Level 3 · Reading series
Lesson 27 · The Warm Side of the Playground
Audio track 27
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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At noon, the metal bench in the sun felt hot, while a bench under a tree felt cooler. Our science group wanted to measure the difference without touching either bench for long.
We placed one thermometer near each bench and waited five minutes. The reading beside the sunny bench was higher. Then a cloud covered the sun, and the readings moved closer together.
We did not say that all metal benches are hotter than all wooden benches. We had compared two places on one day, and shade was an important difference. Our teacher asked us to write what we had actually measured. “A good observation,” she said, “is more useful than a big claim you cannot support.”
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
中午，阳光下的金属长椅摸起来很烫，树下的另一张长椅则凉一些。我们科学小组想测量差别，又不想长时间用手碰椅子。
我们在两张椅子旁各放一支温度计，等了五分钟。向阳椅子旁的读数更高。后来，一片云遮住太阳，两支温度计的读数逐渐接近。
我们没有因此断言，所有金属椅都比所有木椅热。我们只在同一天比较了两个地点，而是否有树荫是重要差别。老师让我们写清楚实际测量了什么。她说：‘准确的观察，比拿不出证据的大结论有用得多。’
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- metal
- 金属的；一张椅子的材质。
- while
- 而、同时；对比阳光下和树下的椅子。
- measure
- 测量；小组用温度计记录读数。
- without touching
- 不长时间触碰；避免持续用手接触热椅。
- thermometer
- 温度计；两张椅子旁各放一支。
- reading
- 读数；阴晴变化影响测得的数值。
- shade
- 树荫、阴影；两处环境的重要差别。
- compare
- 比较；只比较了同一天的两个地点。
- actually
- 实际上；应写实际测量的内容。
- support a claim
- 支持一项论断；证据不足时不能作过大的结论。
Background notes (Chinese)
实验同时涉及日照、阴影、地点和材质，不能只把读数差异归因于‘金属和木头’。结论应与实际比较的对象和条件相符。