contents

Unit One—

ups and downs

1. Skydiving: The Sky Is 4. Bungee Jumping: The Thrill Is
Falling! 8 in the Bounce! 31
Informational Informational
2. BASE Jumping: Leaping End-of-Unit Activities 40
Tall Buildings in a Single
Words-Per-Minute Chart 42
Bound! 15
Informational

3. Climbing: To the Top of the

World! 23
Informational

Unit Two—

sports with a kick

5. Aggressive Skating: Grinding
and Alley-ooping! 46
Informational
6. Barefoot Waterskiing: Tiptoe
Through the Wake! 54
Informational
8. Motocross: Watch the Mud Fly!
69
Informational
End-of-Unit Activities 77
Words-Per-Minute Chart 79

7. Adventure Racing: Go
Team! 61
Informational

Unit Three—

are you “board”?

9. Snowboarding: Sledding with 12. Wakeboarding: Who Needs Waves?
Pizzazz! 82 109
Informational Informational
10. Street Luge: Look, Ma, No End-of-Unit Activities 117
Brakes! 91 Words-Per-Minute Chart 119
Informational

11. Skateboarding: A Career? 100

Informational

Over the Edge 5

lesson 2
BASE Jumping
Leaping Tall Buildings
in a Single Bound!
A bout 500 years ago, a
famous inventor and artist
tried out a new invention. It was a
187-pound parachute that was made
from canvas and wood. Leonardo
da Vinci’s invention successfully
lowered a man to the ground from
a hot air balloon.
2
In more recent times, another
inventor built and tested a parachute.
In 1914, Stefan Banic jumped from a
41-story building in Washington, D.C.,
near the U.S. Patent Office. Banic’s
device was successful, so he
patented his new invention. Then
Banic began testing the parachute
by jumping from airplanes.
3
During World War I, the
parachute became standard
equipment for U.S. pilots who
were fighting in the war. And the
parachute has become a valuable aid
in getting troops where they need to
be during other wars.
4
But parachutes aren’t just for
military use. Many people use
parachutes because they enjoy the
Over the Edge 15
BASE jumping from the tallest building in
Bangkok, Thailand
sports of skydiving and BASE
jumping.
5
Skydiving is a sport where
participants jump from airplanes and
float to the ground using a parachute.
But BASE jumping is a much more
dangerous sport.
6
In BASE jumping, participants
jump at a lower altitude than
skydiving and from stationary objects
like bridges and cliffs. In fact, BASE
stands for the stationary objects that
jumpers leap from: Buildings,
Antennae, Span (bridges), and Earth
(cliffs).
7
BASE jumping is an extreme
sport that requires participants who
crave excitement and danger. In fact,
not all sky divers are even interested
in BASE jumping.
8
Many people throughout the
years have tried jumping from
stationary objects. But it wasn’t until
the 1970s that the sport really took
off. In 1975, Don Boyles jumped
safely from the Royal Gorge Bridge.
And in 1976, Owen Quinn was the
first to jump from the World Trade
Center.
9
In the beginning, the problem
with BASE jumping was that it
wasn’t legal to jump from public or
private land and buildings. The first
legal jump was in 1978 from the
El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
It is, however, still illegal to jump
from many places today.
10
BASE jumping is a very
dangerous sport. Jumpers have just
one parachute, and there is no
backup chute. In fact, there really
isn’t time to even open a backup
chute. The jumper only has three
seconds after the launch point to
open the handheld chute. So the
main chute has to work!
11
The jumpers leap from natural
and man-made structures that range
from 600 feet to 6000 feet high.
Television towers are the highest
man-made structures. The KDUH
tower in Nebraska is 1965 feet high!
Jumpers also leap from the Golden
Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the
Eiffel Tower in France.
12
Some jumpers like to jump
from buildings that are under
16 Over the Edge
construction. This is because there
are many ways into the building.
And there are no windows they
have to climb through.
13
At many tall buildings, security
guards roam the insides and the
bases of the structures to prevent
people from BASE jumping. But this
doesn’t keep some jumpers away.
They find ways around the security
to jump anyway.
14
There are many naturally
occurring structures that BASE
jumpers enjoy also. They are usually
very scenic and very high. And they
are not patrolled like buildings,
bridges, and towers. Some earth
jumps include 3212-foot-high Angel
Falls in Venezuela and a 6000-foot-
high cliff at Baffin Bay in Canada.
15
As well as experiencing
the rush of free-falling, some
experienced BASE jumpers like to
track. Tracking is gaining horizontal
speed and distance while falling. To
successfully track, jumpers keep
their arms alongside their body and
their legs together. They also
position their body at a 45-degree
angle to the ground.
16
Hundreds of jumpers attend the
annual event called Bridge Day in
Fayetteville, West Virginia. This legal
jumping event has been held on the
third Saturday in October since 1977.
 17
One side of the New River
Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville is
closed to traffic during a six-hour
period of the day. The bridge is
876 feet high and 3030 feet long. It
holds the title of the World’s Longest
Single Span Steel Arch Bridge. From
9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the
afternoon, people jump. More than
300 jumpers attend this annual
event.
18
More than 300,000 non-jumpers
also attend this event. They are
allowed to freely walk the bridge.
They enjoy seeing the fall scenery
and watching the professional and
amateur BASE jumpers.
Two BASE jumpers take part in Bridge Day.
19
There is no organization that
oversees BASE jumping. So the jumper will need help from
veteran jumpers will often work someone else. After 150 jumps from
with the first-time jumpers. Veteran an airplane, many who are ready to
jumpers also hold seminars for first- try BASE jumping ask experienced
timers to help with exit body jumpers for help.
position and other important 22
Skydiving helps a jumper learn
information. about controlling a parachute and
20
Jumping at Bridge Day is positioning the body. It also lets a
probably the safest jump anyone person experience what falling feels
could ever make. Many experienced like before popping open a chute.
people are there to help. In the And skydiving teaches jumpers how
water below, rescue boats are ready to land.
23
to pull the jumpers from the water. But that’s really where the
And there are rescue workers to similarities between skydiving and
help in case of accidents. BASE jumping end. Skydiving is for
21
Since there are no organizations people who like to feel the wind
for BASE jumping, a first-time and descend rather slowly and

