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Jaime ruiz

The Next Great Invention

Have you ever thought of a new invention? Or thought of a way
that you could make something bigger, faster, or better? If so,
you might like to become an inventor. But it's not easy. In order
to be a successful inventor, you must dream big, work hard, and
be patient.

Inventors must dream big. Sometimes this can be hard. If you

dream big, people might think you are impractical.
They might think you are unreasonable. Some people might
think you are even crazy! One famous inventor, Alexander
Graham Bell, definitely knew how to dream big, even if some
people thought he was crazy. Before it was invented, Bell's
invention, the telephone, was considered by many to be far-
fetched or even impossible to make. This
is because before the telephone, the fastest form of communication was the telegraph. People who had become
used to the telegraph thought it unbelievable that someone could invent a superior way to communicate. Then,
one day, Bell did just that. He invented the telephone, which allowed people thousands of miles away from
one another to carry on a conversation in real time—a far better way to communicate than the telegraph. Bell's
big dream had become a reality.

In addition to dreaming big, inventors must work hard. What's more, they must do so without knowing if their
hard work will be rewarded. This is because when you're an inventor, hard work does not always guarantee
success. One inventor may work hard and create something revolutionary—something that is completely new
and that changes everything. On the other hand, another inventor may spend hours toiling over an invention
that is ultimately worthless. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, famously said, "There is no
substitute for hard work. Genius is 99 percent perspiration and one percent inspiration." Having an idea for an
invention is just the beginning. The next step is analyzing the idea, gathering materials, and conducting
experiments. No matter what, inventors must work hard to make their dreams a reality, even if nothing
becomes of them in the end.

Finally, inventors must be patient. It can take years of hard work to perfect an invention. Working on
something for such a long time can be discouraging. An inventor may repeatedly make the same mistake. An
inventor may spend hours lost in lonely confusion. An inventor may even think he or she has arrived at the
right answer only to be proven wrong. These are the conditions under which an inventor must work. It is clear
that patience is key, for if an inventor does not exercise patience, he or she may never be able to realize a great
idea.

Inventors think. Inventors ask questions. Inventors never give up. If you think you possess some of these
qualities, you just might be the inventor of the next great invention.

1) This passage focuses mostly on

A. traits of successful inventors

B. influential American inventors
C. accidental inventions
 D. famous inventions in history

2) In paragraph 1, the author writes, “Have you ever thought up a new invention? Or thought of a way that
you could make something bigger, faster, or better?” Which of the following literary
devices is used in this quotation?

A. Indirect question, characterized by a sentence that reports a question instead of directly asking
one.
B. Rhetorical question, characterized by a question posed for effect rather than one that expects a reply.
C. Juxtaposition, characterized by the placement of a person, concept, place, idea, close together
for the purposes of contrast or comparison.
D. Figurative expression, characterized by the use of a word or phrase that deviates in from its primary
or strict meaning.

3) As used in paragraph 2, which is the best antonym for superior?

A. humorous, meaning funny or lighthearted

B. commonplace, meaning dull, ordinary, or routine
C. astonishing, meaning amazing or surprising
D. substandard, meaning below average or of poor quality

4) According to the passage, Alexander Graham Bell invented the

A. telephone
B. radio
C. light bulb
D. cell phone

5) The main purpose of paragraph 3 is to explain why inventors must

A. ask questions
B. be patient
C. dream big
D. work hard

6) Which of the following statements from the passage explain(s) why great inventors must be patient?

I. "An inventor may repeatedly make the same mistake."

II. "An inventor may spend hours lost in lonely confusion."
III. "An inventor may even think he or she has arrived at the right answer only to be proven wrong."

A. I only
 B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III

7) In paragraph 5, the author writes, “Inventors think. Inventors ask questions. Inventors never give up.”
Which of the following literary devices is used in this quotation?

A. Hyperbole, characterized by the use of specific words and phrases that exaggerate and
overemphasize the core of the statement in order to produce a grander, more noticeable effect.
B. Personification, characterized by the attribution of human traits or characteristics to non-
human animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas.
C. Simile, characterized by the making of a comparison between two unrelated and dissimilar things,
people, beings, places and concepts.
D. Repetition, characterized by repeating the same phrase multiple times for emphasis in order to produce
a grander effect.

8) Which of the following inventors would the author most likely believe to be successful?

A. Jonas, who likes to work on his inventions when he isn't busy playing outside or socializing with
friends.
B. Andrea, who has simple dreams and works very hard to achieve them.
C. Elias, who has big dreams and wants to make them come true no matter what other people think.
D. Chen, who works day and night and conducts his experiments in a quick and careless manner.

9) Using your own words, explain why inventors must be patient. Use information from the text to
support your answer.