Americans are    36    about an international sporting event now taking place in the United States. It is the biggest women's soccer    37    in the world, the World Cup. The game Americans call soccer, is known around the world as    38    . And more and more Americans are learning to    39    it. Only in the last 35 years, large numbers of young Americans have become    40    in soccer. Baseball and basketball are still popular professional sports,    41    American boys and girls love to play soccer.

The United States Soccer Federation is the major soccer    42    in the country. It says more than eighteen million people play soccer in the United States. This means that    43    Americans play soccer than any other sport.

   44    , more people in the United States are watching soccer, too. They are attending the 3rd Women's World Cup games that are    45    in several American cities. 460,000    46    have been sold for the three-week contest that will end July tenth.

Women's soccer teams from 16 nations are    47    . Americans are closely    48    the progress of the United States' Women's World Cup team. And the team is already setting    49    . On June 19, the American team    50    Denmark in the opening game. Almost 79,000 people watched the game at Giant Stadium near New York City. That is a world record.

One of the most popular players    51    the American team is 27-year-old Mia Hamm. She became well known in 1996 when the United States women won the soccer    52    medal at the Olympic Games, defeating other teams. Experts say Mia Hamm can play soccer better than    53    woman in the world. She has scored more goals than any man or woman ever to play international soccer. Mia Hamm is a    54    to many young American girls. Television    55    say that at present thousand million people around the world are watching the game on television.

36. A. careless B. worried C. excited D. anxious

37. A. happiness B. event C. team D. incident

38. A. baseball B. football C. volleyball D. basketball

39. A. hate B. love C. give up D. played

40. A. interested B. disappointed C. satisfied D. surprised

41. A. and B. although C. so D. but

42. A. player B. event C. game D. organization

43. A. more B. less C. many D. fewer

44. A. In the past B. In the future C. just now D. At present

45. A. played B. to be played C. being played D. playing

46. A. tickets B. teams C. records D. players

47. A. taking place B. taking off C. taking part D. taking in

48. A. seeing B. watching C. thinking D. hoping

49. A. marks B. records C. points D. scores

50. A. beat B. hit C. won D. lose

51. A. in B. from C. on D. at

52. A. gold B. silver C. copper D. \

53. A. others B. the other C. other D. any other

54. A. player B. writer C. hero D. singer

55. A. broadcasters B. directors C. players D. spokesman