COLEGIO TIQUIPAYA

READING COMPREHENSION QUIZ

NAME: DATE:

Basketball is played by millions of people, both men and women, in all parts of
the world. Professional basketball is watched by millions more on TV. The game
is played between two teams, with five players per team allowed on the court at
any one time. Points are scored by getting the ball through a hoop called 'the
goal' or 'the basket', and the team scoring the most points wins.

History

In 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor at

YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, decided to create a
new indoor game to keep his students fit during the cold winter months. He
experimented with a team game in which players threw a soccer ball to each
other and scored by throwing it into a peach basket nailed high on a wall. Later
that year he wrote the first version of the rules of what he now called 'Basket
Ball'. In 1906, the baskets were replaced by metal hoops in front of backboards.
The ball still had to pass through the hoop from above to score a goal, however,
as it did when baskets were used.

The game soon spread to other U.S. schools and universities. In the early
twentieth century, basketball competitions and leagues were set up all over
North America, but most didn't last long. Then, in 1946, the Basketball
Association of America (BAA) was formed to organize the top professional
teams in the U.S.A. and Canada into one professional league. The BAA
became the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949, and today the NBA
is the world's top professional basketball league. Most of the world's best
players are with NBA teams, attracted by the competition's popularity, its high
standard of play, and the high salaries.

How the Game Works

Basketball is played on a rectangular court 28 metres long and 15 metres wide

(approx. 92 ft by 49 ft) with a basket at a height of 3.05 metres (10 ft) at each
end. Most indoor courts have a floor made of wood. Points are scored by
throwing the ball through the opponents' basket. A goal scored from inside the
three-point line earns two points (see diagram at right), and a goal scored from
outside the three-point line earns three points, and goals from free throws earn
one point.

NBA games are played over four quarters of twelve minutes. Teams include
twelve players, but only five can be on court at one time. Players can be
substituted as often as the coach likes. Each coach has a limited number of
time-outs they can call during a game, and the game clock is stopped whenever
play stops. Several officials oversee each game, including three on-court
referees who call fouls, and table officials who keep score, run the game and
shot clocks, and keep track of fouls and substitutions.

Violations and Fouls

The ball can be moved by throwing it to another player (called passing) or by

bouncing it with one hand while running or walking (called dribbling). If a player
moves both feet without bouncing the ball, he commits a violation
called travelling. If he uses two hands while dribbling, he commits a violation
called double-dribbling. If a player's hand moves under the ball while dribbling,
he commits a violation called carrying the ball. Violations are also committed
when time-limits are exceeded, and usually result in a free inbound pass for the
opposition team.

A personal foul is committed when a player challenges another player unfairly,

such as by blocking their run or hitting their arms. A player or coach who argues
with a referee commits a technical foul. Fouls can be punished with a free
inbound pass, free throws at goal, or with sending off. A player who commits
five fouls, or six in the NBA, can no longer take part in the game and is said to
have been 'fouled out'.

Shots and Passing

Players shoot for goal with a set shot if both feet are on the ground, or with
a jump shot if the player is in mid-air. Other shots are the lay up (shooting, often
off the backboard, while moving towards the basket) and the slam
dunk (shooting straight down from above the basket). Passing can be done with
a chest pass, a bounce pass or an overhead pass. More difficult passes are
the no-look pass and the behind-the-back pass, though some coaches don't like
these techniques because they can easily go wrong.

Basketball Comprehension Quiz

1. Basketball was invented by a physical education instructor from

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2. The game was invented in the

 18th century
 19th century
 20th century

3. At first, players threw the ball into a

  laundry basket
 bread basket
 peach basket

4. When (Which year) was The National Basketball Association (NBA) set up?

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5. The semi-circle at each end of the court is the

 3-point line
 free throw line
 side line

6. The basket's rim must be at a height of

 ten feet
 eleven feet
 nine feet

7. A personal foul would be:

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8. What types of shots can a basketball player do?

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9. A goal scored by shooting from inside the 3-point line earns

 one point
 two points
 three points

10. The floor of most indoor courts is made of:

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