Over the Edge 17

safely. BASE jumping is much more
dangerous. It requires lower jumping
heights and quicker response times
to make corrections. Jumpers also
must land in much smaller and more
confined areas.
24
Those who have BASE jumped
know that there are certain safety
considerations to follow. Although
nothing is required for jumping
except a parachute and a pack, the
smart jumpers will jump safely. They
want to live to jump another day!
25
Jumpers should always wear
a helmet during a jump. As in any
extreme sport, such as skateboarding
and street luge, a helmet can mean
the difference between life and death!
26
A helmet may not save the life
of a jumper traveling toward the
ground at speeds of up to 100 miles
an hour. But it is a safe bet that
wearing a helmet is much safer than
not wearing one. Especially when
landing among rocks or trees!
27
If a parachute works the way it
should, then a jumper’s feet are first
If you have been timing your reading speed for this story,
record your time below.
____________ : ____________
Minutes
18 Over the Edge
to the ground. Sturdy high-top boots
provide protection to the feet and
ankles during a landing. Wearing
them doesn’t mean that one is
guaranteed an injury-free landing.
But wearing sturdy boots increases
the chances of one.
28
It is very important that jumpers
make their jumps high enough so
that their chutes will deploy in time.
An altitude detection device is a
handy tool to make sure jumpers
can land safely.
29
BASE jumping certainly isn’t a
sport for everyone. Because of the
danger involved, many people
choose to stick with other thrill-
induced sports that are safer, like
skydiving. And many more people
choose sports that don’t involve
hurtling to the earth at all!
30
But for those who choose to
experience the adrenaline rush of
BASE jumping, they say the risk is
worth the excitement and thrill.
There’s simply nothing like it in the
world!
Seconds
Understanding Recalling Facts
the Main Idea The following questions will test how well you
remember the facts in the story you just read.
The following questions will demonstrate your Choose the best answer for each question.
understanding of what the story is about, or
the main idea. Choose the best answer for 1. Leonardo da Vinci made the first
each question. parachute from
a canvas and wood.
1. This story is mainly about
b nylon and string.
a a sport where people jump from planes.
c leather and plastic.
b a fear of heights.
d silk and thread.
c a sport where people jump from boats.
d a sport where people jump from tall 2. In 1975, Don Boyles jumped safely from
structures.
a the Royal Gorge Bridge.
2. This story could have been titled b a high-flying plane.
a “BASE Jumping: Who Needs c a tall cliff.
Buildings?” d his mother’s roof.
b “BASE Jumping: Who Needs
3. The New River Gorge Bridge holds the
Parachutes?”
record for the world’s
c “BASE Jumping: Who Needs Bridges?”
a heaviest double-wide wood bridge.
d “BASE Jumping: Who Needs Planes?”
b tallest triple stone bridge.
3. Which detail best supports the main c shortest BASE jumping bridge.
idea of this story? d longest single span steel arch bridge.
a Leonardo da Vinci invented the
parachute 300 years ago. 4. One of the words that “BASE” stands
for is
b Parachutes have been valuable to
soldiers during wars. a Antennae.
c BASE jumping isn’t for everyone. b Skydiving.
d The jumpers leap from natural and c Elevation.
manmade structures. d Bye-bye.

