9th Grade Reading Assessment #1

Passage 1
Read the sentence from the paragraph 1:
” These are some of the names someone wrote in a logbook in Thomas Edison’s laboratory in 1877, after Edison and his assessments invented the first rudimentary machine for recording and playing back sounds.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD rudimentary AS IT IS USED IN THE SENTENCE?

• basic
• mobile
• practical
• original

Passage 1
Which sentence from the article supports the answer to question #1?

• “The phonograph, his first invention to make him world-famous, is a perfect example.” (paragraph 2)
• “It was also the outcome of an amazing burst of inventiveness.” (paragraph 3)
• “But the primitive phonograph that Edison demonstrated for the editors of Scientific American that December remained exceedingly limited.” (paragraph 6)
• “When word of the invention spread, however, the outside world saw greater possibilities.” (paragraph 6)

Passage 1
Which statement best describes the central idea of “The incredible Talking Machine”?

• Edison was dependent on his assistants and backers to be successful.
• Edison was never able to comprehend the full potential of his invention.
• Edison was more gifted at promoting his inventions than designing them.
• Edison was so impressed with his own invention that he ignored constructive criticism.

Passage 1
Select one piece of evidence from the article that BEST support your answer to #3   

• “From the first, they thought it would be used to reproduce the human voice, but they had no clear idea of its exact purpose.” (paragraph 1) 
• “The staff went on working through the night, fiddling with the gizmo—and thus occurred the first midnight recording session.” (paragraph 4) 
• “To him, the idea that his most cherished invention faced competition was unendurable.” (paragraph 8)
• “He dismissed ‘miserable dance and ragtime selections’ and described jazz as something for ‘the nuts.’ ” (paragraph 9) 

Passage 1
How does the author of “The Incredible Talking Machine” mainly present information throughout the article?  

• by presenting a cause and its effects
• by describing events in sequential order
• by explaining a problem and its solution
• by comparing and contrasting events 

Passage 1
Which sentence from the article best supports the answer to question #5?  

• “If the paper were then pulled through the rollers again with the needle resting in the groove, the indentations would move the attached diaphragm . . .” (paragraph 3)
• “It broke down frequently and required a trained technician’s constant attention.” (paragraph 7)
• “Ten years elapsed before Edison returned to the phonograph, only after a competitor developed a wax-coated cylinder that could be removed without ruining the recording. . . .” (paragraph 8) 
• “The other phonograph companies introduced radios but Edison refused, wanting nothing to do with the medium’s inferior sound quality.” (paragraph 10) 

Passage 2
In paragraph 4, what is the meaning of the word exploit?    

• research
• promote
• improve
• defend 

Passage 2
 What phrase from paragraph 4 supports the answer to question #7?  

• “...machine was an instant success...”
• “...difficult to operate...” 
• “...except by experts...”
•  “ . . . last for only a few playings.” 

Passage 2
Which part of the invention process was most likely the key step for securing the patent?  

• testing the machine 
• improving the machine’s parts
• constructing the original machine
• demonstrating the machine to the public 

Passage 2
Which statement from the passage supports the answer to question #9?

•  “Edison later changed the paper to a metal cylinder with tin foil wrapped around it.” (paragraph 1)
•  “To his amazement, the machine played his words back to him.” (paragraph 1) 
• “. . . and Cros’s work remained only a theory, since he did not produce a working model of it.” (paragraph 2)
•  “Interest was great, and the invention was reported in several New York newspapers. . . .” (paragraph 3)