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The Metric System Cross-CurricularCross-Curricular Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Worksheets: D-31 Worksheets: of 36 D-31 of 36 � The Metric System Name:__________________________________ The MetricCross-Curricular System Focus: Mathematics Name: ______________________________________ Cross-Curricular Focus: Mathematics Answer the following questions based on the Answerreading the passage. following Don’t questions forget to go based back to on the the readingpassage passage. whenever Don’t necessary forget to to find go or back confirm to the your answers. There are two basic There systems are two basic of measurement:systems of measurement: metric metric, and and customary. passage whenever necessary to fi nd or confi rm customary. The U.S.,The United Liberia States, and Liberia, Myanmar and Myanmar are the are only the onlycountries countries that that still use theyour 1) answers. There is a lot of talk about the metric system being a still use the customarycustomary system. system. Interestingly, Interestingly, the the United United States States was involved was in the metric simpler system. What makes it simpler? system meetings from the beginning. Our representatives signed the 1875 Treaty involved in world meetingsof the Meter. on Signing the metricwas a vote system to recognize during the the meter 18th as a century standard. of _______________________________________________ U.S. representativesmeasurement. signed the So where1875 did Treaty the metric of the system Meter. come Signing from, and the why don’t we 1) Which system of measurement do you prefer: _______________________________________________ treaty was a vote useto recognizeit? the meter as a standard of measurement. metric or customary? Explain your answer. So where did the metric In 1790, system just after come the Frenchfrom, Revolutionand why had doesn’t just ended the inU.S. France. The new 2) Why do you think the United States did not use it very much?French government commissioned the French Academy to develop a simpler ___________________________________________ immediately switch to the metric system in 1800? system of measurement. They agreed that one metre would be equal to one In 1790, the French Revolution had just ended in France. The new _______________________________________________ ten-millionth of the distance between the north pole and the equator, measuring___________________________________________ French government commissioned the French Academy to develop a along the Paris meridian. It took ten years to complete the survey and finalize _______________________________________________ simpler system ofthe measurement. metric system. They agreed that one metre would be 2) What three countries still use customary 3) Do you think it was right for the U.S. to sign the Treaty equal to one ten-millionth America ofwas the much distance friendlier between with France the than north with Englandpole and in 1800. the The measurements? equator, measuring along the Paris meridian. It took almost ten years to of the Meter and then not switch to the metric system? American Revolution was fresh in the lives of the people on both sides of the complete the surveyocean. and President fi nalize Thomas the metric Jefferson system. enjoyed a good relationship with the new __________________________________________________________________________________________ In 1800, AmericaFrench was governme muchnt. friendlier During this with time, France he made thanthe Louisiana with England. Purchase. He bought a huge section of land from France, greatly enlarging the territory of the___________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The American RevolutionUnited States. was For a somerecent reason, memory the United on bothStates sidesfailed to of immediately the approve 4) Why do you suppose the fields of science and medicine ocean. France hadthe helped new, simpler the U.S.metric during system atthe its war.first opportunity. President Thomas 3) What treaty did the U.S. sign that recognized the Jefferson enjoyed a good relationship with the French government. metric havesystem been asthe afirst standard to switch ofto themeasurement? metric system? Approval for the U.S. to “go metric” was granted by Congress in 1866. The During Jefferson’sU.S. presidency, had already the signed U.S. the boughtTreaty of athe huge Meter area in 1875. of landThe c ustomaryin system _______________________________________________ ___________________________________________ North America belongingof measurement to France. would notThe go Louisiana quietly. Instead, Purchase the U.S. greatlyadded metric measurements to our system in 1959. For example, one inch is exactly 2.54 _______________________________________________ enlarged the territory of the U.S. However, despite its friendship with centimeters. But there is no direct comparison for the smaller unit, the ___________________________________________ France, the U.S. failed to approve the new, simpler metric system at fi rst. 5) In your opinion, why are people so resistant to change? millimeter. The U.S. government still says our nation is working toward the 4) Name three professional areas in the U.S. that use Congress approvedgoal of going a move metric. to For the now, metric we seem system to be instuck 1866. somewhere Then inin the middle. _______________________________________________ 1875, the U.S. signedMany medicalthe Treaty and scientific of the measurementsMeter in 1875. use However,the metric system the usealready. the metric system. However, customary units are still seen in daily places such as marking miles and _______________________________________________ of the customary system of measurement continued. ___________________________________________ miles per hour rather than kilometers or kilometers per hour on our highways. _______________________________________________ The U.S.increasedChange theis difficult. use of It’s metric not the measurements metric system we fear, in the but 1960s.the change. The U.S. is still working toward the goal of using only the metric ___________________________________________ system. Many medical, military and scientifi c measurements use the Copyright ©2011 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com5) What metric measurement� is similar to a mile? metric system already.� However, customary units are still used in many situations, such as marking miles rather than kilometers on roads. The ___________________________________________ change is made more diffi cult by the lack of direct comparisons for some units. For example, one inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters. There is no ___________________________________________ direct comparison for the smaller metric unit, the millimeter. Copyright ©2012 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com.
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    Bibliography References to works cited in the text are made via the Harvard system of author’s name and date of publication, thus: (Adams 2005). If not otherwise referenced, quotations are copied from the summarizing and general works that are referenced near the beginning of the chapter or section. I received James Lequeux’ new biography of François Arago (Lequeux 2008) too late to be able to take advantage of its comprehensive scholarship. Adams , M. (2005) Admiral Collingwood: Nelson’s own Hero London : Weidenfeld and Nicholson . Alder , K. (2002) The Measure of All Things: the Seven Year Odyssey that Transformed the World London : Little Brown . Anon (1854) “François Arago – his life and discoveries” North British Review , XX, 459, 1854 – review essay based on “François Arago” by J.A. Barral, Paris 1853, “Discours prononcé au funeraille de M. Arago, le Mercredi 5 Oct 1853” by M. Flourens, and “François Arago” by M. De la Rive, in Bull. Univ. de Genève , Oct 1853, xxiv, 265; also “Obituary of François Arago” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 14 , 102, 1854. Arago, F. (1857) “The story of my youth” in Biographies of Distinguished Men , translated by W.H. Smyth, the Rev. Baden Powell and Robert Grant London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans and Roberts. See electronic text at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16775. The French version of “Histoire de ma Jeunesse” is available through http://gallica.bnf.fr/ (Barral, J.-A., ed. (1854–1862) Arago, F. (1786–1853) Oeuvres completes , Tome 1, p. 1). See also “Mesure de la Méridienne de France”, ibid . Tome 11, p.
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