Q: CHAPTER I

OUT IN THE STORM

"Jack, it looks as if we were in for another storm."

"Yes, and it's starting right now," declared Captain Jack Rover, as he glanced through the trees to the overcast sky. "Don't you hear it on the leaves?"

"It does beat everything!" declared Andy Rover, his usually bright face clouding a bit. "It has rained enough in the past two weeks to last a year."

"Do you know, I like these constant rains less than I liked being snowbound up at Cedar Lodge," put in Lieutenant Fred Rover.

"Oh, there was some fun in being snowbound," declared Randy Rover. "A fellow could go out in it and have the best time ever. But what can a chap do when the rain is coming down to beat the band?"

"Well, you can go out and get a shower-bath free of charge," commented his twin gaily.

"I'll take my showers in the gym," was the quick reply. "Gee! listen to that, will you?"

There was no need for any of the four Rover boys to listen, or to look, either. A blinding flash of lightning had swept the sky, followed almost immediately by a crash of thunder in the woods behind them. Then followed another crash, as of falling timber.

"It struck a tree, I'll bet a new cap!" exclaimed Jack.

"Yes, and it was a little bit too close for comfort, too," answered his cousin Fred.

The thunder and lightning were followed by a sudden rush of wind which caused the trees of the forest to sway violently. Then the downfall of rain increased until it was little short of a deluge.

1. No
2. Yes
3. Captain
4. Lieutenant
5. four
6. Yes
7. Cedar Lodge
8. a shower-bath
9. in the gym
10. a new cap
11. lightning struck a tree
12. another crash

Numbered questions:
1. Does Fred Rover like the rain better than being snowbound?
2. Does Randy Rover think there's fun in being snowbound?
3. What is Jack Rover's rank?
4. What is Fred's?
5. How many Rover boys total are there?
6. Are any of them twins?
7. What Lodge is mentioned?
8. What did one of the boys say you could get free of charge in the rain?
9. Where did another prefer to take his?
10. What did Jack bet?
11. What was he betting about?
12. What followed the thunder and lightning?

Q: Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn't very strong nor did it have pedals .Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.

In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan's machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan's bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers.

In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede,but most people called it a "bone shaker" because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people.

Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient,and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy,and ridden mostly for entertainment.

It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today's cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893,the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson;bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.

1. bicycles
2. 1818
3. Germany
4. Kirkpatrick Macmillan
5. blacksmith
6. Scottland
7. iron-covered
8. foot-operated
9. yes
10. yes
11. no
12. Pierre Michaux
13. Frence
14. pedal mechanism
15. 1861
16. James Starley
17. improved design
18. 1874
19. H. J. Lawson
20. 1893

Numbered questions:
1. What is one of the common vehicle in the world?
2. When was it invented?
3. where?
4. Who made a better one then?
5. Who was he?
6. Where was he from?
7. How was his wheels?
8. How about the levers?
9. Is it similar to pedals we have today?
10. Was that bicycle fast enough?
11. Did it resemble anything we have today?
12. Who made next improvements?
13. Where was he from?
14. What he improved?
15. Which year was that?
16. Then who made more improvements?
17. What he did?
18. When did the bicycle looked modern day one?
19. Who invented that?
20. When the air filled tires appeared?

Q: Jesse McCartney began entertaining and delighting audiences at a very early age in off-Broadway stage shows including Oliver, A Christmas Carol, and Annie Get Your Gun. At the age of seven, he began a national tour the stage musical show of The King and I. 1998 brought his big chance in television with the role of Adam Chandler, Jr. on All My Children. McCartney stayed with the show for the next three years and won several awards for his role of Chandler.

In 1999 he showed great interest in music, when he auditioned for and won a spot in a boy band called Dream Street. Sales of the group's album once reached up to 300,000 copies. Shortly after the album _ , they toured around the USA with Britney Spears before the band broke up in 2002.His first band was called the Sugar Beats, and in 2003 McCartney partnered with their producer Sherry Kondor to launch his solo career. The song Beautiful Soul became the title track for McCartney's first solo album. Following the great success of his album, it took McCartney one and a half year to make his new one, Right Here You Want Me, which, according to McCartney himself, has had more personal experiences and thoughts.

McCartney never gave up acting and appeared the films The Pirates of Central Park and The Strange Legacy of Cameron Cruz. In 2004 he successfully played the role of Brandin Westerly on the TV series Summerland. He has also combined music and film, contributing songs to films.

Born April 9, 1987, Jesse is the oldest of three children. His parents were actors in New York City. His sister Lea Joyce was born in 1991 and brother Timmy, with whom Jesse is very close, came along in 1996.He graduated from Ardsley High School (New York) in 2005, where he was a junior baseball pitcher . Jesse's best friend is former band mate Greg Raposo.

1. April 9, 1987
2. Yes
3. Two
4. Timmy
5. 1996
6. His sister Lea Joyce
7. 1991
8. Yes
9. boy band
10. Dream Street
11. he auditioned and won the spot
12. In 1999
13. 2002
14. Britney Spears
15. No
16. 300,000 copies
17. off-Broadway stage shows
18. All My Children
19. Adam Chandler
20. three years

Numbered questions:
1. When was Jesse McCartney born?
2. Does he have siblings?
3. How many?
4. Who is the youngest?
5. When was he born?
6. Who is in the middle?
7. When was she born?
8. Was he in a band?
9. What kind?
10. What was the name?
11. How did he get in?
12. When?
13. When did the band end?
14. Who did they tour with?
15. Did they go out of the country?
16. How many records did they sell?
17. Where did he begin his career as an entertainer?
18. What show was part of in 1998?
19. What character did he play?
20. for how long?