contents

Over the Edge 5

1. Skydiving: The Sky Is Falling! 8Informational

2. BASE Jumping: Leaping Tall Buildings in a Single Bound! 15Informational

3. Climbing: To the Top of the World! 23Informational

4. Bungee Jumping: The Thrill Is in the Bounce! 31Informational

End-of-Unit Activities 40

Words-Per-Minute Chart 42

UNIT ONE—

ups and downs

5. Aggressive Skating: Grinding and Alley-ooping! 46Informational

6. Barefoot Waterskiing: Tiptoe Through the Wake! 54Informational

7. Adventure Racing: Go Team! 61Informational

8. Motocross: Watch the Mud Fly! 69Informational

End-of-Unit Activities 77

Words-Per-Minute Chart 79

UNIT TWO—

sports with a kick

9. Snowboarding: Sledding with Pizzazz! 82Informational

10. Street Luge: Look, Ma, No Brakes! 91Informational

11. Skateboarding: A Career? 100

Informational

12. Wakeboarding: Who Needs Waves? 109Informational

End-of-Unit Activities 117

Words-Per-Minute Chart 119

UNIT THREE—

are you “board”?

Over the Edge 15

LESSoN 2

BASE JumpingLeaping Tall Buildings

in a Single Bound!

About 500 years ago, a famous inventor and artist

tried out a new invention. It was a 187-pound parachute that was made from canvas and wood. Leonardo da Vinci’s invention successfully lowered a man to the ground from a hot air balloon.

2In more recent times, another inventor built and tested a parachute. In 1914, Stefan Banic jumped from a 41-story building in Washington, D.C., near the U.S. Patent Office. Banic’s device was successful, so he patented his new invention. Then Banic began testing the parachute by jumping from airplanes.

3During World War I, the parachute became standard equipment for U.S. pilots who were fighting in the war. And the parachute has become a valuable aid in getting troops where they need to be during other wars.

4But parachutes aren’t just for military use. Many people use parachutes because they enjoy the

sports of skydiving and BASE jumping.

5Skydiving is a sport where participants jump from airplanes and float to the ground using a parachute. But BASE jumping is a much more dangerous sport.

6In BASE jumping, participants jump at a lower altitude than skydiving and from stationary objects like bridges and cliffs. In fact, BASE stands for the stationary objects that jumpers leap from: Buildings, Antennae, Span (bridges), and Earth (cliffs).

7BASE jumping is an extreme sport that requires participants who crave excitement and danger. In fact, not all sky divers are even interested in BASE jumping.

8Many people throughout the years have tried jumping from

BASE jumping from the tallest building in Bangkok, Thailand

stationary objects. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that the sport really took off. In 1975, Don Boyles jumped safely from the Royal Gorge Bridge. And in 1976, Owen Quinn was the first to jump from the World Trade Center.

9In the beginning, the problem with BASE jumping was that it wasn’t legal to jump from public or private land and buildings. The first legal jump was in 1978 from the El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. It is, however, still illegal to jump from many places today.

10BASE jumping is a very dangerous sport. Jumpers have just one parachute, and there is no backup chute. In fact, there really isn’t time to even open a backup chute. The jumper only has three seconds after the launch point to open the handheld chute. So the main chute has to work!

11The jumpers leap from natural and man-made structures that range from 600 feet to 6000 feet high. Television towers are the highest man-made structures. The KDUH tower in Nebraska is 1965 feet high! Jumpers also leap from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Eiffel Tower in France.

12Some jumpers like to jump from buildings that are under

construction. This is because there are many ways into the building. And there are no windows they have to climb through.

13At many tall buildings, security guards roam the insides and the bases of the structures to prevent people from BASE jumping. But this doesn’t keep some jumpers away. They find ways around the security to jump anyway.

14There are many naturally occurring structures that BASE jumpers enjoy also. They are usually very scenic and very high. And they are not patrolled like buildings, bridges, and towers. Some earth jumps include 3212-foot-high Angel Falls in Venezuela and a 6000-foot- high cliff at Baffin Bay in Canada.

15As well as experiencing the rush of free-falling, some experienced BASE jumpers like to track. Tracking is gaining horizontal speed and distance while falling. To successfully track, jumpers keep their arms alongside their body and their legs together. They also position their body at a 45-degree angle to the ground.

16Hundreds of jumpers attend the annual event called Bridge Day in Fayetteville, West Virginia. This legal jumping event has been held on the third Saturday in October since 1977.

16 Over the Edge

Over the Edge 17

17One side of the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville is closed to traffic during a six-hour period of the day. The bridge is 876 feet high and 3030 feet long. It holds the title of the World’s Longest Single Span Steel Arch Bridge. From 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon, people jump. More than 300 jumpers attend this annual event.

18More than 300,000 non-jumpers also attend this event. They are allowed to freely walk the bridge. They enjoy seeing the fall scenery and watching the professional and amateur BASE jumpers.

