Name: ______________________ Date: ______________________
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in
Edinburgh, Scotland. During his youth, he experienced
strong influences that had a profound effect on his later life.
His grandfather and father were experts on the mechanics of
voice and elocution. Alexander’s mother, who was nearly deaf,
became an accomplished pianist and inspired him to
undertake big challenges. At age 12, while playing with a
friend in a grain mill, he noticed the slow process of husking
the wheat grain. He went home and built a devise with rotating
paddles and nail brushes that easily removed the husks from the grain.
By age 16, Alexander had joined his father in his work with the deaf and soon assumed
full charge of his father’s London operations. In July, 1870, the family settled in Ontario,
Canada. There, he set up a workshop to continue his study of the human voice.
Graham Bell is best known for his invention of the telephone. While trying to discover
the secret to transmitting multiple messages on a single wire, Bell heard the sound of a
plucked string along some of the electrical wire. One of Bell’s assistants, Thomas A.
Watson was trying to reactivate a telephone transmitter. After hearing the sound, Bell
believed he could send the sound of a human voice over the wire. After receiving a
patent on March 7, 1876, for transmitting sound along a single wire, he successfully
transmitted human speech on March 10th. Bell’s telephone patent was one of the most
valuable patents ever issued. The Bell Telephone Company was organized on July 9,
1877.
On July 11, 1877, Alexander Graham Bell married Mable Hubbard. In 1880, he
established the Volta Laboratory, an experimental facility devoted to scientific discovery.
He also continued his work with the deaf, establishing the American Association to
Promote Teaching of Speech to the Deaf in 1890. In the remaining years of his life Bell
worked on a number of projects. He devoted a lot of time to exploring flight, starting with
the tetrahedral kite in 1890s. In 1907, Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association
with Glenn Curtiss. The group developed several flying machines, including the Silver
Dart. The Silver Dart was the first powered machine flown in Canada. He later worked
on hydrofoils and set a world record for speed for this type of boat.
In January 1915, Bell was invited to make the first transcontinental phone call. From
New York, he spoke with his former associate Thomas Watson in San Francisco. Bell
died on August 2, 1922, in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The entire
telephone system was shut down for one minute in tribute to his life.
Answer the Questions.
1. Tell the family background of Alexander Graham Bell?
2. What did Graham Bell do to remove the husk from the grain?
A. He developed flying machine.
B. He built a devise with rotating paddles and nail brushes.
C. He made the Silver Dart powered machine.
3. Describe in detail the biggest invention of Graham Bell.
4. What were the achievements of Graham Bell from 1880 to1907?
5. How did the people tribute him when he died?
6. Which invention of Graham Bell inspired you the most and why?
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Name: ______________________ Date: ______________________
Grade 6 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in
Edinburgh, Scotland. During his youth, he experienced
strong influences that had a profound effect on his later life.
His grandfather and father were experts on the mechanics of
voice and elocution. Alexander’s mother, who was nearly deaf,
became an accomplished pianist and inspired him to
undertake big challenges. At age 12, while playing with a
friend in a grain mill, he noticed the slow process of husking
the wheat grain. He went home and built a devise with rotating
paddles and nail brushes that easily removed the husks from the grain.
By age 16, Alexander had joined his father in his work with the deaf and soon assumed
full charge of his father’s London operations. In July, 1870, the family settled in Ontario,
Canada. There, he set up a workshop to continue his study of the human voice.
Graham Bell is best known for his invention of the telephone. While trying to discover
the secret to transmitting multiple messages on a single wire, Bell heard the sound of a
plucked string along some of the electrical wire. One of Bell’s assistants, Thomas A.
Watson was trying to reactivate a telephone transmitter. After hearing the sound, Bell
believed he could send the sound of a human voice over the wire. After receiving a
patent on March 7, 1876, for transmitting sound along a single wire, he successfully
transmitted human speech on March 10th. Bell’s telephone patent was one of the most
valuable patents ever issued. The Bell Telephone Company was organized on July 9,
1877.
On July 11, 1877, Alexander Graham Bell married Mable Hubbard. In 1880, he
established the Volta Laboratory, an experimental facility devoted to scientific discovery.
He also continued his work with the deaf, establishing the American Association to
Promote Teaching of Speech to the Deaf in 1890. In the remaining years of his life Bell
worked on a number of projects. He devoted a lot of time to exploring flight, starting with
the tetrahedral kite in 1890s. In 1907, Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association
with Glenn Curtiss. The group developed several flying machines, including the Silver
Dart. The Silver Dart was the first powered machine flown in Canada. He later worked
on hydrofoils and set a world record for speed for this type of boat.
In January 1915, Bell was invited to make the first transcontinental phone call. From
New York, he spoke with his former associate Thomas Watson in San Francisco. Bell
died on August 2, 1922, in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The entire
telephone system was shut down for one minute in tribute to his life.
Answer the Questions.
1. Tell the family background of Alexander Graham Bell?
Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His
grandfather and father were experts on the mechanics of voice and elocution. Alexander’s
mother, who was nearly deaf, became an accomplished pianist.
2. What did Graham Bell do to remove the husk from the grain?
A. He developed flying machine.
B. He built a devise with rotating paddles and nail brushes.
C. He made the Silver Dart powered machine.
3. Describe in detail the biggest invention of Graham Bell.
Graham Bell is best known for his invention of the telephone. While trying to discover the
secret to transmitting multiple messages on a single wire, Bell heard the sound of a plucked
string along some of the electrical wire. After hearing the sound, Bell believed he could send
the sound of a human voice over the wire. After receiving a patent on March 7, 1876, for
transmitting sound along a single wire, he successfully transmitted human speech on March
10th. Bell’s telephone patent was one of the most valuable patents ever issued. The Bell
Telephone Company was organized on July 9, 1877.
4. What were the achievements of Graham Bell from 1880 to1907?
In 1880, he established the Volta Laboratory, an experimental facility devoted to scientific
discovery. He also continued his work with the deaf, establishing the American Association to
Promote Teaching of Speech to the Deaf in 1890. In the remaining years of his life Bell worked
on a number of projects. He devoted a lot of time to exploring flight, starting with the tetrahedral
kite in 1890s. In 1907, Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association with Glenn Curtiss. The
group developed several flying machines, including the Silver Dart. The Silver Dart was the first
powered machine flown in Canada. He later worked on hydrofoils and set a world record for
speed for this type of boat.
5. How did the people tribute him when he died?
The entire telephone system was shut down for one minute in tribute to his life.
6. Which invention of Graham Bell inspire you the most and why?
His invention of telephone inspired me the most. We can do anything with our hard work,
determination and dedication.
Telephone is the thing that connected us with the people.
Answers will vary.
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