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　　课文内容

　　When France and Senegal kick off on May 31 in the opening game of the 2002 soccer World Cup Finals, they will be making history. For the first time, the only international sporting event to rival the Olympic Games in popularity will be taking place in Asia. In another first, two countries, rather than one, will play host to the tournament.

　　Many people were skeptical about allowing Japan and South Korea to jointly stage soccer’s biggest tournament. After all, historically, the two nations have been enemies. Nevertheless, both of them have successfully hosted the Olympics in the past, and both are eager to take to the world stage once again.

　　With a huge amount of prestige at stake, the Japanese and Korean authorities have been working hard, and spending big, to make sure World Cup 2002 is a success. If past evidence is anything to go by, fans of the“beautiful game”around the world are not likely to be disappointed.