该题所问的是，如果卡塔尔未赢得足球世界杯的竞标，哪个国家会赢得。题干中的关键词是but for 即 “如果不是” 的意思。正确选项A 在录音中的对应内容是 Qatar beat off bids from the U.S.， its closest competitor，意思是卡塔尔在竞标中击败了美国这个与自己最接近的竞争者。这也表明，其他选项所提到的竞争者都在美国之后，所以都不是正确选项。

[重点难点]
把握题干中的but for与录音中的its closest competitor的意思。

[录音原文]
Passage Three
On December 2, 2010 in Zurich, the FIFA Executive Committee awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar. Qatar beat off bids from the U.S., its closest competitor, and other follow-ups from Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Today, an internal investigation is being conducted, because leaked documents show that bribes were paid to secure the event for Qatar.
Qatari bid in particular has attracted controversy from the outset, because of the extreme summer heat during the months when the Cup is played and the tiny country's lack of a domestic soccer tradition. If it goes ahead, the tournament is expected to be switched to a date later in the year, creating scheduling headaches for European broadcasters.
The Sunday Times said it had obtained millions of secret documents, proving that Mohamed Bin Hammarn, a Qatari, then President of the Asian Football Confederation, and FIFA vice-president, made payments totaling US$5 million to football officials. In July 2011 a hearing of FIFA's Ethics Committee concluded that, as he sought votes for his bid for the position of FIFA president, he attempted to offer donations of $40,000 to officials from the Caribbean Football Association. He was banned for life from football after being found guilty of attempted bribery.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup organizing committee denied the allegations. FIFAJs sponsors have stayed silent, except for Sony statement saying:"As a FIFA partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately." Although the Sony statement is carefully worded, it is unusual for a sponsor to say anything publicly on such a sensitive issue and appears to reflect concerns over the knock-on effects on its image.
FIFA earned almost $1.4 billion last year, including more than $600 million from broadcasting rights and $400 million from sponsors. Sony is one of the six main FIFA sponsors who collectively paid around $180 million last year.

正确答案为选项B，在录音中的对应内容是because of the extreme summer heat during the months when the Cup is played，即由于卡塔尔夏天的极端气候，而这正是世界杯比赛进行之时。选项 A 和 C 所给的内容在录音中都没有提及，所以这两个选项及包含这两个选项的D 都不正确。

[重点难点]
理解 weather conditions are not good 与 extreme summer heat 的语义包容关系。

正确答案为选项C，其录音中的相关信息是he attempted to offer donations of $40,000 to officials from the Caribbean Football Association，即他企图提供 40,000 美元的捐款给加勒比地区足协。选项A 把他当时任国际足联副主席一职错误地说成了曾任该组织主席。选项B 说他的年收入是US$5 million, 而录音说的是他给足球界 官员付出总额为US$5 million的钱财。选项D 把他被发现行贿后被终身禁止从事足球相关活动错误地说成了他被逐出国境。

[重点难点]
根据常识理解在特殊情况下donation就是贿赂，记住数字及其相关词语。

正确答案为选项D，在录音中的对应内容是it is unusual ...and appears to reflect concerns over the knock-on effects on its image，其中最后的 the knock-on effects  on its image意思就是对其形象造成打击的影响或效果（its=Sony's) ，这与题干所说的影响其声誉语义功能相同。其他选项都与题干所问没有关系。

[重点难点]
理解录音内容中the knock-on effects on its image与问题选项中affect Sony’s reputation之间的对等语义功能。

正确答案为选项 C，录音中说 FIFA earned... and $400 million from sponsors， 从录音到问题所给选项的变化只是把from sponsors变成了 from sponsorship, 而意思没有变化。选项 A 和 B 分别错误地使用了录音中所说的国际足联的一年的总收入和播放权收入，而选项D 错误地使用了国际足联的6 个主要赞助商的总赞助额。

[重点难点]
记住题干所问中的sponsorship，并理解其与sponsor的转换关系。