Reading Comprehension 1 The history of jeans

The first modern jeans were made by Levi Strauss & Co. The company was established by Levy Strauss (1829 1902), who was a German immigrant to the United States. Strauss arrived in San Francisco in 1853, soon after gold was discovered near there. Strauss decided to make tough pants to sell to the gold miners. The first pair was made of tent canvas. Later, it was replaced by strong cotton, which was brought from New Hampshire. This cotton was similar to a cotton made in France (serge de Nimes in French); now we call it denim (de Nimes). The denim was dyed blue with indigo. 1873 copper rivets were added to the jeans. Strauss wanted to make the pockets stronger because the miners used to fill them with pieces of rock. The company still makes Levis Jeans today. The first Wrangler jeans were made in 1924 and the first Lee Riders jeans in 1937. Until the 1930s, jeans were rarely seen east of the Mississippi River. Hollywood westerns made jeans popular. Cowboys wore them in the movies, and movies stars wore them outside the studios. At one time, jeans were seen as a sign of rebellion against authority. They were worn by stars such James Dean and Marlon Brando, then by the student revolutionaries of the 1960s. Alex Madsen, a fashion writer, said Jeans were not only clothes; they were clothes language, instant and eloquent symbols of brotherhood. Jeans represented freedom. These days, jeans are classless. Theyre worn by everyone, but not all styles of jeans are fashionable. What makes jeans fashionable? One year its an expensive designer label, the next year its original Levis 501 jeans then its jeans with rips and tears. One thing is certain: jeans are here to stay. Reading Comprehension 2

Can you imagine what will happen if temperatures continue to rise around the globe? According to scientists, global temperatures have increased by over 1 degree in the past fifty years. If this continues our earth will face disaster. For example, if temperatures at the North and South Poles increase, ice there will melt faster. This means a greater volume of water will pour into the oceans. If the sea level rises, coastal cities will flood. Big cities on the coast like New York and Miami and Venice will be unlivable like New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but, in contrast, damage by ocean flooding will be irreversible. Another danger is from snowfall on the mountain tops. If the snow melts faster, the volume of water will increase. This means rivers will swell and cause flooding and erosion. Or if high temperatures do not allow snow to form on the mountains we will lose a valuable source of fresh water. If we dont do something soon the situation will be very critical. Scientists hope people will soon understand the danger and act quickly. If they dont, the imminent disaster will occur. Scientists hope that the active involvement of wellinformed people will be crucial in preventing calamities and natural disasters caused by man-induced weather changes. Reading Comprehension 3

Discovery Part of Ongoing L.A. Spider Survey by the Natural History Museum of

Los Angeles County LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3, 2003 - A tropical "Brown Widow" spider, new to the Los Angeles area, has been captured as part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Countys ongoing Spider Survey. The live, venomous spider, along with its egg sac containing up to 100 baby spiders, is currently on public display in the Museums Insect Zoo. Brian Brown, associate curator of entomology, said this spider has not been found previously in the Los Angeles area. "The Brown Widow probably originated in Africa, but has been introduced into the tropics almost worldwide," he said. According to Brown, one of the many ways the spider could have made it to the Southland was through commercial imports of plants, flowers, food or furniture. The scientific name for the Brown Widow is Lactrodectus geometricus. There are about 30 described widow species including Black Widows, Red Widows, and the Brown Widows - the Black Widow being the most common of the widow family in the Los Angeles area. A Brown Widow spider can grow to one-and-a-half inches long. It has an orange-to-yellow hourglass design on its underside, as opposed to the familiar red hourglass design on the Black Widow. "The good news is that Brown Widows are not as aggressive as the Black Widows. The bad news is that they are twice as poisonous," Brown said. "Brown Widows will not attack if they are not bothered or made to feel threatened." He added that a Brown Widow will more than likely "play possum" if confronted by a potential enemy. Most spiders in Southern California are unable to puncture human skin and if they do, their venom would not be harmful to humans. There are three known species in Los Angeles that pose a threat to humans - the Black Widow, Violin spider, and now the Brown Widow. The Violin spider, often misidentified as the Brown Recluse, is a fast little spider measuring only a half-inch as an adult. In Southern California, it has only been found in only a few areas of Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. If bitten by any one of these spiders, seek medical assistance. Taken from: http://www.english-zone.com/reading/spider.html