19There is no organization that oversees BASE jumping. So the veteran jumpers will often work with the first-time jumpers. Veteran jumpers also hold seminars for first-timers to help with exit body position and other important information.

20Jumping at Bridge Day is

probably the safest jump anyone could ever make. Many experienced people are there to help. In the water below, rescue boats are ready to pull the jumpers from the water. And there are rescue workers to help in case of accidents.

21Since there are no organizations for BASE jumping, a first-time

jumper will need help from someone else. After 150 jumps from an airplane, many who are ready to try BASE jumping ask experienced jumpers for help.

22Skydiving helps a jumper learn about controlling a parachute and positioning the body. It also lets a person experience what falling feels like before popping open a chute. And skydiving teaches jumpers how to land.

23But that’s really where the similarities between skydiving and BASE jumping end. Skydiving is for people who like to feel the wind and descend rather slowly and

Two BASE jumpers take part in Bridge Day.

safely. BASE jumping is much more dangerous. It requires lower jumping heights and quicker response times to make corrections. Jumpers also must land in much smaller and more confined areas.

24Those who have BASE jumped know that there are certain safety considerations to follow. Although nothing is required for jumping except a parachute and a pack, the smart jumpers will jump safely. They want to live to jump another day!

25Jumpers should always wear a helmet during a jump. As in any extreme sport, such as skateboarding and street luge, a helmet can mean the difference between life and death!

26A helmet may not save the life of a jumper traveling toward the ground at speeds of up to 100 miles an hour. But it is a safe bet that wearing a helmet is much safer than not wearing one. Especially when landing among rocks or trees!

27If a parachute works the way it should, then a jumper’s feet are first

to the ground. Sturdy high-top boots provide protection to the feet and ankles during a landing. Wearing them doesn’t mean that one is guaranteed an injury-free landing. But wearing sturdy boots increases the chances of one.

28It is very important that jumpers make their jumps high enough so that their chutes will deploy in time. An altitude detection device is a handy tool to make sure jumpers can land safely.

29BASE jumping certainly isn’t a sport for everyone. Because of the danger involved, many people choose to stick with other thrill- induced sports that are safer, like skydiving. And many more people choose sports that don’t involve hurtling to the earth at all!

30But for those who choose to experience the adrenaline rush of BASE jumping, they say the risk is worth the excitement and thrill. There’s simply nothing like it in the world!

18 Over the Edge

If you have been timing your reading speed for this story, record your time below.

____________ : ____________

Minutes Seconds

UNdERSTANdING ThE MAIN IdEA

The following questions will demonstrate your understanding of what the story is about, or the main idea. Choose the best answer for each question.

1. This story is mainly about

A a sport where people jump from planes. b a fear of heights. c a sport where people jump from boats. d a sport where people jump from tall

structures.

2. This story could have been titled

A “BASE Jumping: Who Needs Buildings?”

b “BASE Jumping: Who Needs Parachutes?”

c “BASE Jumping: Who Needs Bridges?” d “BASE Jumping: Who Needs Planes?”

3. Which detail best supports the main idea of this story?

A Leonardo da Vinci invented the parachute 300 years ago.

b Parachutes have been valuable to soldiers during wars.

c BASE jumping isn’t for everyone. d The jumpers leap from natural and

manmade structures.

4. Find another detail that supports the main idea of this story. Write it on the lines below.

RECALLING FACTSThe following questions will test how well you remember the facts in the story you just read. Choose the best answer for each question.

1. Leonardo da Vinci made the first parachute from

A canvas and wood. b nylon and string. c leather and plastic. d silk and thread.

2. In 1975, don Boyles jumped safely from

A the Royal Gorge Bridge. b a high-flying plane. c a tall cliff. d his mother’s roof.

3. The New River Gorge Bridge holds the record for the world’s

A heaviest double-wide wood bridge. b tallest triple stone bridge. c shortest BASE jumping bridge. d longest single span steel arch bridge.

4. one of the words that “BASE” stands for is

A Antennae. b Skydiving. c Elevation. d Bye-bye.

Over the Edge 19

REAdING BETWEEN ThE LINES

An inference is a conclusion drawn from facts. A generalization is a general statement, idea, or rule that is supported by facts. Analyze the story by choosing the best answer to each question below.

1. What conclusion can you draw from paragraphs 5–6?

A Sky divers never try BASE jumping. b BASE jumpers never try skydiving. c BASE jumping is more dangerous than

skydiving because jumpers don’t use a parachute.

d BASE jumping is more dangerous than skydiving because it’s done from lower heights.

2. What conclusion can you draw from paragraph 9?

A No BASE jumping was done before 1978.

b All BASE jumpers enjoy breaking the law.

c BASE jumping is considered too dangerous to be legal everywhere.

d Before 1978, all BASE jumpers were breaking the law.

3. What generalization can you make from this story?

A More people like watching BASE jumping than actually jumping.

b BASE jumping is never safe to do. c Skydiving is more fun than BASE

jumping. d All BASE jumping is now legal.

