Printing Press — Questions and answers

Read the full story

Before Johannes Gutenberg's invention, what was special about books?

Choices

  1. They were very cheap and easy to find.
  2. They were all about crafting and mechanical systems.
  3. They were a luxury, copied by hand, and hard to get. ✓
  4. They were only found in Mainz, Germany.

Answer: They were a luxury, copied by hand, and hard to get.

From page 1

Who usually copied books before the printing press, and what did this make books like?

Choices

  1. Carpenters, making them very common.
  2. Monks, making them rare and expensive. ✓
  3. Wealthy people, making them easy to buy.
  4. Children, making them colorful and fun.

Answer: Monks, making them rare and expensive.

From page 2

What was one big problem with woodblock printing before Gutenberg's invention?

Choices

  1. The blocks were too strong and lasted forever.
  2. It was too fast and easy to make changes.
  3. Each page needed a new, hard carving, and blocks wore out quickly. ✓
  4. It made books very cheap and easy for everyone to read.

Answer: Each page needed a new, hard carving, and blocks wore out quickly.

From page 3

What was Johannes Gutenberg's special idea that helped him create the printing press, coming from his background in metalworking?

Choices

  1. He wanted to make wine presses for grapes.
  2. He thought of using individual, interchangeable metal letters. ✓
  3. He wanted to carve entire pages into wood.
  4. He decided to hire many scribes to copy books faster.

Answer: He thought of using individual, interchangeable metal letters.

From page 4

Why was it so hard to make the metal letters for Gutenberg's printing press?

Choices

  1. They couldn't find enough wood or clay.
  2. It was impossible to make hundreds or thousands of identical, perfectly aligned metal letters by hand. ✓
  3. Metal was too soft and bent easily.
  4. They didn't know how to write letters.

Answer: It was impossible to make hundreds or thousands of identical, perfectly aligned metal letters by hand.

From page 5

What was one big change that happened because of Gutenberg's printing press?

Choices

  1. Books became more expensive and rare.
  2. Only rich people could read books now.
  3. The cost of books dropped, and more people could read them. ✓
  4. People stopped sharing ideas and discoveries.

Answer: The cost of books dropped, and more people could read them.

From page 9

What is one way the printing press helped human civilization?

Choices

  1. It made everyone stop reading books.
  2. It helped spread knowledge and education to many people. ✓
  3. It only allowed rich people to get information.
  4. It stopped scientific discoveries from being shared.

Answer: It helped spread knowledge and education to many people.

From page 10