During the 1850-70 period the game was changing, however, with increasing commercialism (charging admission), under-the-table payments to exceptional players, and gambling on the outcome of games. By 1868 it was said that a club would have their regular professional ten, an amateur first-nine, and their “muffins” (the gentlemanly duffers who once ran the game). Beginning with the first openly all-salaried team (Cincinnati’s Red Stocking Club) in 1869, the 1870-1890 period saw the complete professionalization of baseball, including formation of the National Association of Professional Baseball Players in 1871. The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in 1876, run by business-minded investors in joint-stock company clubs. The 1880s has been called Major League Baseball’s “Golden Age”. Profits soared, player’s salaries rose somewhat, a season of 84 games became one of 132, a weekly periodical “The Sporting News” came into being, wooden stadiums with double-deck stands replaced open fields, and the standard refreshment became hot dogs, soda pop and peanuts. In 1900 the Western League based in the growing cities of the Midwest proclaimed itself the American League.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
(a) the origins of baseball
(b) the commercialization of baseball
(c) the influence of the “New York Game” on baseball
(d) the development of baseball in the nineteenth century
2. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
(a) the wealthy gentlemen who first played baseball, later needed to find another recreational opportunity if they did not want to mix with others or become a “muffin”
(b) hot dogs would not have become as popular as they did, without the professionalism and commercialism that developed in baseball
(c) the “New York Game” spread rapidly because it was better formalized
(d) business-minded investors were only interested in profits
3. The word “inception” in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(a) requirements
(b) beginning
(c) insistence
(d) rules
4. The word “lavish” in line 12 is closest in meaning to
(a) prolonged
(b) very generous
(c) grand
(d) extensive
5. Which of the following is true of the way the game was played by wealthy gentlemen at its inception ;
(a) a team might consist of 40 members
(b) the president would choose teams from among the members
(c) they didn’t play on weekends
(d) they might be called “duffers” if they didn’t make the first nine
6. According to the second paragraph, all of the following are true except
(a) commercialism became more prosperous
(b) the clubs are smaller
(c) outstanding players got extra income
(d) people gamed on the outcome of games
7. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a feature of the 1880s “Golden Age”?
(a) wooden stadiums replaced open fields
(b) a weekly periodical commenced
(c) the National Association of Professional Baseball Players was formed
(d) profits soared
8. The word “somewhat” in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(a) to a significant extent
(b) to a minor extent
(c) to not the same extent
(d) to some extent
9. The word “itself” in line 28 refers to
(a) the Western League
(b) growing cities
(c) the Midwest
(d) the American League
10. Where in the passage does the author first mention payments to players
(a) lines 5-9
(b) lines 10-14
(c) lines 15-19
(d) lines 20-25 共5页: 1 [2] [3] [4] [5] 下一页