Passive Voice (Reading Comprehension)

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

George Crum invented the potato chip.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

The potato chip was invented about fifty years ago.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

Crum worked at a hotel in Africa.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

Crum had studied cooking in France.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

Many people all over the country liked French fried potatoes.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

One customer complained that the potatoes were too thick.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

The customer who complained was very pleasant.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Potato Chip

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

At the time, French fried potatoes were popular all over the country. Chef Crum cooked French fries at the resort every night. One night a diner complained that the fries were too thick. So Crum cut the potatoes thinner and fried them perfectly, but the customer was still unsatisfied and grumpy.

Crum was annoyed by this grumpy customer, and so he did something to annoy him: he cut the potatoes very, very thin -- too thin to eat with a fork –- and fried them. Surprisingly, the customer was delighted with the very thin potatoes, and asked for seconds and even thirds! In this way, potato chips were invented … and the rest is history.

Choose TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is wrong according to the passage above.

George Crum worked for many years to develop the potato chip.

• TRUE

• FALSE

The Invention of the Popsicle

The popsicle was invented by an eleven-year-old child, Frank Epperson, in 1905. Young Frank lived in San Francisco, California.

One cold night, he accidentally left a fruit drink in a cup on his back porch. He had left a stirrer -– a small stick to stir with – in the drink. When he found the drink in the morning, it was frozen! It was solid ice with the stick in the middle. He took the frozen drink out of the cup and tasted it. It was delicious! It was a new treat.

Epperson got a patent on his "frozen ice on a stick" many years later, in 1923. His frozen treat was originally called the Epsicle. The Epsicle was later renamed the popsicle. Epperson also invented the twin popsicle (with two sticks so it could be shared by two children), the Fudgsicle, the Creamsicle and the Dreamsicle.

Question:

Who invented the popsicle?

• A child who was eleven years old

• An engineer who was also an inventor

The Invention of the Popsicle

The popsicle was invented by an eleven-year-old child, Frank Epperson, in 1905. Young Frank lived in San Francisco, California.

One cold night, he accidentally left a fruit drink in a cup on his back porch. He had left a stirrer -– a small stick to stir with – in the drink. When he found the drink in the morning, it was frozen! It was solid ice with the stick in the middle. He took the frozen drink out of the cup and tasted it. It was delicious! It was a new treat.

Epperson got a patent on his "frozen ice on a stick" many years later, in 1923. His frozen treat was originally called the Epsicle. The Epsicle was later renamed the popsicle. Epperson also invented the twin popsicle (with two sticks so it could be shared by two children), the Fudgsicle, the Creamsicle and the Dreamsicle.

Question:

When was the popsicle invented?

• About fifty years ago

• About a hundred years ago