Read the article “The Newest Board Sport” before answering Numbers 30 through 35. The Newest Board Sport
People spot them in airports or checking into a hotel—an excited group of city teenagers, known as the Raging Rooks. Sometimes, they carry a large, shiny trophy. People stare. A few ask, “What sport do you play?” or “Are you a singing group?” The answer is almost always a surprise.
These Harlem middle school boys are a chess team. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, chess. And they are champions. The Raging Rooks come from the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Junior High School 43. Once, they tied for first place in the National Junior High Chess Championship, and along the way, they topped sixty other teams.
The Rooks are named for a chess piece called a rook, or castle. These young people are changing the common image of chess players: shy, dull, and, well, sort of . . . not cool. This hip team of teens challenges what people often think about chess: that kids will be bored by a board game.
How did these ordinary kids get the chance to become such winners? They learned in school. Since 1986, New York City's “Chess-in-the Schools” program has involved thousands of students. This program brings great chess players into the public schools. It brought the Raging Rooks their coach, Maurice Ashley.
A game of chess.
One Cool Coach
Maurice Ashley, at the age of 33, became the world's first African American to earn the title of International Grandmaster. Grandmaster . . . sounds like a DJ or a karate instructor. Actually, it's the highest level of achievement in chess.
Born in Jamaica, Maurice Ashley grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He got serious about chess when he was 14. As he was first beginning to play, a friend beat him in a game . . . badly. Maurice Ashley's response was to hit the library, where he began to study chess books. He decided to play in local tournaments. He also improved his skills by playing members of the Black Bear School of Chess. This local group of African American masters helped feed his hunger for the game. The Black Bears held Friday night “chess rumbles.” Here, he says, members attacked the game like fighters.
Maurice Ashley is known for his modern playing style, which is aggressive and determined. He has also been a guest announcer for famous chess meets. At the mike, he spices things up. He has also made the video “Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess,” in which he uses sports comparisons to make the game more exciting.

Are Chess Players Athletes ?
Maurice Ashley has worked to show that chess is a true sport—and a fun, cool one. He knows that people laugh when chess is compared to athletics. Let's face it, a chess move is nothing like shooting a three-pointer or leaping up a wall to catch a sure home run. However, what chess and all sports are about, he says, is not just what fans see, but also the energy that goes into the game.
Top players like Maurice Ashley train hard in order to have the staying power for tournament play. One game can last as long as six hours during this time, players need to remain focused. Their brains must be sharp and ready. “If I am not fit,” Maurice Ashley explains in an interview for a Jamaican sports newsletter, “come round seven or eight . . . my tongue is hanging on the floor.”
Based on the way the author describes the game of chess, the Raging Rooks, and their coach, Maurice Ashley, readers can conclude that the author
Group of answer choices

respects the game of chess and its players.

has little to no experience playing chess.

is a serious and passionate chess player.

believes that chess is like any other sport.