XVII. Reading comprehension (3).

Read the following sporting news only once and try to answer as many questions as you can. Don`t look at the text! When reading again, answer all the questions.

Saudis book world cup place

Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2002 World Cup after winning their final Asian Group A match against Thailand on Sunday. Iran had been favourites to qualify from the group but were beaten 3-1 by Bahrain. Iran will now face the United Arab Emirates in a play-off, with the winner playing the Republic of Ireland for a place in the next year`s finals in Korea and Japan. Saudi Arabia, who have reached their third consecutive finals, beat Thailand 4-1. Abdullah al-Sheehan opened the scoring latching on to a through ball from Hussein Abdul Ghani in the 41-st minute. Abdullah al-Jamaan made it 2-0 just after half-time, heading home from an Ahmed al-Dokhi cross. Boliban pulled one back for Thailand in the 54-th minute. Sami al-Jaber extended the Saudi lead from the penalty spot after al-Sheehan was brought down. Midfielder Ibrahim Mater rounded off the scoring in the 73-rd minute.

1. What type of football game is spoken about?

2. How many finals have Saudi Arabia already had?

3. When did al-Sheehan open the score? How did it happen?

4. How did al-Jaber manage to get the lead?

5. Who rounded the scoring?

Arizona claim world series place

Atlanta Braves 2-3 Arizona Diamondblacks (Arizona win best-of-seven series 4-1). New York Yankees 3-1 Seattle Mariners (Yankees lead best-of-seven series 3-1).

The Arizona Diamondblacks reached the World Series for the first time ever, while the New York Yankees are just one game away after Sunday`s league championship encounters. Erubiel Durazo hit a two-run pinch-hit homer to take Arizona to a 4-1 series victory lead over the Atlanta Braves, while Alfonso Soriano`s home run gave the Yankees a 3-1 series lead over the Seatlle Mariners. Arizona`s win means that, in their fourth season, they are the fastest franchise to reach baseball`s premier event. The Yankees, on the other hand, are old hands at this stage of the season, and are poised for their fourth straight visit to the World Series. Arizona earned their first National League pennant when Durazo, batting from injured first baseman Mark Grace, sliced a shot down the left-field line off braves starter Tom Glavine. Durazo`s blast snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the D`backs a 3-1 lead. Hard-throwing left-hander Randy Johnson and Byung Kim combined on a seven-hitter for Arizona. Johnson allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings. After striking out Brian Jordan with the bases loaded to end the seventh, he gave way to Kim. Kim recorded the final six ^©outs for his second save in as many days. Arizona second baseman Craig Counsell, who hit 381 (8-for-21) with five runs, earned Most Valuable Player honours. In New York, Soriano`s ninth-inning home run lifted the Yankees to the verge of their fifth World Series in six years with a 3-1 victory. Game Five of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series takes place on Monday at Yankee Stadium. In a very tight game, Seattle starter Paul Abbott threw a no-hitter through five inning, while New York starter Roger Clemens yielded only one hit in five. But in the final innings, New York`s Scott Brosius singled with one out off Seattle closer Kazuhiro Sasaki and Soriano, batting ninth in the order, hit a 1-0 pitch to right centrefield. In the previous inning, Bret Boone homered for the second day in a row for Seattle but Bernie Williams countered with his second in as many games in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 1-1. After the two eigth-inning homers left the scoreboard showing 1-2-0 (runs, hits, errors) for each team, Yankee closer Mariano Rivera came on and dismissed the Mariners in three pitches.

1. What type of game is spoken about?

2. How many times have Diamondblacks reached the World Series?

3. Who took Arizona to a victory over the Atlanta Braves?

4. How did Arizona earn their first National League pennant?

5. How many runs and hits did Johnson allow in seven innings?

6. When and where does Game Five take place?

7. Who dismissed the Mariners?