學而優·教有方

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Readeachstory.Aftereachstoryyouwillanswerquestionsaboutthefactsinthestory.Remember,afactissomethingthatyouknowistrue.

SluggersatWork—Part1

Thewoodforbaseballbatscomesfromtheash-treeforestsofPennsylvania.Ashwoodisespeciallystrong,soitmakesgoodbaseballats.Ashtreesarethincomparedtoothertrees.Inahighwind,anashtreecanbreakandfall.However,inthePennsylvaniaforests,thickerkindsoftreesgrowallaroundtheashtrees.Thesethicktreeskeeptheashtreesfrombendingtoofarinawindstorm.

AtSluggerParkworkersmakebaseballbatsoutofashtrees.Workersandtheirmachinescanmakeanordinarybatinabouteightseconds.Ittakeslongertomakeabatforamajor-leagueplayer.Manyoftheseplayerswantbatsthatmeettheirspecialneeds.OnceTedWilliams,afamousbaseballplayer,returnedsomebatstoSluggerPark."Thegripsjustdon'tfeelrighttome,"hesaid.Theworkerscarefullymeasuredthegrips.Sureenough,Williamswasright!Thegripswerewrongbyjustasmallfractionofaninch.

1.Woodenbaseballbatsaremade

A.inwindstorms C.fromashtrees

B.inforests D.fromthicktrees

2.Thicktreesprotectashtreesfrom

A.breaking C.playing

B.growing D.cutting

3.Workerscanmakeanordinarybatinabout

A.tenseconds C.twelveseconds

B.thirtyseconds D.eightseconds

4.Manymajor-leagueplayerswantbatsthatare

A.special C.stronger

B.returned D.longer

5.WhenTedWilliamsdidn'tlikethegrips,he

A.gavethebatsaway C.measuredthegrips

B.sentthebatsback D.usedthebatsanyway

Part2

Someplayersusemanybatsinasinglegame.OrlandoCepedausedtothrowawayabatafterhemadeahitwithit.Hethoughtthateachbathadonlyacertainnumberofhitsinit.Noonecouldtellhowmanyhitswereinabat.Maybetherewasonlyone."Sowhytakeachance?"askedCepeda.Whenitwashisturntofacethepitcheragain,hegrabbedabrandnewSluggerParkbat.

TheSluggerParkfactoryalsomakesaluminumbats.Theseareusedmostlybycollegeteamsandminor-leagueplayers.Aluminumbatslastlongerthanwoodenonesdo.Manybaseballfanshopethatmajor-leagueplayerswillneverusethesenewbats,however.Whenyouhitaballwithone,thesoundyouhearisasoftping.Fansliketohearthesolidcrackmadebyastrongwoodenbat.Baseballfansdon'tlikethegametochange.

6.Someplayersusemanybats

A.overandover C.inasinglegame

B.fortheirfans D.atthesametime

7.OrlandoCepedathrewawayabatafterhe

A,madeahit C.facedthepitcher

B.tookachance D.hadanidea

8.Somecollegeteamsuse

A.oakbats C.15bats

B.aluminumbats D.fans

9.Manybaseballfansdon'tlike

A.collegeteams C.aluminumbats

B.pitchers D.major-leagueplayers

10.Comparedtowoodenbats,aluminumbats

A.feelbetter C.missballs

B.breakoften D.lastlonger

TheMidnightTulip—Part1

Itwasaftermidnight.ADutchfarmermadeonelasttripthroughhisgreenhousebeforegoingtobed.Hewalkedpastrowsandrowsoftulips.

Suddenlyhestopped.There,bloomingintheearlymorninghours,wasarareflower.Itwasablacktulip.Inthemorningtheexcitedfarmertookthetuliptoaflowershow.Byeveningthefarmerandhisprizeplantwereontelevision.Hewasahero.

Mosttulipsarered,yellow,white,orpink.Ablacktuliptakesyearstodevelop.Thefarmerworkedonhismidnighttulipforsevenyears.Hecrossedtwodark-purpletulips.Theymadeaseed.Theseedtookyearstogrowintoaroundbulb.Finallyablackflowergrewfromthebulb.

TulipsareamajorindustryfortheDutchpeople.Tulipsalesbringinmillionsofdollars.

1.Thefarmermadeonelasttripthroughhis

A.grayhouse C.bathhouse

B.greenhouse D.pumphouse

2.Themidnighttulipwas

A.dry C.rare

B.red D.late

3.Thefarmercrossedtulipsthatwere

A.pink C.white

B.black D.purple

4.Tulipflowersgrowfrom

A.leaves C.roots

B.bulbs D.greenhouses

5.FortheDutchpeople,tulipsareamajor

A.import C.industry

B.million D.problem

Part2

TheDutchpeoplefirstreceivedtulipsintheearly1600s.ThetulipscamefromtheFarEast.TheDutchlovedthebeautifulflowers,andsoongrewtheirown.

Peoplebegantryingtoproducenewkindsoftulips.Theresultswerestripedtulips,doubletulips,andlilytulips.Peoplegrewtulipsofmanynewcolors,butblacktulipswereveryrare.Someonegrewablacktulipin1891

Anotherblacktulipbloomedin1955.ItwascalledQueenoftheNight.Nowblacktulipsgrowinordinarygardens.TheDutchfarmerisworkingontwootherunusualtulips.Hehopestogrowatulipthatisdarkblue.Hewantstogrowbrightgreentulips,too.Itmaytake20yearsbeforetheycanbesold.

