Americans consider baseball as an American sport. They often refer to something being “as American as baseball and apple pie”. But is baseball really an American sport? And what are origins of baseball anyway?

The American game of baseball more than likely came from several European ball games. Russia had an early form of baseball and so did Germany and Romania. People in England played a game called “stool ball”. In this game, the pitcher(投手)tried to hit a stool(凳子)or chair with a ball and the batter(击球手)used a stick to keep the ball away. But American baseball was most likely based on another English game, which is called “rounders”. Players use a soft ball rater than a hard ball while playing rounders.

So when was the first real game of “baseball” played? It seems that it took place in the 1840s. The father of baseball was Alexander Cartwright, who organized a baseball club in New York. Cartwright developed 20 rules that distinguished baseball from previous ball games.

In 1858, the first organized baseball league—the National Association of Baseball players—was formed. This league began charging fans to watch the games. However, the players were all amateurs and did not get paid . In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings began to pay their players. Since they could hire the best players, Cincinnati won 57 games and lost none in their first season. As a result, other teams decided to hire players too. By 1871, the National Association was the first professional baseball league.

Today baseball is liked very much in America. Top professional baseball players earn millions of dollars each year. There are two professional leagues—the National League and the American League. The best teams from these two leagues compete for the baseball championship every year.

1.81.What do Americans think of baseball? (No more than 3 words)2’

2.82. Why was Alexander Cartwright called “the father of baseball ”?(No more than 16 words).3’

3.83. Where did the American baseball most probably come from?(No more than 5 words).2’

4.84.What does the passage mainly talk about?(No more than 5 words).3’

 

The United States is a sports-loving nation. Sports in America take various forms: organized competitive struggles, athletic games, hunting and fishing. Most sports are seasonal, so that what is happening in sports depends upon the time of year.
Baseball is the most popular sport in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer, and professional baseball teams play well into the fall.
Football is the most popular sport in the fall. The game originated as a college sport more than 75 years ago. It’s not the same as European football or soccer. In American football there are 11 players as well on each team, and they are dressed in padded uniforms and helmets because the game is rough and injuries are likely to occur. It is still played by almost every college and university in the country.
Basketball is the winner sport in American schools and colleges. Like football, basketball originated in the US, many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoors throughout the winter and because it is a faster game. And the famous NBA games are considered the best of this game.
Other sports attracting a great many people include wrestling, boxing and horse racing. Although horse-racing fans call themselves sportsmen, the exactness of the term is questionable, as only the jockeys who ride the horses in the races can be considered athletes. The so-called sportsmen are the spectators, who do not come primarily to see the horses race, but to bet upon the outcome of each race. Gambling is the attraction of horse racing.
【小题1】Baseball is so popular in America that some professional teams play it until ___________.

A．spring

B．summer

C．fall

D．winter

【小题2】When playing football, American players are dressed in a special uniforms ___________.

A．to avoid unexpected injuries

B．to play it like European football

C．to make the game rough enough

D．to look like professional players

【小题3】Many Americans prefer basketball to football because______.

A．NBA games are very popular

B．it is originated in the US

C．it is much faster than football

D．it is played indoors throughout winter

【小题4】Horse-racing fans can’t be exactly considered as sportsmen because they ________.

A．mainly stand and watch the races

B．don’t ride horse in the races

C．are only interested in the results

D．don’t care who wins in the races

【小题5】The underlined word “jockeys” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

A．the person who bets upon the the race

B．the person who cares about horse-racing

C．the rider who enjoys watching the race

D．the rider who competes in horse-racing

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and required words limit. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Marti Sementelli has been a baseball player since preschool, throwing plastic balls and swinging a tiny wood bat from the time she was 3 years old. She was a solid player at every youth level, and sometimes a star. In 2007, Nike even featured the young Californian in a TV commercial.

Despite her experience, Sementelli, now 16, had a hard time finding a high school that would allow her to try out for the boys’ baseball team.

Two parochial schools (教会学校) near her family’s home in North Hollywood said no, and several public schools were lukewarm (冷淡的) to the idea. Finally, she found Burbank High School, where she’s now a sophomore and a member of the JV baseball team.

Sementelli’s story is not unique. Across the country, girls devoted to baseball--and with as many seasons of youth ball under their belts as their male teammates--are finding it isn’t easy to stay in the sport when they reach high school.

Biology does play a role in the situation: Boys, especially older ones, often have an edge over girls in size and strength, allowing them to throw harder and swing with greater force. But girls say that the toughest battles are not about capabilities, but against the traditional attitude that baseball is for boys.

