 - 0" is just a detail (JAD) about the soccer games.

1. Subject Matter:

• The passage is about a war that lasted a short time (less than a week) but had significant consequences. "Three Deadly Days" could be a good title as it hints at the short - lived but intense nature of the war.

1. Supporting Details:

• The text mentions "the first game", "the second game", and "the third game", so the number of games is three (c).

1. Conclusion:

• The passage mentions that there were pre - existing tensions (Salvadorans crossing into Honduras for work and feeling mistreated) before the soccer match. So the Salvadorans and Hondurans were fighting about more than soccer (b).

1. Clarifying Devices:

• The first paragraph gives examples like English fans brawling, a riot in an Argentina - Chile game, to show violence related to soccer games (d).

1. Vocabulary in Context:

• In the context "the Salvadoran economy had been in a dire condition: too many people with too little land and too few jobs", "dire" means dreadful (a) as it describes a very bad economic situation.

Answer:

1.

• Soccer matches between countries often cause hard feelings: TG
• El Salvador and Honduras fought a war over a soccer match: CI
• Honduras won the first game 1 - 0: JAD

1. a. Three Deadly Days
2. c
3. b
4. d
5. a