4. It can be inferred from the story that

A BASE jumpers are all criminals. b BASE jumpers are never scared. c all BASE jumpers make legal jumps

today. d if not done right, BASE jumping can

cause serious injuries or death.

20 Over the Edge

dETERMINING CAUSE ANd EFFECT

Choose the best answer for the following questions to show the relationship between what happened in the story (effects) and why those things happened (causes).

1. Because Stefan Banic landed safely near the U.S. Patent office, he

A was easy to catch. b patented the parachute. c was able to avoid traffic. d took a taxi home.

2. What happens because BASE jumpers jump from low heights?

A They have to carry a backup parachute. b They have longer to open their

parachutes than sky divers. c They only have three seconds to open

their parachutes. d BASE jumping is less dangerous than

skydiving.

3. Why do first-time jumpers find veteran jumpers?

A It’s the only way to learn correctly how to BASE jump.

b They need to borrow equipment. c It’s illegal to jump for the first time

alone. d They want to follow BASE jumping

tradition.

4. Why do many people choose sports like skydiving instead of BASE jumping?

A They feel BASE jumping is too expensive.

b They don’t like to participate in legal activities.

c They feel BASE jumping is too dangerous.

d They feel BASE jumping is too popular.

Over the Edge 21

USING CoNTExT CLUES

Skilled readers can often find the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues. This means they study the way the words are used in the text. Use the context clues in the excerpts below to determine the meaning of the bold-faced words. Then choose the answer that best matches the meaning of the word.

1. “And the parachute has become a valuable aid in getting troops where they need to be during wars.”

CLUE: “During World War I, the parachute became standard equipment for U.S. pilots who were fighting in the war.”

A helper b destroyer c defender d agent

2. “At many tall buildings, security guards roam the insides and the bases of the structures to prevent people from BASE jumping.”

CLUE: “But this doesn’t keep some jumpers away. They find ways around the security to jump anyway.”

A police b prepare c allow d stop

3. “As well as experiencing the rush of free-falling, some experienced BASE jumpers like to track.”

CLUE: “Tracking is gaining horizontal speed and distance while falling.”

A hurry b reach c boredom d excitement

4. “Skydiving is for people who like to feel the wind and descend rather slowly and safely.” (paragraph 23)

Write what you think the bold-faced word means. Then record the context clues that led you to this definition.

Meaning:

Context Clues:

22 Over the Edge

1. Each of the sports in this unit, “Ups and downs,” is dangerous to some degree. For each sport, record what makes it dangerous. Then rank the sports from most dangerous to least dangerous.

dangers Involved

Skydiving

BASE Jumping

Climbing

Bungee Jumping

Most Dangerous __________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

Least Dangerous __________________________________

Would you try any or all of these sports? Why or why not? _____________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

End-of-Unit Activities

40 Over the Edge

2. Rank each of the stories in this unit, from the one you liked the most to the one you liked the least. For each story, write one interesting fact you learned. Then write a paragraph describing why you liked the story you ranked 1 the best.

LESSoN 1 Ranking

LESSoN 2 Ranking

LESSoN 3 Ranking

LESSoN 4 Ranking

Why did you like the story you ranked 1 the best?

End-of-Unit Activities

Over the Edge 41

42 Over the Edge

Words-Per-Minute Chart UNIT ONE

Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4

833 1,210 1,141 1,529 80 625 908 856 1,147 1:20 100 500 726 685 917 1:40 120 417 605 571 765 2:00 140 357 519 489 655 2:20 160 312 454 428 573 2:40 180 278 403 380 510 3:00 200 250 363 342 459 3:20 220 227 330 311 417 3:40 240 208 303 285 382 4:00 260 192 279 263 353 4:20 280 179 259 245 328 4:40 300 167 242 228 306 5:00 320 156 227 214 287 5:20 340 147 214 201 270 5:40 360 139 202 190 255 6:00 380 132 191 180 241 6:20 400 125 182 171 229 6:40 420 119 173 163 218 7:00 440 114 165 156 209 7:20 460 109 158 149 199 7:40 480 104 151 143 191 8:00 500 100 145 137 183 8:20 520 96 140 132 176 8:40 540 93 134 127 170 9:00 560 89 130 122 164 9:20 580 86 125 118 158 9:40 600 83 121 114 153 10:00 620 81 117 110 148 10:20 640 78 113 107 143 10:40 660 76 110 104 139 11:00 680 74 107 101 135 11:20 700 71 104 98 131 11:40 720 69 101 95 127 12:00 740 68 98 93 124 12:20 760 66 96 90 121 12:40 780 64 93 88 118 13:00 800 62 91 86 115 13:20 820 61 89 83 112 13:40 840 60 86 82 109 14:00

No. of Words

Seco

nds

Minutes and Seconds

directions:

Use the chart to find your words-per-minute reading speed. Refer to the reading time you recorded at the end of each story. Find your reading time in seconds along the left-hand side of the chart or minutes and seconds along the right-hand side of the chart. Your words-per-minute score will be listed next to the time in the column below the appropriate lesson number.