Name:       Date:      

“Nikola Tesla: The Greatest

Inventor of All?”
Vicky Baez

FIRST READ: Comprehension

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

d 1. According to the information in “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?”

in what way did Nikola Tesla excel as a student?
a. He was a remarkable athlete.
b. He was the school’s best writer.
c. He was a whiz in foreign languages.
d. He was an outstanding math student.

d,f,e 2. As illustrated in “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of

All?” which of the following were characteristics of Nikola Tesla? Choose
three options.
a. shy and insecure
b. arrogant and proud
c. corrupt and insincere
d. creative and resourceful
e. intelligent and quick-witted
f. hard-working and determined

a 3. According to “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” why did Tesla
become such an important employee in Thomas Edison’s company?
a. He was able to solve many of the company’s most important problems.
b. He was willing to work for little money to help the company succeed.
c. He was willing to travel around the world for the company.
d. He was a superb salesman and sold a lot of inventions.

a,c,e 4. As explained in “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” what are some
of Tesla’s accomplishments? Choose three options.
a. He helped develop x-ray machines and the radio.
b. He invented modern electric cars, called Tesla Motors.
c. He improved Thomas Edison’s motors and generators.
d. He earned a lot of money and gave most of it to charity.
e. He helped develop wireless remotes and fluorescent lights.
f. He became the first member of his family to graduate from college.

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 GRADE 8 • UNIT 5 • SELECTION TEST

“NIKOLA TESLA: THE GREATEST INVENTOR OF ALL?” BY VICKY BAEZ

Name:       Date:      

c 5. In “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” what was the “War of the
Currents”?
a. It was a newspaper battle over the events of the day.
b. It was a problem with the flow of water in Niagara Falls.
c. It was a rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.
d. It was a lawsuit between Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse.

FIRST READ: Concept Vocabulary

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
a 6. Which job would an engineer most likely do?
a. evaluate electrical systems, products, and components
b. create carefully woven fabrics for sale in local markets
c. manage apartment buildings and other real estate properties
d. teach specialized writing classes in poetry and historical fiction

c 7. What is the meaning of the word current as it is used in the following sentence?
The current to the strand of lights was cut, so the room was dark.

a. the movement of water through a narrow passageway

b. an event that is happening at the present time
c. the flow of electricity through wires
d. a general trend or influential style
d 8. In which situation would you most likely need a generator?
a. The pilot dims the lights in the cabin so passengers can sleep.
b. The gas light comes on in your car, indicating it is time to fill up.
c. The lines at the coffee shop are long, and you are late to a meeting.
d. The power is out throughout your neighborhood because of a windstorm.

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 GRADE 8 • UNIT 5 • SELECTION TEST

“NIKOLA TESLA: THE GREATEST INVENTOR OF ALL?” BY VICKY BAEZ

NAME:       Date:      

CLOSE READ: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
c 9. At the beginning of “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” what is Baez
implying when she says the following?
When Tesla was young, he was able to do such complex math problems in his head
that his teachers thought he was cheating.

a. Basic math is the most important subject to learn for success in school
and in life.
b. It was much more difficult to do math problems before calculators were
invented.
c. Tesla’s brilliance was evident from his youth, as he could do difficult
mental math.
d. If you can’t do math when you are young, you will never be able to do it
with confidence.
10. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

b Part A What can you conclude the author of “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest
Inventor of All?” thinks of Thomas Edison’s behavior and character?
a. Edison loved hearing and telling a good joke.
b. Edison lacked integrity and was not a good person.
c. Edison was doing the best he could because business was tough.
d. Edison had a gambling problem and knew that he had to get help for it.

c Part B Which fact from “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” best
supports the answer to Part A?
a. Edison insisted on making a lot of models, even though the process took
time.
b. Edison believed strongly in an electrical system that would use direct
current.
c. Edison refused to give Tesla the $50,000 reward he had promised him.
d. Edison agreed to let Tesla try improving some motors and generators.

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 GRADE 8 • UNIT 5 • SELECTION TEST

“NIKOLA TESLA: THE GREATEST INVENTOR OF ALL?” BY VICKY BAEZ

Name:       Date:      

11. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

d Part A According to “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” why did
Tesla start his own company?
a. Tesla could not get a job with any other company.
b. Tesla did not want to work as hard as he had been.
c. Tesla knew that Edison would not go along with his ideas.
d. Tesla did not want to work for Edison because Edison had cheated him.

c Part B Which statement from “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?”
best supports the answer to Part A?
a. Tesla told Edison he could improve some of Edison’s motors and
generators.
b. Tesla worked hard and spent months on the task.
c. When he succeeded, he asked Edison for the reward, but Edison told him
he had been joking.
d. Tesla started his own company in 1887, Tesla Electric Light and
Manufacturing.

CLOSE READ: Analyze Craft and Structure

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
b 12. In “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” which main purpose of
biographical writing is most clear?
a. to show the causes and effects of one person’s genius
b. to inform readers about one person’s life and accomplishments
c. to focus equally on three great people who share notable similarities
d. to convince readers that one particular invention is better than another
c 13. In “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?” what general method of
organization does Baez use to arrange the information that she presents?
a. comparison and contrast
b. order of importance
c. chronological order
d. cause and effect

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 GRADE 8 • UNIT 5 • SELECTION TEST

“NIKOLA TESLA: THE GREATEST INVENTOR OF ALL?” BY VICKY BAEZ

Name:       Date:      

14. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

a Part A Read this excerpt from “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?”
Tesla started his own company in 1887, Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing.
There he worked on making a system called “alternating current” to produce
electricity. Thomas Edison thought his system, called “direct current,” was better
and safer.
What organizational method does Baez use in this passage?
a. comparison and contrast
b. step-by-step instructions
c. direct quotations
d. cause and effect

a Part B Which of the following is an achievement of this organizational

method?
a. Baez gives readers an explanation of why something happened.
b. Baez gives readers her subject’s exact words to support the facts that she
presents.
c. Baez provides readers with detailed instructions explaining how to recreate
the events described.
d. Baez provides readers with an explanation of similarities and differences
between related subjects.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Word Study

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
c 15. Use context clues to determine the most likely meaning of plant as it is used in
this sentence from “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?”
He helped create a power plant in Niagara Falls that provided power all the way to
New York City.

a. trap
b. shrub
c. factory
d. blockade

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 GRADE 8 • UNIT 5 • SELECTION TEST

“NIKOLA TESLA: THE GREATEST INVENTOR OF ALL?” BY VICKY BAEZ

Name:       Date:      

d 16. Use context clues to determine the most likely meaning of models as it is used
in this statement from “Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?”
Edison always made a lot of models and tried them out, which took longer.

a. people who pose for photographers

b. particular kinds of computers
c. people who wear certain outfits in a display
d. small versions of items that show their construction

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