Reading 9th Grade I Semester

Smoke Signals

The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of communication which people used to communicate over long distances. It involves covering a fire so that different shapes and sizes of smoke clouds rise into the air.
The North American Indians are probably the most well-known users of smoke signals, often appearing in Hollywood Western films with cowboys. Each North American Indian tribe had their own system of signals. The fire was started using damp grass but another thing that mattered was where it was lit. If the fire was halfway up a hill, it meant everything was OK, but if the fire was on the top of the hill, this meant danger was near.
Smoke signals have been used throughout history in many different countries. In ancient China, soldiers were able to inform people about an attack by smoke signals. The Great Wall of China is a huge wall which stretches the length of the country, and at certain points along the wall there are towers. By signalling from tower to tower, they could send messages as far away as 750km in just a few hours.
Some smoke signals are very simple, like those of the Australian Aborigines. They used smoke signals when they entered land which was not theirs. This was simply to inform others that they were there. A Greek historian called Polybius came up with a more complicated system of alphabetical smoke signals around 150 BC. He invented a system of converting Greek letters into numbers. Messages were signalled by holding sets of torches in pairs.
The Yahgan people who lived on the islands south of South America also used smoke signals. When a whale got stuck on a beach, they needed to tell others that there was a lot of meat there, and it shouldn’t go to waste. So, they used smoke signals to inform people.

1. For North American Indians, the location of the fire was important.

Smoke Signals

The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of communication which people used to communicate over long distances. It involves covering a fire so that different shapes and sizes of smoke clouds rise into the air.
The North American Indians are probably the most well-known users of smoke signals, often appearing in Hollywood Western films with cowboys. Each North American Indian tribe had their own system of signals. The fire was started using damp grass but another thing that mattered was where it was lit. If the fire was halfway up a hill, it meant everything was OK, but if the fire was on the top of the hill, this meant danger was near.
Smoke signals have been used throughout history in many different countries. In ancient China, soldiers were able to inform people about an attack by smoke signals. The Great Wall of China is a huge wall which stretches the length of the country, and at certain points along the wall there are towers. By signalling from tower to tower, they could send messages as far away as 750km in just a few hours.
Some smoke signals are very simple, like those of the Australian Aborigines. They used smoke signals when they entered land which was not theirs. This was simply to inform others that they were there. A Greek historian called Polybius came up with a more complicated system of alphabetical smoke signals around 150 BC. He invented a system of converting Greek letters into numbers. Messages were signalled by holding sets of torches in pairs.
The Yahgan people who lived on the islands south of South America also used smoke signals. When a whale got stuck on a beach, they needed to tell others that there was a lot of meat there, and it shouldn’t go to waste. So, they used smoke signals to inform people.

2. North American Indians lit a fire at the top of a hill to inform others of good and bad news.

Smoke Signals

The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of communication which people used to communicate over long distances. It involves covering a fire so that different shapes and sizes of smoke clouds rise into the air.
The North American Indians are probably the most well-known users of smoke signals, often appearing in Hollywood Western films with cowboys. Each North American Indian tribe had their own system of signals. The fire was started using damp grass but another thing that mattered was where it was lit. If the fire was halfway up a hill, it meant everything was OK, but if the fire was on the top of the hill, this meant danger was near.
Smoke signals have been used throughout history in many different countries. In ancient China, soldiers were able to inform people about an attack by smoke signals. The Great Wall of China is a huge wall which stretches the length of the country, and at certain points along the wall there are towers. By signalling from tower to tower, they could send messages as far away as 750km in just a few hours.
Some smoke signals are very simple, like those of the Australian Aborigines. They used smoke signals when they entered land which was not theirs. This was simply to inform others that they were there. A Greek historian called Polybius came up with a more complicated system of alphabetical smoke signals around 150 BC. He invented a system of converting Greek letters into numbers. Messages were signalled by holding sets of torches in pairs.
The Yahgan people who lived on the islands south of South America also used smoke signals. When a whale got stuck on a beach, they needed to tell others that there was a lot of meat there, and it shouldn’t go to waste. So, they used smoke signals to inform people.

3. Smoke signals helped people communicate long distances in ancient China.