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    ReadingComprehension 8

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    Alumno Activa
    Two siblings found antique roller skates with four inline wheels and modified the design to create a stronger and easier to steer skate with brakes. They founded Rollerblade and popularized inline skating which became a global recreational activity and competitive sport like aggressive skating and inline hockey.

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    ReadingComprehension 8

    Uploaded by

    Alumno Activa
    83 views1 page
    Two siblings found antique roller skates with four inline wheels and modified the design to create a stronger and easier to steer skate with brakes. They founded Rollerblade and popularized inline skating which became a global recreational activity and competitive sport like aggressive skating and inline hockey.

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    ReadingComprehension-8

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    Two siblings found antique roller skates with four inline wheels and modified the design to create a stronger and easier to steer skate with brakes. They founded Rollerblade and popularized inline skating which became a global recreational activity and competitive sport like aggressive skating and inline hockey.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    83 views1 page

    ReadingComprehension 8

    Uploaded by

    Alumno Activa
    Two siblings found antique roller skates with four inline wheels and modified the design to create a stronger and easier to steer skate with brakes. They founded Rollerblade and popularized inline skating which became a global recreational activity and competitive sport like aggressive skating and inline hockey.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    c k 15

    Tra

    Back to the Future

    S
    ometimes the road to the future leads through the past. Such was the case for
    Americans Scott and Brennan Olson, who used an old idea to launch a hot new trend
    in sports: inline roller skating.
    In 1979, these siblings found a pair of antique roller skates while checking out
    5 bargains at a used sporting-goods store. The skates they found had four wheels in a single
    row instead of the traditional parallel pairs of wheels in front and back. This single row of
    wheels intrigued the Olsons. They were avid hockey players, and they immediately
    noticed the similarity between the inline wheels and the long, single blade found on the
    bottom of ice skates. Could these unusual skates somehow be used to practice hockey off
    10 the ice?
    The Olsons set about trying to modify the design of the antique skates that they had
    found. First they tested out the antique skates to see how well they worked. From those
    tests, they tried to come up with ways to improve the old design. One improvement
    involved using special materials to make the skates stronger and easier to steer. The
    15 Olsons also added reliable brakes to their inline skates. In 1980, the Olsons founded a
    company called Rollerblade to make and sell their “new” invention. Sales skyrocketed,
    and soon millions of people worldwide were “rollerblading,” as inline skating was
    mistakenly called.
    At first, inline skating was recreational. People enjoyed skating in parks and on
    20 streets, and some even danced on skates at giant roller discos. Today, inline “group skates”
    are popular all over the world. In cities such as San Francisco, Paris, and Berlin, as many as
    20,000 skaters might meet on a free day and skate together through the streets.
    Many people see inline skating as a great way to exercise and socialize.
    By the mid-1990s, inline skating had become more than just a
    25 recreational sport. It had developed into several competitive sports. One of

    the most popular, even today, is aggressive skating. This involves performing
    tricks and jumping over objects such as boxes, ramps, and rails. Other kinds
    of competitive skating include speed skating, artistic skating, downhill
    racing, and skating marathons.
    30 So, what about hockey? Well, the Olsons achieved their goal. Inline
    hockey leagues sprang up almost immediately. Then in 1999, inline hockey
    joined the lineup at the Pan-American Games. There are rumors that inline
    skating may even become part of the Summer Olympics someday.

    Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 411 words

    4 29
    antique: very old; historic marathon: a contest to see who can do
    7
    intrigue: to interest; to make curious something the longest
    31
    14
    steer: to control the direction spring up: to grow quickly; to start quickly
    32
    15
    brake: a device used to stop something lineup: a list of activities or competitors
    32
    20
    disco: a nightclub for dancing rumor: an unofficial but widely spread story

    48

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