B
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Mep.
rules of what is now one of the most popular sports in the world: basketball.
As colleges began to adopt the game at the turn of the 20th century basketball undertook a number of rapid changes. Five-person teams became the norm around 1898. Metal hoops replaced peach baskets in 1906. Though short lived，the first basketball league was formed' in 1898. Under the direction of President Roosevelt, in the 1930s college sports were reorganized to change the rules.This organization became the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCCA, The first professional league, later to become the National Basketball Association,
or NBA, was put together in 1948.
The game as we know it is now standardized very carefully. In the NBA and the NCAA, games are played for four quarters of 12 minutes each. A regulation court is 94 feet by 50 feet. It has been suggested that because the athleticisim or protesstonal players has increased so much since 1891 that the sport might be best served by increasing court size,though this change seems unlikely given the large amount of money that would be required to improve courts.
Outside of the professional and collegiate leagmbs, there seems to be no end to the introduction of new varieties of basketball from very comer of the world: water basketball, wheelchair basketball, even a new form called slamball (极限篮球).One might even say that Dr. James Naismith's creative achievement to sport exists in each one. And the basketball is significant for another reason; women have been playing almost since its inception: the first game of women、basketball was played in 1891, the same year the sport was invented.
39. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A.The origin of basketball.
B.The significance of basketball.
C.The basic knowledge of basketball.
D.The life story of James Naismith.
40. What can we infer about the basketball sport in the US?
A.The NCCA grew out of the NBA,
B.The game has remained stable since its birth.
C. Professional players have grown a lot in body weight.
D. Court improvements are held back for financial reasons.
41. Which of the following best reflects the basketball inventor's spirit?
A.Basketball is now making a large profit,
B.New varieties of basketball keep appearing.
C.Americans are very successful at basketball.
D.Basketball has become an international sport
42.The underlined word “inception” probably means .
A.discover B.birth C.boom D.defeat
