Ben-Franklin

Excerpt from "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin"

I know not whether an account is given of the means I used to establish the Philadelphia public library, which, from a small beginning, is now become so considerable...

At the time I establish'd myself in Pennsylvania, there was not a good bookseller's shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philad'a the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those who lov'd reading were oblig'd to send for their books from England...

I propos'd that we should all of us bring our books... each of us being at liberty to borrow such as he wish'd to read at home. This was accordingly done, and for some time contented us.

Finding the advantage of this little collection, I propos'd to render the benefit from books more common, by commencing a public subscription library.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1) Benjamin Franklin wrote the above passage for which purpose?

a. to increase the sales of his new book

b. to explain how he started the public library

c. to describe his work with a bookseller shop

d. to predict the future of book publishing

2) In the above passage, Ben Franklin notes that during his time people who wanted to purchase books had to buy them from where?

a. bookstores in England

b. shops that sold stationary

c. the Franklin Bookstore

d. the public library

3) Based on the above passage, Ben Franklin was in which colony when he came up with the idea of ‘borrowing’ books?

a. New York

b. England

c. Pennsylvania

d. Boston

4) The above passage is an example of which of the following?

a. flashback

b. foreshadowing

c. alliteration

d. falling action

5) The above passage can best be described as which of the following?

a. a speech

b. a biography

c. an autobiography

d. a diary entry

Answer Key