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Under the Cover of Darkness

Under the Cover of Darkness
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.48

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    goings-on, information-gathering, top-secret, commercial, highly, aircraft, effective, easily, defense, secrecy, remain, beginning, unaware, lights, outer, lead
     content words:    Las Vegas, U2 Spy Plane, F117 Stealth Fighter- No, Stealth Fighter, SR71 Blackbird

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Under the Cover of Darkness
By Tammy Scarbrough 		  
1     There is a place about 90 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada, in which many people are unaware. It is not on a map and it is a highly top-secret location. This place is known as "Area 51."
 
2     Area 51 has been around since the 1950's. There have been many top secret governmental projects that have come from this place. We don't want other countries to know what we are building for our defense because they may try to copy it or figure out how to destroy it. The people who work in Area 51 are sworn to secrecy their whole lives. They can not even tell their wife or husband what goes on. Let's look at some "projects" that have been developed in Area 51.
 
3     U2 Spy Plane - This airplane was created when Area 51 was still in its beginning stages. No one even knew that it existed until one was shot down over Russia in 1960. It flies about 70,000 feet high, and is painted black, so that it can not be seen easily. Before it was painted black in the 1960's, some people thought they had seen a UFO because of the reflections it cast off of its silver body. This airplane has been used as an information-gathering craft for many years. It flies high in the sky and "spies" on the activity below.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
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