1. In America in 1792, growing cotton was not profitable. Which sentence from the text describes the problem as Eli Whitney understood it?

A. “…women and girls of the family generally did the spinning and weaving.”

B. “…the process became mechanized, and new textile mills opened to meet the growing demand for cotton cloth.”

C. “…the cotton bolls contained numerous small seeds that were difficult and time-consuming to remove by hand.”

D. “…a single machine was capable of cleaning and processing up to fifty pounds of raw cotton daily.”

2. Based on evidence from the text, which statement best describes how the invention of the cotton gin influenced later events?

A. Eli Whitney made huge profits from the sale of cotton gins and became famous.

B. The easy removal of cotton seeds from cotton made life better for the workers.

C. Spinning wheels were no longer used due to the increase in cotton production.

D. The cotton gin led to the growth of cotton plantation and the textile industry.

3. All of the following would be included in an objective summary of the passage except which one?

A. Eli Whitney was one of the most brilliant inventors in history.

B. The cotton gin revolutionized cotton production in the South in the late 1700s.

C. Eli Whitney liked to figure things out when he was a young man.

D. A single machine could process up to fifty pounds of raw cotton daily.

4. How would this passage be different if Eli Whitney had written it himself?

A. Readers could realize how difficult it was to pick the seeds from the cotton bolls.

B. Readers could imagine how other people in the 1700s felt about Whitney.

C. Readers could know how to pick the seeds from the cotton bolls.

D. Readers could understand Whitney’s inner thoughts.

5. What are cotton bolls?

A. the soft, fluffy material that people use today for various needs

B. the soft, fluffy part of the cotton plant that grows around the seeds

C. the part of the cotton gin that removes the seeds from the soft, fluffy inside of the plant

D. material used in spinning and weaving

6. Which sentence from the passage contains an idiom?

A. “The machine Whitney designed was simple, but it worked like a charm.”

B. “The invention of the cotton gin has brought about many changes.”

C. “The thin cotton fibers were pulled through, leaving the seeds behind.”

D. “He studied machines and often found ways to improve them.”

7. Which dictionary entry best defines the term hungry as it is used in the first paragraph?

hungry (adjective)

1. having a desire or craving for food

2. marked by scarcity of food

3. strongly or eagerly desiring

4. not fertile; poor

A. Definition 1

B. Definition 2

C. Definition 3

D. Definition 4

8. Choose the best answer that completes the chart below.

Idea
Removing seeds from cotton bolls was a problem. / Individual
Eli Whitney / Response
?

A. Whitney studied machines and found ways to improve them.

B. Whitney was inspired to invent the cotton gin.

C. Women and girls of the family did the spinning and weaving.

D. Cotton grew easily in the Southern states.

9. Which relationship is most like the one below?

cotton gin : Eli Whitney

A. country : United States

B. light bulb : Thomas Edison

C. entertainers : The Three Stooges

D. leader : Martin Luther King Jr.

10. Read the following sentence from the passage:

“Cotton was fed into a machine with short wire teeth on a revolving cylinder.”

Which sentence below does not use the word teeth in the same way as in the sentence from the passage?

A. Tons of leaves were stuck in the teeth of the rake when the gardener was trying to clean up his garden.

B. There are several teeth in the comb missing, so I am having trouble brushing my hair.

C. The teeth of the saw are extremely sharp now that my dad has sharpened them.

D. I need to brush my teeth after I eat, so I will be running a little bit behind you.

11. Short Answer Response: Summarize why Whitney’s cotton gin made growing cotton profitable.

12. Short Answer Response: The passage tells how the mechanization of cloth-making in England led to changes in America. Explain how the interactions between people, events, and ideas gave rise to a new industry in the South. Support your answer with at least two details from the text.