6.TulipswerebroughttotheDutchpeoplein

A.1891 C.the1500s

B.1955 D.the1600s

7.Tulipsfirstcamefrom

A.theFarEast C.farmers

B.theDutch D.queens

8.Blacktulipsbloomedin1891andin

A.1981 C.1595

B.1955 D.1819

9.Developingbulbstoselltakes

A.16years C.ordinarygardens

B.20years D.doubleblooms

10.Thefarmerisworkingontwoothertulipsthatwillbe

A.double C.ordinary

B.different D.striped

MoneyDoctors—Part1

Haveyoueverrippedadollarbillbymistake?Ifso,perhapsyoutapeditbacktogether.Sometimesmoneyisdamagedinmoreseriousways.Thenitisnotaseasytofix.Ifyoucannotrepairpapermoney,youcannotuseit.YouhavetosendbadlydamagedmoneytoaspecialgovernmentofficeinWashington,D.C.

Thepeoplewhoworkinthisofficesitatlongtablesunderbrightlights.Theirmaintoolsaremagnifyingglassesandtweezers.Theirjobistopiecetogetherthedamagedbills.TheworkerstrytofindatleasthalfofeachbillOtherwisethegovernmentwillnotpaytheownerforit.

Thisofficeisverybusy.Ithandlesabout30,000casesperyear.Peoplemaywaitalongtimebeforetheircasecomesup,butit'sworthit.Theserviceisfree,andyoumaygetyourmoneyback.

1.Ifyoucannotrepairpapermoney,youcannot

A.buyit C.hideit

B.useit D.sendit

2.Youcansendbadlydamagedmoneytoagovernment

A.bank C.office

B.bill D.tool

3.Theworkers'maintoolsaremagnifyingglassesand

A.tables C.tweezers

B.tape D.lights

4.Workersfindhalfofabillsothegovernmentwill

A.paytheowner C.calltheowner

B.fixthemoney D.takethejob

5.Theservicesofthisofficeare

A.expensive C.early

B.free D.easy

Part2

Howismoneydamaged?Sometimesitisdamagedinafire.Thenapersonmayhavemostlyashestosendin.Sometimesmoneyisdamagedinaflood.Thenthebillsarefadedandstucktogether.Peoplehavesentmoneythathadgonethroughthewashingmachine.Somebillshavebeenchewedbyanimals.Otherssomehowgotintoblenders.

Alsosomepeopledon'tlikebanks,sotheyhidetheirmoneyinunusualplaces.Ifbillsareburiedincans,theysometimesgetmoldy.Miceoftennibbleatmoneyhiddeninatticsandbasements.

Once,atruckcarryingmoneyforabankexploded.Therewasabigfire.Thetruckcompanysentintheremainsofthebills.Theywereworth$2.5milliondollars.Thankstothegovernmentworkers,thecompanygotacheckforallthemoney.

6.Whenbillsareburned,theyturnto

A.coins C.dust

B.ashes D.sand

7.Whenbillsgetwet,they

A.fade B.burn

C.fall D.blend

8.Somepeoplehidemoneybecausetheydon'tlike

A.fires C.mice

B.checks D.banks

9.Onetime,moneycarriedinatruckwasburnedin

A.lightning C.anexplosion

B.abasement D.anairplane

10.Thankstotheworkers,thecompanywasableto

A.putoutthefire C.getthemoneyback

B.writeacheck D.buythemoneyback

ALifeofArt—Part1

FridaKahlowasafamousMexicanpainter.Manyclaimthatsheis.Mexico'sgreatestartist.Asachildshedreamedofbecomingadoctor,butatrafficaccidentchangedherentirelife.Atage15KahlowasridingonabusinMexicoCity.Itcrashedintoatrolleycar.Kahlowasseriouslyhurtandhadtostayinthehospitalalongtime.Shefeltherdreamsofbeingadoctorwereover.

InthehospitalKahlogrewbored.Shebegantopainttofillhertime.Sheoncehadtakenartlessonsfromateacherwhothoughtshehadgreattalent.Kahlonowhopedshecouldmakealivingbysellingherpaintings.

1.FridaKahlowasafamousMexican

A.painter C.writer

B.doctor D.singer

2.Kahlo'slifewaschangedbya

A.newteacher C.totalstranger

B.trafficaccident D.familydoctor

3.Kahlohadoncedreamedofbeing

A.anartist C.adoctor

B.anauthor D.ateacher

4.InthehospitalKahlo

A.knittedscarves C.wrotemanyletters

B.begantopaint D.grewmuchsicker

5.AformerteacherthoughtKahlo

A.neededclasses C.hadgreattalent

B.hadlittletalent D.shouldworkforhim

Part2

MostofKahlo'sworkswereself-portraits.Sheusedboldandharshcolors.Theyshowedthepainthatshefeltinherbody.Peoplepraisedtheartforbeingsooriginal.Manyofherworksshowsymbolsfrom