Excerpt from
"Elements of Plumbing"
The
first tubs used in this country were made of wood lined with copper or zinc,
and were built in or boxed in with wood paneling (Figure A). The plumbing rules
of today prohibit this boxing as it has proved to be a breeding place for
vermin and other rodents. As the illustration shows, the woodwork encasing the
tub was in a great many cases beautifully carved and finished.
The creation of a
steel-clad tub (Figure B) did away
with the boxing, and was a big improvement as far as sanitary reasons were
concerned. It also helped to reduce the
cost of tubs. These tubs were set up on legs which made them easy to clean and
provided good ventilation all around. With these features they drove all other
tubs from the market.
Reading
Comprehension Questions
1) Which of the following was one of the author’s main purposes
for writing this passage?
a.
to describe the different uses of bath tubs
b.
to explain why steel tubs are superior to wood tubs
c.
to criticize the plumbing rules of today
d.
to predict the future of the plumbing industry
2) At the time the above passage was written, which of the
following was most likely true?
a.
bath tubs were more expensive than ever
b.
wooden tubs were no longer made
c.
copper tubs were the most popular
d.
zinc tubs were the most sanitary
3)
The above passage gives which of the following as a
reason why steel-clad tubs became more popular than earlier tubs?
a.
wood became too expensive
b.
decorative tubs became more fashionable
c.
sanitation concerns became more important
d.
residential
houses became larger
4) At the end of the 1st paragraph of the above
passage, the other talks about the “woodwork
encasing the tub.” In the
context, what is the meaning of the word “encasing”?
a.
surrounding
b.
decorating
c.
displaying
d.
heating
5) The author of the above passage is most likely an expert in
which of the following trades?
a.
carpentry
b.
plumbing
c.
sanitation
d.
blacksmithing
6) The above passage was most likely taken from which of the
following?
a.
a biography
b.
a newspaper article
c.
a manual
d.
a journal entry
Answer Key
1)
Which of the
following was one of the author’s main purposes for writing this
passage?
a.
to describe the different uses of bath tubs
b.
to explain why
steel tubs are superior to wood tubs
c.
to criticize the plumbing rules of today
d.
to predict the future of the plumbing industry
2)
At the time
the above passage was written, which of the following was most likely true?
a.
bath tubs were more expensive than ever
b.
wooden tubs were
no longer made
c.
copper tubs were the most popular
d.
zinc tubs were the most sanitary
3)
The above passage gives which of the
following as a reason why steel-clad tubs became more popular than earlier tubs?
a.
wood became too expensive
b.
decorative tubs became more fashionable
c.
sanitation concerns
became more important
d.
residential
houses became larger
4)
At the end of
the 1st paragraph of the above passage, the other talks about the “woodwork encasing the tub.” In the context, what is the meaning of the
word “encasing”?
a.
surrounding
b.
decorating
c.
displaying
d.
heating
5)
The author of
the above passage is most likely an expert in which of the following trades?
a.
carpentry
b.
plumbing
c.
sanitation
d.
blacksmithing
6)
The above
passage was most likely taken from which of the following?
a.
a biography
b.
a newspaper article
c.
a manual
d.
a journal entry