2、Handball is a hugely popular sport in Europe and Asia, and it is one of the fastest and most exciting sports in the world. It combines basketball and soccer with the attracting saves of water polo. Handball is played on an indoor court （ the size of two basketball courts ） and there are goals at each end. There are twelve players on each team, two goal keepers and ten field players, but there is a maximum of one goalkeeper and six field players from each team allowed on the court at any one time. The idea is simple: score more goals than the other team.  

The ball is made of leather or a synthetic material and it must be round. The surface must not be shiny or slippery. The size and weight of the ball varies for male and female teams, and adult and junior team’s. Handball has the same freeranging play as basketball, with all players except the goalkeeper constantly moving from attack to defence. The goalkeeper uses hands, feet, head and body to keep out the other team’s shots.  

The origins of handball are unclear. Many people believe that it developed as a training game for soccer, to be played in the off season, or when it was snowing. Now, in countries where handball is popular, players can earn large sums of money, and indoor stadiums seating over ten thousand people sell out regularly. Handball has been played at the Olympics since 1972.  

 

56．The passage states that handball was most probably developed         .  

A．as a replacement for basketball                            B．by supporters of water polo  

C．for the 1972 Olympics                                       D．as a training game  

57．The statement, “The idea is simple”, emphasizes that in handball the         .  

A．players can change positions                              B．court is clearly marked  

C．game has only one purpose                                D．players can earn a lot of money  

58．It is clear that the writer believes the sport of handball        .  

A．developed as a training game for soccer              B．should only be played in winter  

C．requires an unusually shaped ball                         D．is great fun for the audience  

59．The main purpose of this passage is to         .  

A．describe an interesting sport  

B．show how the rules of handball have changed  

C．list the world champion handball teams  

D．increase the number of teams at the Olympics