Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin Comprehension Questions

What is the meaning of the word tedious as it is used in paragraph 3?

• A. Time consuming

• B. Grueling

• C. Effortless

• D. Brief

What was an effect of cotton production increasing during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s?

• A. Planters weren’t able to produce as much cotton and couldn’t meet the demand of Northern territories

• B. Less men and women were enslaved on plantations in the south

• C. Planters were able to make more money, therefore they replaced their less profitable crops with cotton

• D. The invention of the cotton gin had devastating consequences

What is the meaning of the word overabundance as it is used in the sentence from paragraph 10? “The increase of production provided American with an overabundance, or surplus, of cotton to sell to other countries.”

• Limited

• Excess

• Shortage

• Decrease

How does the structure of paragraph 3 contribute to the text?

• It compares the amount of time spent harvesting cotton by enslaved laborers to the cotton gin

• It proposes a problem that sparked the idea for the invention of the cotton gin

• It describes how the cotton gin works

• It shows the chronological events that led to the invention of the cotton gin

What was a negative effect of the increase in cotton production?

• It allowed factories to mass produce textiles

• It led to an increase in less lucrative crops

• The need for laborers increased and contributed to the spread of slavery

• It led to the invention of the steam boat

According to the time line, what happened after Whitney designed the cotton gin?

• He graduated from Yale

• He filed for a patent

• He died

• He invented the cotton gin

Which of the following best describes the central, or main idea of the text?

• Cotton has been a cash crop for over 200 years

• The invention of the cotton gin resulted in an increase in cotton production

• The cotton gin allowed for more cotton to be produced at a faster rate

• Eli Whitney invention, the cotton gin, affected America and the world in many ways.

Which sentence from the passage supports the central, or main idea in part A?

• "Across the southeastern United States, in a region known as the Cotton Belt, cotton has been a cash crop for more than 200 years."

• "Using Whitney’s cotton gin, that person could clean as much as fifty pounds of lint per day."

• "One man’s idea for a small machine affected America, and the world, in many ways."

• "The most direct effect was the increase in cotton production."

Which of the following best describes the structure of paragraph 8?

• Chronological Order

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

• Problem and Solution

What is the meaning of the word textiles as it is used in paragraph 9?

• Fabric

• Ships

• Bales

• Factories