英國《金融時報》
原文閱讀精選集Vol.2

百事取消贊助印度板球聯賽

據統計，印度12億人口中有7億半人一年至少打4次板球，85%的人會關注板球賽事，其中就包括印度最大的聯賽——印度超級板球聯賽IPL。百事公司近日宣布退出贊助IPL的協議，放棄這個利潤豐厚、卻為丑聞纏身的年度盛事。

 

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

sponsorship 贊助

cricket 板球

lucrative 合算的

razzmatazz 精力

showbiz 演藝圈

auction 拍賣

franchises 特許經營權

 

閱讀馬上開始，建議您計算一下閱讀整篇文章所用的時間，對照下方的參考值就可以評估出您的英文閱讀水平。

Pepsi drops sponsorship of scandal-hit Indian cricket league（605words）

By James Crabtree in Mumbai

 

PepsiCo has pulled out of a Rs4bn（$62m）sponsorship deal with the Indian Premier League cricket tournament,dealing a further blow to the lucrative but scandal-plagued annual event.

 

The US-based beverage group signed a five-year title sponsorship arrangement in 2012,but formally ended its association with the event on Sunday after just three seasons.

 

The Board Of Control For Cricket In India,the sport's governing body and the IPL's owners,said Chinese phonemaker Vivo Electronics would become the IPL's title sponsor for the two remaining seasons of Pepsi's contract.

 

Neither the BCCI nor PepsiCo commented on the reason for the termination. The BCCI also gave no details of the financial deal struck with Vivo,although in a statement it said the Chinese company would provide a bank guarantee for payment in the “next 10 days”.

 

However,reports earlier this month in the Indian Express newspaper suggested that PepsiCo had sent a termination notice to the BCCI citing issues relating to the governance of the IPL. The US group declined to comment on the document.

 

“Losing a global company like Pepsi is obviously a blow,” said Ayaz Memon,a Mumbai-based cricket writer and commentator. “They seem to have become fed up with these governance problems,and decided it wasn't worth the reputation problems.”

 

Since launching in 2009,the IPL has attracted huge audiences with its television-friendly shorter cricket format and showbiz razzmatazz,in turn convincing companies such as PepsiCo and UK-based telecommunications group Vodafone to sign up as sponsors as a means to connect with India's sports-mad public.

 

But despite its financial successes,the event has also been hit by repeated management bust-ups and corruption allegations. Most seriously a handful of players and administrators were caught up in a betting and match-fixing scandal in 2013.

 

PepsiCo's pullout is the latest aftershock of that scandal,which ultimately saw two of the tournament's eight teams suspended in July,following an investigation led by a former Indian Supreme Court judge.

 

On Sunday,the BCCI confirmed that it planned to hold an auction to create temporary teams to replace the banned franchises for the next two years.

 

In a statement,Vipul Prakash,a vice-president at PepsiCo in India,said that the group's termination decision had been “mutually agreed” with the BCCI. “We will continue to associate with sports and cricket as a platform to connect with our consumers,” he said.

 

Vivo Electronics,which is relatively minor player in India's fast-growing smartphone market,could not be reached for comment.

 

However,the Chinese group's decision to become a sponsor makes it the latest in a line of mobile and e-commerce groups to sign up with the IPL as they seek to build brand awareness in India.

 

Online retailers such as India's Flipkart and US-based Amazon advertised heavily during the most recent season,which ended in May. Indian mobile commerce company Paytm,which is backed by China's Alibaba,has also been exploring potential sponsorship deals with the BCCI.

 

請根據你所讀到的文章內容，完成以下自測題目：

 

1.How long is the contract effective for Pepsi and Indian cricket league originally?

A.3years

B.2years

C.5years

D.1years

[1] 答案

 

2.Who will become the IPL's title sponsor for the next season of Pepsi's contract?

A.Walmart

B.Vivo Electronics

C.AT&T

D.Xiaomi

[2] 答案

 

3.What is the reason for the termination by PepsiCo?

A.scandal-plagued

B.fund shortage

C.policy changes

D.not disclosed

[3] 答案

 

4.Who has been exploring potential sponsorship deals with the BCCI?

A.Flipkart

B.Amazon

C.Paytm

D.Coca Cola

[4] 答案

 

[1]答案：C.5years
解釋：這家美國飲料公司在2012年簽訂了5年的有效合同。

[2]答案：B.Vivo Electronics
解釋：中國手機制作商Vivo將接替百事可樂為之后的兩個賽季提供贊助。

[3]答案：D.not disclosed
解釋：BCCI 和PepsiCo兩方面都沒有解釋終止合同的原因，因沒有透露更多的細節。

[4]答案：C.Paytm
解釋：阿里巴巴支持的Paytm也在尋求可能的合作關系。