6．
阅读理解
No
one knows when the first kite was made. The first record of a kite dated back
to more than 2,000 years ago in China. Han Xin, the leader of an army, wanted
to bring down a king. He decided to dig a tunnel (隧道) into the king's palace. He flew a kite over the wall of the palace
to make sure the length(长度) of its string(线). In this way, he could determine how long the tunnel should
be. His men in the tunnel took the kite string with them. When they reached the
end of the string, they knew to dig up.
Kites
have been flown in Japan for hundreds of years. In the 1700s, kites were flown
in autumn to give thanks for a good harvest. They were also flown to send good
wishes to couples who had their first son. Today in Japan, kites are often flown
as part of a celebration, such as the beginning of a new year. And kite
festivals are held each year in many parts of the country.
Kites
have been used for scientific purposes in the Western world. In 1752, Benjamin
Franklin tied a key to a kite and flew it in a storm to find out that lightning
was a form of electricity. In the 1890s, Lawrence Hargrave invented box kites
to test ideas about flight. From 1898 to 1933, the United States Weather
Bureau(气象局) used box kites to collect weather data. The Wright brothers also
experimented (试验) with kites. What they learnt helped
them make the first airplane flight in 1903.
