Without the Internet or phones, communicating long distance is limited. Yet throughout history, cultures have developed ways to produce messages that travel miles. Morse Code is a system of communication. It uses patterns of signals to send and receive messages, often with a machine called a telegraph.

A telegraph is a machine that creates different signals from different messages. These signals are then changed into electrical current. They are sent across a wire. They can travel long distances, such as across the country or ocean. Another telegraph receives these signals. The machine changes the signals back into the original message.

In Morse Code, there are three types of signals. They are dots, dashes, and pauses. Dots (•) are the short noises or flashes of light. Dashes (━) are longer noises or flashes of light. Spaces (____) are the pauses. Patterns of these signals represent letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. In Morse Code, letter A is one dot and one dash, letter E is one dot, letter I is two dots. As for consonants, letter C is one dash, one dot, one dash and one dot, letter D is one dash and two dots, Letter T is one dash.

Morse Code was invented in the United States by Samuel Morse during the 1830s. People soon realized that the code could not transmit all messages in other languages. To fix this problem, a newer version called the International Morse Code was developed. International Morse Code is simpler and more exact. For example, the original Morse Code could only represent a few of the letters. The International Morse Code, on the other hand, is for all letters.

【小题1】According to Paragraph 2, how does the telegraph work?
①The signals are sent across a wire.
②The signals are changed back to letters.
③Another telegraph receives these signals.
④The telegraph changes signals to electricity.

A．①④②③

B．①④③②

C．④①②③

D．④①③②

【小题2】Look at the signals: •━   ━•━•   ━, which of the following do they mean?

A．Cat.

B．Act.

C．Eat.

D．Ted.

【小题3】What happened after Morse Code couldn’t work in other languages?

A．It became very popular.	B．People stopped using it.
C．The telephone was invented.	D．A newer version was created.

【小题4】What is the writing purpose of this passage?

A．To explain a secret message.	B．To introduce a type of phone.
C．To show a way to communicate.	D．To tell stories of an old machine.