Name : ____________________________________________ Grade & Section __________________

Speed : _________ Minutes Score : __________________

Direction: Read the selection silently. Record your reading time as soon as you finish reading. Read the questions and encircle the letter of your
answer.

Magician Invents Special Effects

George M’elies, a French movie maker and a former magician happened to invent special effects in

movies by accident. He was filming a street scene in Paris when his camera suddenly jammed as a bus Questions:

was passing by. He stopped, fixed his camera, then went back to filming the same street scene again. 1. Who became
known as the
When the film was developed, he was surprised to see a carriage in the place where the bus had been! Magician of Movies?

He discovered that the bus had changed into a carriage! From that day on, Mr. M’elies invented many a. George Bush
c. George M’elies
amazing techniques using his camera. He became known as “the magician of movies.” b. George Clooney
d. George
A common special effect he invented is called projections. In this effect, a moviemaker projects a picture Smith

or a movie on a screen behind the actors. The actors act in front of the screen. Then the camera films
2. Which of the
the actors and the picture or the movie at the same time. This effect makes it possible for actors to look following was not
invented by M’elies?
like they are in imaginary places.
a. Animation c.
Matte Shots
Other special effects Mr. M’elies created are animation which makes lifeless models or objects come to

life when they are shown on screen; matte shots enabling the moviemaker to cover or matte out part of

a film that he doesn’t want; and optical printer and computer-age special effects.

No. of Words: 217

b. Projection d. Still Life

3. What special effect makes it possible for actors to look like they are in imaginary places?
a. Projection c. Computer-age special effect
b. Optical Printer d. Matte Shots

4. What kind of special effect would be used to bring a dinosaur back to life?
a. Matte Shots c. Projection
b. Animation d. Optical Printer

5. What will happen to a movie without special effects?

a. It will draw a lot of moviegoers.
b. It will be rich in cinematic appeal.
c. It will not be appealing.
d. It will not earn popularity.

6. Why do you think George M’elies was called “the magician of movies”?
a. He played the role of a magician in movies several times.
b. His inventions were made into a movie.
c. He studied magic before he became a moviemaker.
d. He accidentally invented special effects in movies.
7. What special effect will you use to cover an unwanted part of a
film?
a. matte shots c. animations
b. projectionsd. optical printer

8. If you were a moviemaker, when would you use animation?

a. When the story is full of adventure
b. When the story is a fantasy
c. When the story is about the life of a famous president of a country
d. When the story is about new inventions
Name : ____________________________________________ Grade & Section __________________

Speed : _________ Minutes Score : __________________

Direction: Read the selection silently. Record your reading time as soon as you finish reading. Read the questions and write the
correct answer on the space provided..

Industrial Growth in the U.S.

Changes to industry after the Civil War brought with it profound changes to everyday American life.
Where once products were made by hand, machines became the main means of manufacturing,
increasing production exponentially. The new transcontinental railway system provided a way to
transport goods across the county, opening new markets. Inventions brought new products like the
typewriter (1867), barbed wire (1874), the telephone (1876), the phonograph (early form of record
player) (1877), the electric light (1879), and the petrol-engine car (1885) along with new businesses to
manufacture them. Production was sped up with the use of machines, resulting in thousands of new
jobs, each performing a specific task in the production process, a concept called division of labor.
Investors and bankers pumped large amounts of money into the American economy, and the value of
American goods rose.
America’s richness in natural resources played a key role in the rise of big business during that time. Our
water powered industrial machines. Our forests provided lumber. Coal and iron ore were mined from the
ground. America’s population grew as well, as immigrants entered the country seeking more opportunity
and a better way of life, causing America’s population to more than double. Booming business meant an
increase in investments in corporate stocks and bonds, providing companies with the capital they
needed to expand operations. Banks sprung up throughout the country and made loans to businesses.
American cities grew large as people flocked there in search of income and opportunity. While some in
the cities lived in great luxury, and many people benefitted from electricity and running water, there was
increasing poverty among most workers, who worked extremely long hours in sometimes unhealthy or
unsafe conditions. The poor lived crowded together in slums, where overwork, poor sanitation, and
unhealthy diet made disease rampant. Additionally, the massive population increase brought about
intense competition for jobs, eventually leading to high unemployment. Depressions further slowed down
the economy in 1873, 1884, 1893, and 1907.
Meanwhile, people in the South were struggling. They lagged behind economically and were faced with
trying to rebuild their war-torn society. The South remained primarily agricultural. But though
mechanization allowed farmers to increase their yields, their costs rose too, as middlemen like railway
and mill owners took a large share of what would otherwise have been profit. Moreover, the best land
was farmed by tenant farmers, and small, independent farmers were primarily poor. Tenant farmers
farmed the land and paid the landowner in rent or crops. With tenant farmers having little motivation to
improve land that they did not own, and landowners having little control over production, the economy in
the South remained stagnant.
The government at the time was characterized by corruption. Political machines formed, keeping in
contact with the people, and trading favors and jobs for votes. Corruption, poverty, and poor living
conditions triggered movements bent on reform. Progressives thought that providing a better education,
a safer environment, a more efficient workplace, and a more honest government could solve society’s
ills, and they sought to use the government as a tool for change. Politicians, journalists, writers, and
many college-educated people living in urban areas fought for reforms that continued up until the onset
of World War I.

No of Words: 536

QUESTIONS
1. How did the introduction of machines change manufacturing?
2. What happened to the American population during this time?

3. What was life like in an American city in the North for the average laborer?

4. What effect did immigration have on the job market?

5. What was life like in the South?

6. What are some disadvantages of tenant farming?

7. What triggered the Progressive movement?

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