To many basketball fans in Taiwan, the William Jones Cup or the Basketball Association may be their sweetest memory. But if you ask them, “What’s the hottest basketball event now?” There is the only answer: HBL, the High School Basketball League.
Founded in 1988, the HBLwas at first just a high school basketball tournament. After the Taipei School Sport Federation took charge in 1996 and renamed it HBL, everything changed. The Federation decided to co-operated with Nike, the well-known sportswear manufacturer, and use its experience in marketing to promote the game.
The HBL started with 129 teams; today there are more than 250. no longer just of interest to the players, it’s now Taiwan’s biggest basketball event. Fellow students, alumni (男毕业生，男校友), and sports fans all over Taiwan cheer for their favorite teams. At last year’s finals, Taipei and Kaohsiung mayors came to cheer for their teams.
The HBL starts in September with qualifying and preliminary(预备的，初步的) rounds and continues through April of the following year, when the finals are held. Broadcasting the games on television has helped make the HBL a wildly popular event. It’s become the place to spot young basketball talent. Today’s HBL players are tomorrow’s professionals.
Recent HBL tournaments have been very competitive, with no one school taking the advantage. This wide-open quality of the tournament makes it more exciting. Everyone wants to see how this year’s games will come out. HBL fever just keeps getting hotter.
小题1:What is the hottest event in the eyes of most basketball fans in Taiwan?
A．HBL
B．The William Jones Cup
C．The Basketball Association
D．NBA小题2:What was it that helped to make the High School Basketball League wildly popular to the public?
A．The co-operation with Nike, the well-known sportswear manufacturer.
B．Broadcasting the games on television.
C．Taipei and Kaohsiung mayors’ coming to cheer for their teams at last year’s finals.
D．Many tomorrow’s professionals’ joining.小题3:Why does the writer say“Recent HBL tournaments have been very competitive”?
A．Because there isn’t a school taking the advantage.
B．Because HBL fever just keeps getting hotter.
C．Because it’s become the place to spot young basketball talent.
D．Because the Taipei School Sport Federation took charge of it.小题4:What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Today’s Players---Tomorrow’s Professionals
B．The High School Basketball League of Taiwan
C．The Basketball Fans in Taiwan
D．HBL Fever---Just Keeping Getting Hotter小题5:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A．At first, the HBL was no more than a high school football ball tournament.
B．It was the successful co-operation with Nike, the well-known sportswear manufacturer that changed everything of HBL.
C．Many of the mayors came to cheer for their teams during the event.
D．Everyone wants to see how the teams will come out to take part in the games.