4. Find another detail that supports the

main idea of this story. Write it on the
lines below.

Over the Edge 19

Reading Between
the Lines

An inference is a conclusion drawn 3. What generalization can you make from

from facts. A generalization is a general this story?
statement, idea, or rule that is supported by a More people like watching BASE
facts. Analyze the story by choosing the best jumping than actually jumping.
answer to each question below.
b BASE jumping is never safe to do.
1. What conclusion can you draw from c Skydiving is more fun than BASE
paragraphs 5–6? jumping.
d All BASE jumping is now legal.
a Sky divers never try BASE jumping.
b BASE jumpers never try skydiving. 4. It can be inferred from the story that
c BASE jumping is more dangerous than
a BASE jumpers are all criminals.
skydiving because jumpers don’t use a
parachute. b BASE jumpers are never scared.
d BASE jumping is more dangerous than c all BASE jumpers make legal jumps
skydiving because it’s done from lower today.
heights. d if not done right, BASE jumping can
cause serious injuries or death.
2. What conclusion can you draw from
paragraph 9?
a No BASE jumping was done before
1978.
b All BASE jumpers enjoy breaking the
law.
c BASE jumping is considered too
dangerous to be legal everywhere.
d Before 1978, all BASE jumpers were
breaking the law.

20 Over the Edge

Determining
Cause and Effect
Choose the best answer for the following
questions to show the relationship between
what happened in the story (effects) and why
those things happened (causes).
1. Because Stefan Banic landed safely near
the U.S. Patent Office, he
a was easy to catch.
b patented the parachute.
c was able to avoid traffic.
d took a taxi home.
2. What happens because BASE jumpers
jump from low heights?
a They have to carry a backup parachute.
b They have longer to open their
parachutes than sky divers.
c They only have three seconds to open
their parachutes.
d BASE jumping is less dangerous than
skydiving.
Over the Edge 21
3. Why do first-time jumpers find veteran
jumpers?
a It’s the only way to learn correctly how
to BASE jump.
b They need to borrow equipment.
c It’s illegal to jump for the first time
alone.
d They want to follow BASE jumping
tradition.
4. Why do many people choose sports like
skydiving instead of BASE jumping?
a They feel BASE jumping is too
expensive.
b They don’t like to participate in legal
activities.
c They feel BASE jumping is too
dangerous.
d They feel BASE jumping is too popular.
Using Context Clues

