WAS OR WERE – EXERCISE

PRESENT SIMPLE OR PROGRESSIVE

PAST SIMPLE

                                   Famous Things

                                           Paper

PRE-READING QUESTIONS

1. DO YOU KNOW HOW PAPER IS MADE?
2. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU THINK PAPER WAS FIRST USED?
3. PAPER IS USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES NOWADAYS. LIST SEVERAL OF THESE.
4. DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE PRINTING PRESS WAS INVENTED?
5. WHY HAS PAPER BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM?

Paper is a material made mainly from wood pulp. It is used for writing, printing, and art work,
to wrap things, and even to cover walls.
To make paper, woodchips are heated with chemicals, a process that turns them into pulp.
The pulp is strained, washed, and put through a screen to remove any unwanted material.
More chemicals are added, and the pulp is beaten until it is the correct texture. It is then
put through a papermaking machine to form into sheets or rolls of paper. Finally, it is passed
through heated metal rollers to give it a smooth finish.
Paper has a long history. About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians made paper from papyrus, a
marsh reed. They used it to record business transactions, religious ceremonies, or stories and
for artwork.
In 105 A.D., Ts’ai-Lun of China discovered how to make paper out of cotton or flax. The
process he invented is the basis of modern papermaking. His technique was known in Korea,
Japan, Tibet, and India by the 7th century and in the Middle East by the 10th century.
Until the 1200s, Europeans wrote on parchment, which was made from animal skins and was
expensive to produce. After the printing press was invented in 1456, printing materials were
in great demand. To meet this demand, Europeans adopted the Chinese way of making
paper because it was much cheaper.
In 1690, Pennsylvania became home to the first paper mill in America. By 1810, several mills
existed and rags for paper production were getting harder to find. However, about the same
time, Mathias Koop of England discovered how to make paper out of wood pulp and the
mills switched to it. Papermaking machines were invented soon after.
Today, paper is so common that it is an environmental problem and has given rise to many
recycling programs.
Famous Things

Paper COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
A. True or False. Read the statements below. If the statement is true, write T beside the
sentence. If it is false, write F. If it is false, correct the information.
1. The Egyptians first made paper from papyrus. _________
2. The Egyptian process of paper making is the basis of modern papermaking. _________
3. Before the invention of the printing press, Europeans wrote on animal skins. _________
4. Using animal skins was cheaper than the Chinese way of making paper. _________
5. The first American paper mill opened in 1810. _________

B. The Process of Making Paper – Put the following statements in the correct order.
_________ The pulp is strained and washed.
_________ The pulp is beaten until it is the correct texture.
_________ Woodchips are heated with chemicals.
_________ The paper is passed through heated rollers to give it a smooth finish.
_________ The woodchips turn into pulp.
_________ The pulp is put through a screen to remove unwanted material.
_________ The pulp is made into sheets or rolls of paper.
_________ More chemicals are added.
C. Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner. Then write the
answers in complete sentences.
1. What did the Egyptians use to make paper? ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What did the Egyptians use their paper for? _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What was Ts’ai-Lun’s discovery and why was it so important? ____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why was there such a great demand for paper in the 15th century? ______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Why have paper recycling programs become so important in modern society? ___________
__________________________________________________________________________________________