Questions 57－62 are based on the following passage.

There has been much speculation about the origin of baseball. In 1907 a special commission decided that the modern game was invented by Abner Doubleday in 1839. One hundred years later the National Baseball Museum was opened to honor Doubleday. Historians, however, disagree about the origin of baseball. Some say that baseball comes from bat-and-ball games of ancient times. It is a matter of record that in the 1700s English boys played a game they called “baseball”. Americans have played a kind of baseball since about 1800. At first the American game had different rules and different names in various parts of the country — “town ball”, “rounders”, or “one old cat”. Youngsters today still play some of these simplified forms of the game.

Baseball did not receive a standard set of rules until 1845, when Alexander Cartwright organized the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York City. The rules Cartwright set up for his nine-player team were widely adopted by other clubs and formed the basis of modern baseball. The game was played on a “diamond” infield with the bases 90 feet apart. The first team to score 21 runs was declared the winner. By 1858 the National Association of Baseball Players was formed with 25 amateur teams. The Cincinnati Red Stockings began to pay players in 1869.

57. Which of the following is true about the origins of baseball?

A. Historians agree that baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday.

B. Baseball, as played in the early 19th century, differed very little from

today’s game.

C. As early as the 1700s, English boys played a game called “baseball.”

D. The first standard set of baseball rules was established at the turn of the

century.

58. What was the first professional baseball team called?

A. New York Knickerbockers.

B. Milwaukee Braves.

C. Cincinnati Red Stockings.

D. Brooklyn Dodgers.

59. Who first gave baseball a standard set of rules?

A. Abner Doubleday.

B. Alexander Cartwright.

C. Albert Spalding.

D. Babe Ruth.

60. Which of the following was not a predecessor of baseball?

A. Rounders.

B. Town ball.

C. Cricket.

D. One old cat.

61. The tone of the passage is_____.

A. persuasive

B. informative

C. biased

D. argumentative

62. The passage implies that until 1869, baseball was played for all of the following reasons except_____.

A. exercise

B. leisure

C. profit

D. socializing