From Feathers to Pens

10/10/2020 3:25:00 PM
Image: freepik.com

Do you know?

  • Before ballpoint pens, people use quill pens to write. 
  • Of all types of quill pens, crow quills make the thinnest lines.

Let's explore more about this type of pens!

FACT: Another name for “quill” is calamus.

Image: freepik.com

Listen and choose the correct answer to each of the following questions.

  • What did people use to write before using quill pens?
  • What were quill pens made from?
What did people use to write before using quill pens?
  • pencils
  • crayons
  • brushes
What were quill pens made from?
  • feathers
  • silk
  • wool

Complete the text you are listening to by dragging the correct word to each blank.

From Feathers to Pens

We use pens all the time. The pens have a long story.

A long time ago, people wrote with brushes or reeds.

Then, people used quill pens. They made quill pens from . They used feathers from , , or turkeys. People cut the tip of a feather. The inside of the feather was . They dipped the feather in ink. The ink got inside the feather and stayed there. People pressed the tip on paper. Then, the ink flowed down to the tip. So people could write with the quill pen.

Now, we use ballpoint pens. They also have inside just like the quill pens. 

Read the passage and answer the questions.

From Feathers to Pens

Feathers in stages of being made into quills. Image: kids.kiddle.co

We use pens all the time. The pens have a long story.

A long time ago, people wrote with brushes or reeds.

Then, people used quill pens. They made quill pens from feathers. They used feathers from geese, swans, or turkeys. People cut the tip of a feather. The inside of the feather was empty. They dipped the feather in ink. The ink got inside the feather and stayed there. People pressed the tip on paper. Then, the ink flowed down to the tip. So people could write with the quill pen.

Now, we use ballpoint pens. They also have ink inside just like the quill pens. 

Source: Reading juice for kids 1

Which animal's feathers do people NOT use to make quill pens?
  • geese
  • turkeys
  • eagles
  • swans
According to the passage, which is the similarity between quill pens and ballpoint pens?
  • People need to dip them in ink to write.
  • Both types of pens contain ink inside.
  • People prefer these two types of pens to pencils.
  • Both types of pens are made manually.

A ballpoint pen's nip is the part that distributes ink on the writing surface.

Accordingly, what is this part of a quill pen called in the passage?

  • body
  • point
  • tip
  • cap
The main purpose of this passage is to _____.
  • compare modern pens and ancient ones
  • provide information about quill pens
  • list some kinds of popular pens
  • describe the appearance of quill pens

Put the right word in each blank. The sentences are from the text.

  1. They made quill pens from .
  2. They used feathers from , , or turkeys.
  3. The inside of the feather was .
  4. They also have inside just like the quill pens.

Put the right word in each blank. These are new sentences for the words in the text. 

  1. When you fill in the form, please write clearly in black .
  2. The sings when death comes.
  3. The bird has grey with a lighter collar.
  4. either live wild or are kept on farms.
  5. Shall I take the bottles for recycling?