5.What may appear on the stamps of the
White Olympics?
A. Basketball. B. Table tennis. C.
Football. D. Skating.
Passage 37
In 1998, World Cup Football Match held
in France
took up a new rule. Instead of the usual black and white ball, a colorful ball
was used in the game. The new ball was made up of 32 pieces of three colors:
red, blue and white. Interestingly enough, the French national flag happened to
be in three colors, too. Besides, 32 teams took part in the coming World Cup.
But early football was made up of eight pieces of leather. As time went by,
more pieces of leather were used, from 12 pieces to 18 to 26 and then to 32
now.
About three million such new footballs
were made. And then some players were playing the new ball in their training.
The makers have warned the goalkeeper that the new ball flies in a direct line
at a fast speed.
After trying the ball for some time, a footballer
said that the ball was quite different from the traditional (传统的)
black and white one, and that the goalkeeper would find it harder to catch
them. Another footballer said that there would be more goals. “For the player
on the ground, the new ball is easier to control as it flies. A good player can
shoot in more goals,” he said.