Jackie Robinson (1919—1972),was the first black baseball player to play in the American major leagues (大联盟) during the 20th century.

Robinson was an outstanding all-around athlete at the University of California. Yet in 1941 he had to drop out of the university to help his mother support the family. He entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and became a second lieutenant (少尉) in 1943. However, he had to leave the army because he refused to follow an order that a black person like him should sit at the back of the army bus. This might be one of the reasons for his future fight for human rights.

Upon leaving the army, Robinson played baseball in a black league team, where he drew the attention of the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey. Robinson’s talents on the field, his honesty, and his caring for family all satisfied Rickey. In 1947, Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black player in the major leagues and breaking the 63-year-old “color line”. He achieved quick success on the field and became the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1949. From 1947 through 1956, he led the Dodgers to six league championships and one World Series victory.

The road to success is never smooth. At first, because of his color, Robinson was treated unfairly by baseball fans, players on opposite teams, and even his teammates. He wrote in his book, “Plenty of times I wanted to leave, but I had to hold to myself. I know that I am a black man in a white world. The whole thing is bigger than myself.”

After retiring (退役) from baseball in 1957, Robinson went on working for human rights. He was a spokesman for the NAACP and made appearances with Martin Luther King. In 1962, Robinson became the first black person to be introduced into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1984, Robinson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for an American.

1.1. Why did Robinson stop his army life?

A Because he did not want to be a second lieutenant.

B Because he refused to sit at the back of the army bus.

C Because he had to help his mother to support his family.

D Because he wanted to play in the American major leagues.

解析：选B。B.细节理解题。根据第二段 “he had to leave the army because he refused to follow an order that a black person like him should sit at the back of the army bus”，直接对应选项 B。A、C、D 均与退伍原因无关。

2.2. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A Robinson’s baseball team.

B Robinson’s baseball experiences.

C Robinson’s baseball talents.

D Robinson’s friendship with Rickey.

解析：选B。B.段落大意题。第三段围绕罗宾逊退伍后接触棒球、被发掘、加入大联盟、赛场成就展开，核心是他的棒球相关经历。A 仅提球队，C 只讲天赋，D 侧重友谊，均为段落局部信息，非主旨。

3.3.Robinson didn’t leave the baseball team even when he was treated unfairly probably because ______.

A he was the leading player in the baseball team

B he needed to make a living by playing baseball

C he thought Rickey would give him bigger tasks

D he wanted to fight for human rights for the black

解析：选D。D.推理判断题。第二段提到退伍事件是他日后为人权奋斗的原因之一，第四段他强调 “这件事比我个人更重要”，结合上下文可推知，坚持的核心是为黑人争取人权。A、B、C 在文中无依据。

4.4. What conclusion can we draw from the article?

A Robinson was more suitable to be an officer.

B Robinson was widely recognized in America

C Robinson received the most honors in America.

D Robinson was the best American baseball player.

解析：选B。B.推理判断题。罗宾逊入选棒球名人堂、获总统自由勋章，且赛场成就得到认可，说明他在美国广受认可。A 与文章核心无关；C “最多荣誉” 无依据，总统自由勋章是 “最高荣誉之一”；D “最优秀球员” 过于绝对，文中未提及。