Playing basketball isn’t ladylike. That’s what Jewell Chapman’s high school headmaster told her in 1961 when he was against the girls’ basketball program.
“We were very discouraged, ” said Chapman, a forward（前锋）for her high school team of Des Moines.
Nearly 50 years later, Chapman is back on the playground. She’s 62 and plays for “Hot Pink Grannies”, joining about 10 other women on a team whose uniforms are black trousers and hot pink socks. They play in the Iowa Granny Basketball League.
It’s one of dozens of basketball leagues for women over 50 that have arisen across the country. For some, it’s a chance to exercise and meet people; for others, it’s a once – refused chance to make up.
“You see more and more elderly women’s teams taking part in state and national competitions,” said Michael Rogers, a professor in sports studies at Wichita State University. “In the future it will be something common to have leagues like this.”
Yearly surveys by the National Sporting Goods Association show the number of women aged 55 and older who play basketball at least 50 times a year has grown from 16,000 in 1995 to nearly 131,000 ten years later.
The women on the Hot Pink Grannies are good – natured but competitive when game time comes.
“I think I’m tough” says Colleen Pulliam, 69, showing off her strong arms at her challengers in a game against “Strutters”, known for their bright yellow socks.
Granny Basketball Leagues and similar groups spread quickly through much of the country, including California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
小题1:Which is right about Chapman?
A．She thinks playing basketball isn’t ladylike.
B．She is now 62 years old and feels discouraged.
C．She plays basketball again about 50 years later.
D．She is a forward in the Hot Pink Grannies.小题2:The underlined sentence “it’s a once – refused chance to make up” in the fourth paragraph means .
A．it is chance to realize their old dream
B．it is chance to take part in sports
C．it is chance to earn a reputation
D．it is chance to compete for medals小题3:Who is probably a player of “Hot Oink Grannies”?
A．Des Moines.
B．Colleen Pulliam.
C．Michael Rogers.
D．Strutters.小题4:Which of the following statements is true?
A．Some elderly women play basketball with the purpose of getting wealthy.
B．Granny Basketball Leagues have spread all over the USA.
C．The women on the Hot Pink Grannies are good – natured and less competitive.
D．The number of women aged 55 and older who play basketball has greatly increased.
小题5:From the passage we can infer .
A．in the 1960s, playing basketball wasn’t considered as a girls’ sport
B．the color of the socks is of great importance to granny players
C．more and more granny players are confident about getting higher scores
D．Jewell Chapman’s high school headmaster has already changed his attitude
