The centerpiece of curling(冰壶)is the curling stone. Kays of Scotland has been making curling stones since 1851, when William Kay and his sons Andrew and Thomas set up a workshop in Mauchline, Ayrshire, in southwest Scotland. Kays is still owned by the relatives of the founder, and today it is the only curling stone maker left in Scotland.
Used in a highly competitive sport, the curling stones are made to exact standards. First, stones are sliced and then into round “cheeses”. Finally, the cheeses are shaped and polished into curling stones in a series of steps.
Each stone must weigh 44 pounds. Each must have a maximum diameter (直径) of 36 inches. Polishing is done by hand on a wheel using water, diamond-talcum power, and felt. Finishing the stone’s “running edge” is done entirely by hand with a special kind of paper and a digital measure and magnifying glass (放大镜). Lastly, a handle(把手) is fitted into holes on the top of the stone. Stones are computer-matched into pairs. Sixteen stones----8 pairs----are needed for a game, and since curling game field usually have 6 lanes, each game field needs 96 matched stones!
Kays is a small company, employing less than ten skilled workers. Master craftsman and co-owner James Wyllie is skilled at all phases of curling stone making and is also an enthusiastic curler, as well as active member of Mauchline’s Burns Club, which meets regularly to honor well-known Mauchline residents.
小题1:What is true about Kays?
A．It is a family business.
B．It’s a brand(牌子) of curling stones.
C．It’s a place in Scotland.
D．It’s the name of a curling stone dealer(业者).小题2:How many curling stones are needed for two games happening at the same time?
A．8
B．16
C．32
D．96小题3:What does the underlined word “sliced” mean in Chinese in the second paragraph?
A．切割
B．镶嵌
C．移开
D．固定小题4:Which of the following statements is NOT RIGHT according to the passage?
A．Kays of Scotland has been curling stone maker for more than 150 years.
B．The weight of each curling stone must be 44 pounds.
C．We use a special machine to polish the curling stone.
D．The workers in Kays are all experienced.小题5:What’s the passage mainly about?
A．The history of curling.
B．How to make a curling stone.
C．The rules of curling.
D．How to become a curling stone maker.
