Unit 9 Week 3

Unit 9 Week 3

From Sheep to Sweater

1 Many people wear wool to stay warm. Much of the wool

people use for clothing and blankets comes from sheep. It takes

many steps to turn wool into yarn that is as soft as a feather. Here

is what you need to do.

2 First, shear, or cut, wool from the sheep. This is often done once

a year in spring. Their coat is thickest then.

3 Second, you have to clean the wool. You have to wash the

wool to remove dirt and oil. Sheep wool is naturally oily. The wool

gets dirty as the sheep run around and lie down outdoors.

4 Then, pull the wool apart to get rid of seeds and small sticks. This

step is called picking or teasing.

5 You need special tools to “card” the wool. These tools are like

combs with many small metal teeth. You put a bit of wool on one

card. Then you comb it with the other. The wool gets softer and

softer. Then you pull all the wool off the combs.

6 After it is cleaned, the wool is ready for spinning. You pull it

gently and twist it into long strings. As you twist it, you wind it onto

a rod called a spindle.

7 At this point, the yarn can be dyed any color you want. When

the wool is dry after dyeing, you can use it to knit hats, sweaters,

and much more.

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence from paragraph 1.

“It takes many steps to turn wool into yarn that is as soft as

a feather.”

What is the meaning of the phrase as soft as a feather in this

sentence?

• thin and light

• very small

• very soft

• rough and sharp

Multiple Choice

The following item has two parts. Answer Part A and then

answer Part B.

Part A

Why does wool need to be “picked”?

• to make wool softer

• to turn wool into yarn

• to get rid of dirt and oil

• to take things out like twigs

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer

to Part A?

• “It takes many steps to turn wool into yarn that is as soft as

  a feather.”

• “After it is cleaned, the wool is ready for spinning.

• “You have to wash the wool to remove dirt and oil.”

• “Then, pull the wool apart to get rid of seeds and

  small sticks.”

What information does picture 1 add to the passage?

Multiple Choice

What information does picture 1 add to the passage?

• It shows what raw wool looks like.

• It shows how raw wool is cleaned.

• It shows what sheep look like.

• It shows how wool is colored.

Which picture best helps the reader understand paragraph 5?

You need special tools to “card” the wool. These tools are like

combs with many small metal teeth. You put a bit of wool on one

card. Then you comb it with the other. The wool gets softer and

softer. Then you pull all the wool off the combs.

Multiple Choice

The following item has two parts.

Part A

Which picture

best helps the reader understand paragraph 5?

You need special tools to “card” the wool. These tools are like

combs with many small metal teeth. You put a bit of wool on one

card. Then you comb it with the other. The wool gets softer and

softer. Then you pull all the wool off the combs.

• Picture 1

• Picture 2

• Picture 3

• Picture 4

Multiple Choice

Which detail from the passage

best supports the answer to Part A?

• "You have to wash the wool to remove dirt and oil.”

• “At this point, the yarn can be dyed any color you want.”

• “You put a bit of wool on one card. Then you comb it with the other.”

• “As you twist it, you wind it onto a rod called a spindle.”

Multiple Choice

What is the meaning of the word outdoors in paragraph 3?

• out in nature

• out of time

• by a door

• behind a door

Multiple Choice

In making yarn, when is a spindle used?

• as the wool is made softer and softer

• as the wool is cleaned of dirt and oil

• as the wool is twisted into strings

• as the wool is sheared from the sheep

Multiple Choice

What is the

last

step in making yarn?

• spinning the wool

• combing the wool

• shearing the wool

• coloring the wool