Unit 7: Reading exam
Quiz by Scott Darnell
Feel free to use or edit a copy
includes Teacher and Student dashboards
Measure skillsfrom any curriculum
Tag the questions with any skills you have. Your dashboard will track each student's mastery of each skill.
- edit the questions
- save a copy for later
- start a class game
- automatically assign follow-up activities based on students’ scores
- assign as homework
- share a link with colleagues
- print as a bubble sheet
- Q1
How to spot fake news
Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. (1) ......... These days it’s so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? Is the text well written? Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many real stories about other topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been changed. Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn’t fake (although there are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: don’t share it!
Which fragment should go into gap number 1 so that the coherence and cohesion are correct?
In conclusion, the internet has revolutionized communication and access to information, changing the way we live and interact.
So, it is essential to have a strong internet connection and a reliable device for browsing the web.
Sometimes they want you to click on another story or advertisement at their own site, other times they want to upset people for political reasons.
That's why many people enjoy sharing funny cat videos and memes online, which can provide entertainment and a sense of community.
300s - Q2
How to spot fake news
Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. (1) ......... These days it’s so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? (2) ......... Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many real stories about other topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been changed. Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn’t fake (although there are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: don’t share it!
Which fragment should go into gap number 2 so that the coherence and cohesion are correct?
The website have a lot of pop-up advertisements.
If the website's domain name very long and complicated, then it's fake.
Does the website require you to create an account?
Is the text well written?
300s - Q3
How to spot fake news
Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. (1) ......... These days it’s so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? (2) ......... Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many real stories about other topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you (3) ......... Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn’t fake (although there are some exceptions), as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: don’t share it!
Which fragment should go into gap number 3 so that the coherence and cohesion are correct?
read the comments section below the article.
just look closely at an image, you can see if it has been changed.
look closely at an image, you can't see if it has been changed.
use a search engine to find the author and check their past publications.
300s - Q4
How to spot fake news
Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. (1) ......... These days it’s so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? (2) ......... Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many real stories about other topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you (3) ......... Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. (4) ....... , as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: don’t share it!
Which fragment should go into gap number 4 so that the coherence and cohesion are correct?
If the story is found on social media platforms, it is definitely a reliable source of information.
If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn’t fake (although there are some exceptions)
If you find a lot of technical words and scientific terms, it is automatically trustworthy and should be shared without further verification.
If the story confirms your own opinion, you should immediately accept it as true and share it with your friends and family.
300s - Q5
How to spot fake news
Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. (1) ......... These days it’s so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? (2) ......... Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many real stories about other topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you (3) ......... Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. (4) ....... , as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. (5) ...... Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: don’t share it!
Which fragment should go into gap number 5 so that the coherence and cohesion are correct?
These include presenting multiple perspectives on the issue and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.
These include carefully citing all sources and providing links to reputable studies and research papers.
These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link.
These include using clear and concise language, avoiding sensationalism and emotional appeals.
300s - Q6
How to spot fake news
Every time you’re online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. (1) ......... These days it’s so easy to share information. These stories circulate quickly, and the result is … fake news.
There is a range of fake news: from crazy stories which people easily recognise to more subtle types of misinformation. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don’t get fooled!
1. Check the source
Look at the website where the story comes from. Does it look real? (2) ......... Are there a variety of other stories or is it just one story? Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don’t have many real stories about other topics. If you aren’t sure, click on the ‘About’ page and look for a clear description of the organisation.
2. Watch out for fake photos
Many fake news stories use images that are Photoshopped or taken from an unrelated site. Sometimes, if you (3) ......... Or use a tool like Google Reverse Image search. It will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts.
3. Check the story is in other places
Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. (4) ....... , as many big news organisations try to check their sources before they publish a story.
4. Look for other signs
There are other techniques that fake news uses. (5) ...... Also, think about how the story makes you feel. If the news story makes you angry, it’s probably designed to make you angry.
If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, (6) ......!*
Which fragment should go into gap number 6 so that the coherence and cohesion are correct?
Text adapted from: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/sites/podcasts/files/LearnEnglish-Reading-B1-How-to-spot-fake-news.pdf
the most important advice is: write a strongly worded comment criticizing the website and its authors
the most important advice is: report it to the police
the most important advice is: create your own news story to counter the original one
the most important advice is: don’t share it
300s - Q7
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
Basketball became an Olympic sport in…
1939
1891.
1936.
1949.
300s - Q8
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
James Naismith was born in…
Springfield, Massachusetts
the USA, but moved to Canada.
Canada, but lived in the USA.
Springfield, but moved to Berlin.
300s - Q9
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
Naismith created basketball because he wanted…
an indoor sport for his students.
his students to be competitive.
to change the rules of soccer.
see the names of great players
300s - Q10
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
Basketball began as an…………………… sport.
indoor winter
outdoor winter
indoor summer
outdoor summer
300s - Q11
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
In Naismith’s times basketball was…
not played in other parts of the world.
a safe sport.
an aggressive sport.
a game without rules.
300s - Q12
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
In the sentence ‘a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall’, what is the
meaning of the verb 'nailed'?
Fixed.
Covered.
Resisted.
Removable.
300s - Q13
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
In Naismith’s basketball rules, it was important to…
keep the first balls brown
throw the ball with one hand.
score points easily.
play without violence.
300s - Q14
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
Basketball was originally played with…
fruit baskets.
a soccer ball
open-ended nets.
metal hoops.
300s - Q15
HOW BASKETBALL BEGAN
Do you or your friends play basketball? Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports nowadays but it is a relatively young sport. It was invented in 1891 as a recreational game and less than fifty years later it became an Olympic sport at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
At age 30, Dr James Naismith, a Canadian sports coach, invented basketball. Do you know how it happened? Naismith was working as a PE instructor at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, in the USA. He needed a vigorous indoor game to keep his students fit and active in the gym during the long winters. He wanted to develop a game that required skill and coordination and he created basketball with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed up high on the wall.
These baskets gave the game its name: ‘Basket Ball’. The players could only hit the ball back and forth with one or both hands, or throw it at the basket. Twelve of the thirteen rules Naismith created are still basic to the game. Naismith’s original thirteen rules emphasized non-violent play.
In the beginning, Naismith used real peach baskets that had a bottom and his players had to climb a ladder in order to get the ball out of the fruit basket each time a ‘basket’ or point was scored. This way of playing was very inefficient and players soon started using bottomless baskets and, later on, metal hoops* and open-ended nets. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball but it was soon replaced by the Spalding ball, made specifically for basketball.
These first balls were brown but, in the 1950s, Tony Hinkle, a basketball coach at Butler College, wanted a ball that could be more visible to both players and spectators and introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Naismith’s teams had nine players but, in 1897, teams started to have five players.
The game rapidly spread all over the US, Canada and to other parts of the world. By 1948, two basketball groups existed in the US: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. They combined in 1949 into the NBA (National Basketball Association).
In 1959 a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. There you can see the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to the development of basketball.*
Text adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball
GLOSSARY:
* hoop: a horizontal circular metal ring supporting a net. En català vol dir ‘anella’, ‘cèrcol’
The first balls used to play basketball were ___________ balls.
soccer
brown
orange
Spalding
300s