Reading Comprehension • Saddleback Educational Publishing ©2002 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 92618•Phone (888)SDL-BACK•www.sdlback.com
You may think there were no lamps before Edison invented the electric light about 125
years ago. But there have been forms of lamps since
prehistoric times.
The first lamps may have been brush set afire in an
animal skull filled with fat. Later, but still thousands of
years ago, Egyptians placed cotton wicks inside hollow
stones filled with grease. Greeks and Romans shaped
lamps from bronze or terra cotta and used olive oil for
fuel. Candles were a great improvement when they
appeared. In the 1700s the discovery that under glass a
flame burns more brightly and with less smoke led to glass
encasements. Whale oil was the main source of fuel at this
time until scientists learned to use gas as a fuel. In the
1800s, kerosene lamps appeared on the scene. Prior to
Edison’s invention, gaslight lamps were widely used.
They were not only functional but also sometimes ornate
decorations for the home.87
Na m e : ___ _
Directions:Date:Read the passage. Circle the topic sentence. Put a ✓in front of each of the
supporting sentences. Then, answer the questions below.1 Write the topic sentence. _______________________________________________________________________________________________- What was used as fuel in the first lamps?
O gas O animal fat O olive oil - During what period did candles appear as a source of light?
O prehistoric O 1800s O story doesn’t say - During the 1700s, what was the main source of fuel in lamps?
O whale oil O olive oil O grease - About what year did Edison invent the electric light?
O 1775 O 1823 O 1879 - Who invented the gaslight lamp?
O Greeks and Romans O Edison O story doesn’t say