Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35. Sponsoring great athletic events In the 1998 World Cup, sports fans around the world (31) _____ various battles between fierce football rivals but also between the companies that sponsored them. Nike sponsored Brazil. Adidas sponsored France. While the teams (32) _____ for the biggest prize in football, the two ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35.

Sponsoring great athletic events

In the 1998 World Cup, sports fans around the world (31) _____ various battles between fierce football rivals but also between the companies that sponsored them.

Nike sponsored Brazil. Adidas sponsored France. While the teams (32) _____ for the biggest prize in football, the two companies tried to win the biggest battle, the battle of the brands as 500 million people from 195 countries turn in to watch the greatest footballers in the world. Afterwards, the sportswear companies' hope was for people to go out and buy some new kits. Adidas paid $20 million for the privilege of being an official sponsor of the 1998 World Cup and so one might have assumed it would have had the greatest presence at the (33) _____.

Sometimes, however, sponsoring doesn't (34) _____ the company much good. Other times, the sponsors' advertising campaigns are very original. Nike has claimed that if sponsors really want to support athletes, they can't turn up only for the photo opportunities and the media events and smile and (35) _____ for the cameras. They have to accept the whole package with its spitting, swearing, sweating and blistering-breaking. They just have to get used to it.

Question 33