For that idea kicking around Clancy’S head since 1988，the U．S．Patent Office this month(June 2006)awarded the 52-year-old Mansfield，Ohio, man a patent．Its number：7037243．What makes this invention work is the moving weights inside the handles．They let you have the feel of a rope moving，Clancy said．

    But why jump rope without a rope?

    It’s perfect for the clumsy, Clancy said．”If you are still jumping，you’re still using your legs，as well as your alms．a(chǎn)nd giving exercise to the cardiovascular(心血管)．You just don’t have to worry about tripping on the rope．”

    It is also good for mental institutions and prisons where people might use rope to kill themselves，said Clancy，who serves as a laundry worker in a state prison．And low ceiling fans aren’t dangerous any more，he said．

    The idea isn’t all that crazy．said Mike Ernst，a professor of kinesiology(運(yùn)動(dòng)機(jī)能學(xué))at California State University in Dominguez Hills．

    The more he thought about it，the more Ernst said he could see the benefit，adding that，“   Do you need to jump with a rope? You don’t，”Ernst said．” But I wouldn’t buy the product，I can tell you that．I'm not a fool．”

    High-tech handles aren’t needed．You could even use toilet paper holders，Ernst said．On second thought，he wondered if he could patent that idea．

1．What’s the name of the patent owner?

   A．Clancy．   B．Mansfield．   C．Ohio．    D．Mike Ernst

2．The moving weights inside the handles are used to__________________．

    A．free the jumper’s hands      B．a(chǎn)dd weight to the rope

    C．help throw the rope around    D．work as a rope

3．Ernst thought“The idea isn’t ail that crazy”because it aimed to_______．

    A．make the jumping safer                     B．prevent self-killing

    C．1et others share the inventor’s experience    D． have people do more exercise

4．The last paragraph mainly tell us that Ernst__________________．

    A．considered the patent and his new idea equally silly

    B．might apply for a patent for his new idea

    C．preferred toilet paper holders to high-tech handles

    D．was a person full of new ideas