American League was organized.

The origins(起源) of baseball probably stretch back to 1839 when Abner
Doubleday, a civil engineering student, laid out a diamond-shaped field at
Cooperstown, New York, and attempted to standardize(使标准化) the rules governing
the playing of such s as town ball and four old cat, the ancestors(祖先) of
baseball. By the end of the Civil War, interest in the had grown rapidly.
Over 200 teams or clubs existed, some of which toured the country playing
; they belonged to a national association of "Baseball Players" that had
proclaimed(宣布) a set of standard rules. These teams were s(业余爱好者) or
semi-professionals, but as the waxed in popularity, it offered
opportunities for profit, and the first professional team, the Cincinnati Red
Stockings, appeared in 1869. Other cities soon fielded professional teams, and
in 1876 the present National League was organized chiefly by Albert Spalding.
Soon a rival league appeared, the American Association. Competition between the
two was intense, and in 1883 they played a post-season(季后赛) contest, the first
"world's series". The American Association ually collapsed, but in 1900 the
American League was organized.

1. According to the passage, baseball originated in 1839 because ____.

A、Abner Doubleday invented a special diamond-shaped pitch

B、the rules of earlier s were amalgamated(合并) and regularized

C、civil engineering students became interested in playing s

D、the old s died out and a new one was needed

2. What was different about "Baseball Players" compared with earlier
players?

A、They travelled widely.

B、They belonged to many clubs.

C、They played by agreed rules.

D、They were not professional.

3. According to the passage, the Cincinnati Red Stockings were formed in 1869
____.

A、because baseball had become more popular by then

B、to enable the players to become professional

C、so that the public had the opportunity to profit from a professional
team

D、to produce a means of money

4. From the passage, we understand that the National League was formed in
1876 to ____.

A、reorganize the professional teams

B、enable more professional teams to be set up

C、to provide a governing authority for baseball

D、authorize and professional teams to combine

5. According to the passage, at the turn of the century the only remaining
baseball organizations were ____.

A、the American League and the National League

B、the American League

C、the American Association and the American League

D、the American Association