Name: _________________________________________________

Summarizing Test
Directions: Read each passage. Highlight or underline necessary information. Write your summary.
1. If you are reading this right now, you are taking
part in the wonder of literacy. Because of printed
words, people can send information across both time
and space. Ideas are put in writing and sent to readers
across thousands of miles and years. Because of
writing, the words of distant people can influence
events, offer knowledge, and change the world. Much
of the credit for the development of this phenomenon
can be attributed to one man.
2. Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg,
better known as Johannes Gutenberg, was born in the
German city of Mainz. Though most of Gutenbergs
early life is a mystery, historians believe that he
studied at the University of Erfurt in 1418 and spent
much of his young adult life practicing the profession
of his father: goldsmithing. Gutenberg borrowed
money from investors in 1439 and found himself in
financial trouble.
3. In the year 1439 the city in which Gutenberg lived
was planning to exhibit its large collection from
Emperor Charlemagne (a famous ruler who had
united much of Western Europe around 800 AD).
The exhibit was expected to bring many visitors to the
town, so Gutenberg took investments and created
polished metal mirrors which were to be sold to the
visitors (it was a common belief at that time that
mirrors were able to capture holy light from religious
relics). The mirrors which Gutenberg produced
probably would have sold well, but due to severe
flooding the event was delayed by one year. The
impatient investors demanded that Gutenberg return
their investments, but he had already spent the money
on producing the unsaleable mirrors. He was trapped
in a difficult situation. Gutenberg decided to share his
greatest secret with them.
4. This secret would forever change the world, all of
history, and even the process of keeping history. Its
been argued that Gutenbergs idea was one of the
greatest of all mankind. This one idea would lead to
the spread of countless others. It would play a key
role in the development of the Renaissance,
Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, and the
Scientific Revolution. This idea would bring learning
to the masses. Gutenberg had created the mechanical
printing press with movable type.

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

5. Before the spread of Gutenbergs idea, literature

__________________________________________ was handwritten. That means that each copy of the
bible and all of its 73 books were tediously hand
__________________________________________ scribed, and this was done before the invention of the
ballpoint pen. Given the amount of detail that went
__________________________________________ into each text, creating a single copy of a bible could
take years. Because of the effort that went into
__________________________________________ producing them, books were extremely rare and
valuable. Because of the value of books, there was
__________________________________________ little reason for common people to learn to read or
write since it was unlikely that they would ever
handle a book in their lifetimes. Gutenbergs
__________________________________________
invention would change that. His printing press
allowed literature to be produced on a mass scale. His
__________________________________________ movable metal type could be arranged once to form a
page, and he could print the page again and again.

__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

6. The first major text that Gutenberg produced was a

42 line copy of the bible. Scholars estimate that
Gutenberg produced between 165 and 185 of these
bibles, which sold out almost immediately. Most
copies went to churches and universities, though one
was sold to a private individual. Copies are known to
have sold for 30 florins (about three years of wages
for a clerk at the time), which may seem expensive
but was much cheaper than a hand produced copy.
Purchasing a Gutenberg Bible in the 1450s would
have been a good investment if you and your
descendants were able to maintain it. Only twentyone complete Gutenberg Bibles exist today and the
last one traded hands in 1987 for 4.9 million dollars,
the highest price ever paid for a book at the time.

7. Gutenbergs brilliant idea would soon change the

__________________________________________ world, but in the short term he bungled a large and
risky investment. He found himself in financial
__________________________________________ trouble once again and was sued by one of his
investors, who accused Gutenberg of mismanaging
__________________________________________ money meant for the production of books. The courts
ruled against Gutenberg and he lost the shop that he
had created. He was effectively bankrupt.
8. Though he had failed as a businessman, the
__________________________________________ technologies that he had created spread rapidly. As
these printing technologies spread, news and books
__________________________________________ began to travel much faster than previously possible.
The world has not been the same since. Though
__________________________________________ Gutenberg was financially unsuccessful in his own
lifetime, he made the world a much richer place.

Directions: Read each question carefully and choose the best answer. Refer to the text if necessary. Write
your answer on the provided space.
1. Which of the following expresses the correct order of events?
a) Gutenberg was born in Mainz, invested in mirrors, and then became a goldsmith.
b) Gutenberg created the printing press, printed the bible, and then invented the metal mirror.
c) Gutenberg went to college, revealed his press, and then invested in shiny mirrors.
d) Gutenberg studied goldsmithing, invented the printing press, and then lost his shop.

__________

2. Which best explains why Gutenbergs plan to sell mirrors failed?

a) The mirrors were less popular than he had expected.
b) Flooding delayed the event for an entire year.
c) The investors demanded their money early.
d) Newly invented glass mirrors rendered his metal mirrors obsolete.

__________

3. Which of the following did Gutenberg invent?

a) Reflective mirrors
b) The printing press with movable type
c) Written language
d) Scientific inquiry

__________

4. Which is not listed in the text as a movement to which Gutenbergs idea contributed?
a) The Great Schism
b) The Scientific Revolution
c) The Renaissance
d) The Age of Enlightenment

__________

5. Which of the following is best supported by evidence from the text?

a) Gutenbergs idea was a tremendous success that made him incredibly wealthy.
b) Gutenbergs idea didnt catch on in his lifetime, but grew very popular after his death.
c) Gutenbergs idea did not make him rich but spread very quickly.
d) Gutenbergs idea did not catch on right away but made him incredibly rich over time.

__________

6. Which best explains why most people were illiterate during Gutenbergs time?
a) Books were rare and very expensive.
b) The public school system had not yet been created.
c) Writing had not yet been invented.
d) Emperor Charlemagne made reading and writing illegal for common people.

__________

7. Which best expresses the main idea of this text?

a) To describe what life was like during the Middle Ages
b) To persuade people to read and write more
c) To chart the spread of printing technologies across Europe
d) To provide biographical information about Johannes Gutenberg

__________

8. Which best explains why so few of Gutenbergs bibles were sold to private individuals?
a) Gutenberg wanted to use his talents to help churches and universities.
b) Gutenbergs Bible was pretty expensive and most people couldnt read.
c) Most Europeans were not religious and did not care about the bible.
d) Gutenbergs investors forbade him from selling the bibles to private individuals.

__________

9. Which of the following titles best expresses the main idea of this text?
a) Investing Wisely: Turning Your Good Ideas into Money
b) How to Make Books Using the Gutenberg Method
c) The City of Mainz: Life in Medieval Germany
d) Gutenberg: A Man Who Changed the World

__________

10. Why was Gutenbergs invention important? Use information from the text to support your response.
Make your point, quote text, explain the quote and connect it.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
11. Was Gutenberg successful? Use information from the text to support your response. Make your
point, quote text, explain the quote and connect it.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________