Stated Question Practice

Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia situated on a peninsula between two rivers, the York and the James. It was settled by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the first permanent English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. In the beginning the colony at Williamsburg was named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle of the peninsula. The site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage was better there than at the Jamestown location, and there were fewer mosquitoes.

1.      According to the passage, Williamsburg is located ...

•    on an island

• in the middle of a river

• where the York and the James meet

• on a piece of land with rivers on two sides

Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia situated on a peninsula between two rivers, the York and the James. It was settled by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the first permanent English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. In the beginning the colony at Williamsburg was named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle of the peninsula. The site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage was better there than at the Jamestown location, and there were fewer mosquitoes.

2. The passage states that the name Middle Plantation...

• is a more recent name than Williamsburg

• derived from the location of the colony on the peninsula

• refers to the middle part of England that was home to the colonists

• was given to the new colony because it was located in the middle of several plantations

Williamsburg is a historic city in Virginia situated on a peninsula between two rivers, the York and the James. It was settled by English colonists in 1633, twenty-six years after the first permanent English colony in America was settled at Jamestown. In the beginning the colony at Williamsburg was named Middle Plantation because of its location in the middle of the peninsula. The site for Williamsburg had been selected by the colonists because the soil drainage was better there than at the Jamestown location, and there were fewer mosquitoes.

3. The passage indicates that Jamestown ...

• a. was settled in 1633

• was settled twenty-six years after Williamsburg

• was the first permanent English colony in America

• was originally named Middle Plantation

The invention of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory. There, Edison was working on a carbon telephone transmitter to improve the existing Bell telephone system.

In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonography while he was trying to improve a telegraph repeater. He attached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to reproduce a recording that could be played back. After he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He recited “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.

4. According to the passage, in what year did the invention of the phonograph occur?

• a) 1876

• b) 1877

• c) 1878

• d) The article does not say

The invention of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory. There, Edison was working on a carbon telephone transmitter to improve the existing Bell telephone system.

In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonography while he was trying to improve a telegraph repeater. He attached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to reproduce a recording that could be played back. After he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He recited “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.

5. What was Edison working on when he created the phonograph?

• a) A telegraph repeater

• b) A telegraph diaphragm

• c) A telephone repeater

• d) A telephone diaphragm

The invention of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory. There, Edison was working on a carbon telephone transmitter to improve the existing Bell telephone system.

In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonography while he was trying to improve a telegraph repeater. He attached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to reproduce a recording that could be played back. After he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He recited “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.

6. According to the passage, how was the phonograph made?

• a) With a telephone needle and a recorder

• b) From a recording of a telegraph

• c) With only a telegraph repeater

• d) From a combination of telephone and telegraph parts

The invention of the phonograph happened quite by accident. Thomas Edison moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876, where he established an industrial research laboratory. There, Edison was working on a carbon telephone transmitter to improve the existing Bell telephone system.

In that laboratory a year later, Edison invented the phonography while he was trying to improve a telegraph repeater. He attached a telephone diaphragm to the needle in the telegraph repeater; in this way, he was able to reproduce a recording that could be played back. After he made some improvements to the machine, he tested it. He recited “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into the machine and played his voice back to a very surprised audience.

7. According to the passage, how did Edison test his new invention?

• a) He made improvements to the machine

• b) He used a carbon transmitter

• c) He read a children’s rhyme

• d) He reproduced the audience’s voice