Many years ago, there was a family named Franklin. They lived in Boston. There were five girls and six boys in the family. On a January day in 1706 another baby was born. The boy's mother and her husband gave the boy a name-Benjamin[1].
Benjamin was the cleverest of all the children. He could read when he was five and he could write when he was seven. The next year his parents sent[2] him to school.
In school Benjamin was good at reading and writing, but not good at maths. He read all of his father's books. And when he had money, he always went to buy books. He liked books. Theytold him how to do something. The boy liked to use his head and tried to find ways to help people enjoy life more. For example, he tried to know if there was some way to swim farther, maybe with something on his hands or feet. Slowly a picture of swimming shoes, or paddles[3], grew in his mind[4]. The paddles must be neither too big nor too small. And they must be neither too heavy nor light. At last he invented the paddle for swimming.
Notes:[1]Benjamin/`bendmIn/n. 本杰明男子名 Benjamin Franklin 本杰明o富兰克林1706-1790美国杰出的科学家和政治家 [2]send/send/v.送 [3]paddle/`pdl/n.浆形工具 [4]mind/maInd/n. 头脑
1.How many children did Mr. Franklin have?
2.Why was it said Benjamin was clever?
3.When did Benjamin begin to go to school?
4.Why did Benjamin like books?
5.What did Benjamin invent the paddles for?
参考答案：
1.He had twelve children.
2.Because he could read and write when he was very young.
3.He began to go to school when he was eight.
4.Because he could learn a lot from the books.
5.He invented them to help people swim farther.