Reading Comprehension • Saddleback Educational Publishing ©2002 130 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 92618•Phone (888)SDL-BACK•www.sdlback.com
Na m e : ___ _
Directions:Date:As you read the story, think about what general statements could be made about
the subject covered. Then answer the questions in two parts below.Get in the know. A generalization is a statement that
is true for all the things included in the description.
No exceptions!The word “pencil” comes from a Latin word, penicillus, which means
“little tail.” When pencils were first invented centuries ago, they were not
the kind of pencils we use today. The first pencils were actually small,
fine-pointed brushes.
Although we call the substance in pencils “lead,” it is largely
made of a material called graphite and contains no actual lead.
Graphite was first discovered about 500 years ago in a mine in
Cumberland, England. Crude pencils similar to those we use today
were first made from pure graphite.
Later, in 1760, the Faber family of Germany pulverized graphite to
make a kind of pencil, but their pencils did not prove to be
successful. A useful pencil was not produced until later that century
when, in 1795, Frenchman N. J. Conte pressed a ground mixture of
graphite, water, and clay into sticks and fired them in a large oven
called a kiln. The more clay that was added, the harder the “lead”
would be. When more graphite was added, the pencil “lead” would
be softer. Today, more than 350 different kinds of pencils are made
with varying degrees of hardness, softness, intensity, and color. A
standard Number 2 pencil has a lead softness level of 2 degrees.Part A: True or false?- All pencils contain lead. _____
- Pencils have remained pretty much the same since their invention. ___
- The ratio of clay to graphite determines the hardness of a pencil. __
- Today a variety of pencils are made for different uses and effects. __
Part B: Write one or two sentences that summarize the information given in the story.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________