Famous Things

Paper

Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions

Paper
1. Do you know how paper is made?
2. When and where do you think paper was first used?
Paper is a material made mainly from wood pulp. It is used for 3. Paper is used for many different purposes nowadays.
writing, printing, and art work, to wrap things, and even to cover List several of these.
walls.
4. Do you know when the printing press was invented?
To make paper, woodchips are heated with chemicals, a process that 5. Why has paper become an environmental problem?
turns them into pulp. The pulp is strained, washed, and put through
a screen to remove any unwanted material. More chemicals are
added, and the pulp is beaten until it is the correct texture. It is then
put through a papermaking machine to form into sheets or rolls of
paper. Finally, it is passed through heated metal rollers to give it a
smooth finish.

Paper has a long history. About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians made
paper from papyrus, a marsh reed. They used it to record business
transactions, religious ceremonies, or stories and for artwork.

In 105 A.D., Ts’ai-Lun of China discovered how to make paper out

of cotton or flax. The process he invented is the basis of modern
papermaking. His technique was known in Korea, Japan, Tibet, and
India by the 7th century and in the Middle East by the 10th century.

Until the 1200s, Europeans wrote on parchment, which was made

from animal skins and was expensive to produce. After the printing
press was invented in 1456, printing materials were in great demand. COMPREHENSION ✍
To meet this demand, Europeans adopted the Chinese way of
making paper because it was much cheaper. A. True or False. Read the statements below. If the
statement is true, write T beside the sentence. If it is
In 1690, Pennsylvania became home to the first paper mill in false, write F. If it is false, correct the information.
America. By 1810, several mills existed and rags for paper 1. The Egyptians first made paper from papyrus.
production were getting harder to find. However, about the same
2. The Egyptian process of paper making is the basis of
time, Mathias Koop of England discovered how to make paper out
modern papermaking.
of wood pulp and the mills switched to it. Papermaking machines
were invented soon after. 3. Before the invention of the printing press, Europeans
wrote on animal skins.
Today, paper is so common that it is an environmental problem and 4. Using animal skins was cheaper than the Chinese way
has given rise to many recycling programs. of making paper.
5. The first American paper mill opened in 1810.

1
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 Famous Things
Paper
C. Practice asking and answering the following questions B. The Process of Making Paper - Put the following statements
with your partner. