Gutenberg Informational Skills Check

Using context clues, which of the following would be a probable definition of the word literacy?

“If you are reading this right now, you are taking part in the wonder of literacy.”

• Obeying rules or laws

• The ability to read or write

• Knowledge in a specified area

• Being responsible for something

Using context clues, which of the following would be a synonym for the word phenomenon?

“Much of the credit for the development of this phenomenon can be attributed to one man.”

• Marvel

• Accident

• Obsession

• Knowledge

#3 doesn't match on the paper, so here's a text structure question:

Which text structure does a biography normally categorize as?

• cause and effect

• problem and solution

• chronological order

• sequence

Which of the following expresses the correct order of events?

• Gutenberg was born in Mainz, invested in mirrors, then became a goldsmith.

• Gutenberg went to college, revealed his press, and then invested in shiny mirrors.

• Gutenberg studied goldsmithing, invented the printing press, and then lost his shop.

• Gutenberg created the printing press, printed the bible, and then invented the metal mirror.

Which BEST explains why Guternbeg’s plan to sell mirrors failed?

• Too many other people had the same idea.

• Flooding delayed the event for an entire year.

• The mirrors were less popular than he had expected.

• Newly invented glass mirrors rendered his metal mirrors obsolete.

Which of the following did Gutenberg invent?

• Reflective mirrors

• Written language

• Scientific inquiry

• The printing press

Which is NOT listed in the text as a movement to which Gutenberg’s idea contributed?

• The Great Schism

• The Renaissance

• The Scientific Revolution

• The Age of Enlightenment

Which BEST explains why most people were illiterate during Gutenberg's time?

• Writing had not yet been invented.

• Books were rare and very expensive.

• The public school system had not yet been created.

• Charlemagne made reading and writing illegal for common people.

Which BEST explains why so few of Gutenberg’s bibles were sold to private individuals?

• Most Europeans were not religious and did not care about the bible.

• Gutenberg wanted to use his talents to help churches and universities.

• Gutenberg’s Bible was pretty expensive and most people couldn’t read.

• Gutenberg’s investors forbade him from selling the bibles to private individuals.

Which of the following is BEST supported by evidence from the text?

• Gutenberg's idea did not make him rich but spread very quickly.

• Gutenberg’s idea was a tremendous success that made him incredibly wealthy.

• Gutenberg’s idea did not catch on right away but made him incredibly rich over time.

• Gutenberg’s idea didn’t catch on in his lifetime, but grew very popular after his death.