Everybody knows that soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world.

Soccer is not a new sport. People all over the world played the game in different ways long ago. For example, in China nearly 2, 000 years ago, soldiers kicked a ball as part of   their exercise. Five hundred years ago in Europe, games in the street were common.

Soccer became popular in England in the 1800s. Different schools, clubs and groups played with different rules. In 1863, these English groups had meetings. They organized （ 组织） the different games into one game with similar rules. Soon, they formed the Football Association.

Not everyone agreed with the new rules. In England, some groups wanted to hold the ball with their hands so these groups formed rugby clubs. Groups in the United States also wanted to use their hands in the sport so they formed “football” clubs. Americans who didn’t want to use their hands called the game “soccer”. Soccer is a short form of the word association.

From England, soccer began to grow. The first official international game of soccer was played between Scotland and England in 1872. By the 1880s, there were professional soccer teams in several parts of Europe. English players also introduced soccer to Africa, South America and New Zealand.

Soccer soon   became very   popular   all around the   world.   FIFA,   the international     football federation（联盟）, met for the first time in 1904. Seven countries came to the meeting. The first World Cup was in Uruguay in 1930. Only 13 countries played in the Uruguayan World Cup.

The World Cup is now the most popular sporting event in the world. Over 720 million people around the world watch the final game of the World Cup.

Next time you’re playing soccer with your friends, remember that you’re part of a long history of a fun and exciting sport.

Every day, more things come into our lives. We get new things in our houses, on our calendars, and in our minds. _______ They start to control us and we may be in great trouble. That’s a bad way to live.

Minimalism (极简主义) is a better, simpler way of life. _______ Then, we can focus on things we really care about and try to do them better.

If you only own things that you really need, you’ll enjoy life more. You’ll value yourself more than material things you simply enjoy.

_______ Start by going through your things. If you don’t really need them, sell them or give them away. Soon, you’ll only have necessary things left for you.

Minimalism will help you let go of the past, so you’ll feel freer. You’ll need less money, so you won’t have to work too much. That means you’ll be able to have more time. You can spend it with friends, families, or whoever you like.

In the end, minimalism can improve your whole life. _______