“Most people just are incapable of seeing beyond what’s easy,” says Jennifer Ring, the author of Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don’t Play Baseball, and a professor at the University of Nevada-Reno. “It is much neater if we say boys play baseball and girls play other sports.”

In at least one state, Massachusetts, girls are barred from trying out for boys’ baseball in high schools that also offer softball. Nebraska dropped its ban last year, and in January, Indiana removed its ban after being sued (控告) by the parents of Logan Young, a 15-year-old aspiring catcher and freshman at Bloomington South High School.

When did Sementelli begin to play baseball? (no more than 6 words)

Where did Sementelli stay in a baseball team? (no more than 6 words)

What does the author think about girls’ capabilities in baseball? (no more than 10 words)

In which states are girls allowed to play baseball? (no more than 4 words)

The United States is a sports-loving nation. Sports in America take various forms: organized competitive struggles, athletic games, hunting and fishing. Most sports are seasonal, so that what is happening in sports depends upon the time of year.

Baseball is the most popular sport in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer, and professional baseball teams play well into the fall.

Football is the most popular sport in the fall. The game originated as a college sport more than 75 years ago. It’s not the same as European football or soccer. In American football there are 11 players as well on each team, and they are dressed in padded uniforms and helmets because the game is rough and injuries are likely to occur. It is still played by almost every college and university in the country.

Basketball is the winner sport in American schools and colleges. Like football, basketball originated in the US, many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoors throughout the winter and because it is a faster game. And the famous NBA games are considered the best of this game.

Other sports attracting a great many people include wrestling, boxing and horse racing. Although horse-racing fans call themselves sportsmen, the exactness of the term is questionable, as only the jockeys who ride the horses in the races can be considered athletes. The so-called sportsmen are the spectators, who do not come primarily to see the horses race, but to bet upon the outcome of each race. Gambling is the attraction of horse racing.

Baseball is so popular in America that some professional teams play it until ___________.

A. spring            B. summer                 C. fall                D. winter

When playing football, American players are dressed in a special uniforms ___________.

A. to avoid unexpected injuries

B. to play it like European football

C. to make the game rough enough

D. to look like professional players

Many Americans prefer basketball to football because______.

A. NBA games are very popular           

B. it is originated in the US

C. it is much faster than football                

D. it is played indoors throughout winter

Horse-racing fans can’t be exactly considered as sportsmen because they ________.

A. mainly stand and watch the races

B. don’t ride horse in the races

C. are only interested in the results

D. don’t care who wins in the races

The underlined word “jockeys” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

A. the person who bets upon the the race

B. the person who cares about horse-racing

C. the rider who enjoys watching the race

D. the rider who competes in horse-racing

The United States is a sports-loving nation. Sports in America take various forms: organized competitive struggles, athletic games, hunting and fishing. Most sports are seasonal, so that what is happening in sports depends upon the time of year.

Baseball is the most popular sport in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer, and professional baseball teams play well into the fall.

Football is the most popular sport in the fall. The game originated as a college sport more than 75 years ago. It’s not the same as European football or soccer. In American football there are 11 players as well on each team, and they are dressed in padded uniforms and helmets because the game is rough and injuries are likely to occur. It is still played by almost every college and university in the country.

Basketball is the winner sport in American schools and colleges. Like football, basketball originated in the US, many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoors throughout the winter and because it is a faster game. And the famous NBA games are considered the best of this game.

Other sports attracting a great many people include wrestling, boxing and horse racing. Although horse-racing fans call themselves sportsmen, the exactness of the term is questionable, as only the jockeys who ride the horses in the races can be considered athletes. The so-called sportsmen are the spectators, who do not come primarily to see the horses race, but to bet upon the outcome of each race. Gambling is the attraction of horse racing.

1.Baseball is so popular in America that some professional teams play it until ___________.

A．spring

B．summer

C．fall

D．winter

2.When playing football, American players are dressed in a special uniforms ___________.

A．to avoid unexpected injuries

B．to play it like European football

C．to make the game rough enough

D．to look like professional players

3.Many Americans prefer basketball to football because______.

A．NBA games are very popular

B．it is originated in the US

C．it is much faster than football

D．it is played indoors throughout winter

4.Horse-racing fans can’t be exactly considered as sportsmen because they ________.

A．mainly stand and watch the races

B．don’t ride horse in the races

C．are only interested in the results

D．don’t care who wins in the races

5.The underlined word “jockeys” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

A．the person who bets upon the the race

B．the person who cares about horse-racing

C．the rider who enjoys watching the race

D．the rider who competes in horse-racing