Reading Passage No. 4 - Grade Five Class

Reading Passage No. 4

by CHRISTIAN D. ASUELO - T-II

​Key Reading Teacher

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​In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king’s favor. After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain.

​A papal decree of 1493 had assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.

​One ship deserted while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed the meridian now known as the International Date Line in the early spring of 1521 after 98 days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many of Magellan’s men died of starvation and disease.

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​Later, Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed in a tribal battle. Only one ship and 17 sailors under the command of the Basque navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge.

Multiple Choice

1. The 16th century was an age of great ______ exploration.

• cosmic

• land

• mental

• common man

• none of the above

Multiple Choice

2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a political ________.

• entanglement

• discussion

• negotiation

• problem

• None of the above

Multiple Choice

3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their location on one side or the other of an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of Greenwich that extends in a _________ direction.

• north and south

• crosswise

• easterly

• south east

• north and west

Multiple Choice

4. One of Magellan’s ships explored the _________ of South America for a passage across the continent.

• coastline

• mountain range

• physical features

• islands

• None of the above

Multiple Choice

5. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the _______ now called the International Date Line.

• imaginary circle passing through the poles

• imaginary line parallel to the equator

• area

• land mass

• Answer not available