Nita Morrison, age 15, or North Providence, R.I., for her question:

WHERE IS JAI ALAI PLAYED?

Jai alai, a game that resembles handball, is often called the fastest game in the world. Pronounced high ah lie, the game is played with a hard ball about the size of a baseball and a basketlike container called a cesta.

You'll find jai alai being played in Florida in the United States and in some Nevada gambling casinos. It is a favorite game in Cuba, Spain and Mexico. Betting is an important part of the sport.

The game is fast and dangerous. The ball often travles 150 miles an hour and is harder than a golf ball. A jai alai court is 176 feet long and 44 feet wide. Walls 40 feet high are on three sides and spectators sit behind a protecting screen on the fourth side.

The server hits the ball against the wall by hurling it from his cesta. His opponent must catch it either before it hits the hard floor, or on the first bounce