The Invention of the Eraser — Questions and answers
Read the full story
What two questions did Yousef ask Noor about writing tools?
Choices
- A. Who invented shooting stars and what did people do at carnivals?
- B. Who invented pencils and what did people do when they made a mistake? ✓
- C. How do tents glow and what is a meteor shower?
- D. Why did Noor point and why was the carnival exciting?
Answer: B. Who invented pencils and what did people do when they made a mistake?
From page 1
What did Yousef do right after Noor shrugged and said she didn't know?
Choices
- A. He started scribbling in his notebook.
- B. He found a shooting star in the sky.
- C. He dashed to the tent to find the Invention Encyclopedia. ✓
- D. He tripped over his feet and fell down.
Answer: C. He dashed to the tent to find the Invention Encyclopedia.
From page 2
What was Yousef looking for in the Encyclopedia, and what happened when he found it?
Choices
- A. He was looking for pencils, and the tent got brighter.
- B. He was looking for carnivals, and he saw a meteor shower.
- C. He was looking for erasers, and the tent dissolved into swirling colors. ✓
- D. He was looking for shooting stars, and he felt sleepy.
Answer: C. He was looking for erasers, and the tent dissolved into swirling colors.
From page 3
Where did Yousef and Arjun land, and what did they see people using to write?
Choices
- A. In a school, seeing people write with pencils.
- B. On a cobblestone street, seeing people write with messy ink. ✓
- C. In a carnival, seeing people draw with crayons.
- D. In a tent, seeing people read books.
Answer: B. On a cobblestone street, seeing people write with messy ink.
From page 4
What did the woman suggest Mr. McAdam use to rub out pencil marks?
Choices
- A. A new piece of paper.
- B. Hardened rubber from South America. ✓
- C. Ink-stained fingers.
- D. A broom to sweep the street.
Answer: B. Hardened rubber from South America.
From page 6
Who did Yousef and Arjun find in the workshop, and what did he discover in 1770?
Choices
- A. Mr. McAdam, who discovered that ink makes mistakes.
- B. The street sweeper, who discovered how to clean streets.
- C. Edward Nairne, who accidentally used rubber as an eraser. ✓
- D. Alexander Pope, who discovered that to err is human.
Answer: C. Edward Nairne, who accidentally used rubber as an eraser.
From page 7
What was Mr. Nairne selling, and what did he say it worked better than?
Choices
- A. Ink, which worked better than pencils.
- B. Bread crumbs, which worked better than rubber.
- C. Small cubes of rubber, which worked better than bread crumbs. ✓
- D. Parchment, which worked better than paper.
Answer: C. Small cubes of rubber, which worked better than bread crumbs.
From page 8
What did Yousef do before the workshop began to fade, and where did he and Arjun go next?
Choices
- A. He drew a picture of a shooting star and went to a cobblestone street.
- B. He started over with a new piece of paper and went to South America.
- C. He sketched Mr. Nairne holding the rubber and went back to their tent. ✓
- D. He bought a rubber eraser for three shillings and went to the marketplace.
Answer: C. He sketched Mr. Nairne holding the rubber and went back to their tent.
From page 9
What did Yousef tell Noor people used to erase pencil marks before Edward Nairne realized rubber could do it?
Choices
- A. Messy ink.
- B. Crumpled parchment.
- C. Hardened rubber.
- D. Bread crumbs. ✓
Answer: D. Bread crumbs.
From page 10