Skilled readers can often find the meaning
of unfamiliar words by using context clues.
This means they study the way the words are
used in the text. Use the context clues in the
excerpts below to determine the meaning
of the bold-faced words. Then choose the
answer that best matches the meaning
of the word.
1. “And the parachute has become a valuable
aid in getting troops where they need to be
during wars.”
CLUE: “During World War I, the parachute
became standard equipment for U.S. pilots
who were fighting in the war.”
a helper
b destroyer
c defender
d agent
3. “As well as experiencing the rush of free-
falling, some experienced BASE jumpers
like to track.”
CLUE: “Tracking is gaining horizontal speed
and distance while falling.”
a hurry
b reach
c boredom
d excitement
4. “Skydiving is for people who like to feel
the wind and descend rather slowly and
safely.” (paragraph 23)
Write what you think the bold-faced word
means. Then record the context clues that led
you to this definition.
Meaning:

2. “At many tall buildings, security guards

roam the insides and the bases of the
structures to prevent people from BASE Context Clues:
jumping.”
CLUE: “But this doesn’t keep some jumpers
away. They find ways around the security to
jump anyway.”
a police
b prepare
c allow
d stop

22 Over the Edge

 End-of-Unit Activities
1. Each of the sports in this unit, “Ups and Downs,” is dangerous to some degree.
For each sport, record what makes it dangerous. Then rank the sports from most
dangerous to least dangerous.

Dangers Involved

Skydiving

BASE Jumping

Climbing

Bungee Jumping

Most Dangerous _ __________________________________

_ __________________________________
_ __________________________________
Least Dangerous _ __________________________________

Would you try any or all of these sports? Why or why not?______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

40 Over the Edge

 End-of-Unit Activities
2. Rank each of the stories in this unit, from the one you liked the most to the one you
liked the least. For each story, write one interesting fact you learned. Then write a
paragraph describing why you liked the story you ranked 1 the best.

Lesson 1 Ranking

Lesson 2 Ranking

Lesson 3 Ranking

Lesson 4 Ranking

Why did you like the story you ranked 1 the best?

Over the Edge 41

 Words-Per-Minute Chart
Unit One
Directions:
No. of Words
Use the chart to find your
words-per-minute reading speed.
Refer to the reading time you
recorded at the end of each story.
Find your reading time in seconds
along the left-hand side of the
chart or minutes and seconds along
the right-hand side of the chart.
Your words-per-minute score will
be listed next to the time in the
column below the appropriate
lesson number.
Seconds
42 Over the Edge
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4
833 1,210 1,141 1,529
80 625 908 856 1,147 1:20
100 500 726 685 917 1:40
120 417 605 571 765 2:00
140 357 519 489 655 2:20
160 312 454 428 573 2:40
180 278 403 380 510 3:00
200 250 363 342 459 3:20
220 227 330 311 417 3:40
240 208 303 285 382 4:00
260 192 279 263 353 4:20
280 179 259 245 328 4:40
300 167 242 228 306 5:00
320 156 227 214 287 5:20
340 147 214 201 270 5:40
360 139 202 190 255 6:00
380 132 191 180 241 6:20
400 125 182 171 229 6:40
Minutes and Seconds
420 119 173 163 218 7:00
440 114 165 156 209 7:20
460 109 158 149 199 7:40
480 104 151 143 191 8:00
500 100 145 137 183 8:20
520 96 140 132 176 8:40
540 93 134 127 170 9:00
560 89 130 122 164 9:20
580 86 125 118 158 9:40
600 83 121 114 153 10:00
620 81 117 110 148 10:20
640 78 113 107 143 10:40
660 76 110 104 139 11:00
680 74 107 101 135 11:20
700 71 104 98 131 11:40
720 69 101 95 127 12:00
740 68 98 93 124 12:20
760 66 96 90 121 12:40
780 64 93 88 118 13:00
800 62 91 86 115 13:20
820 61 89 83 112 13:40
840 60 86 82 109 14:00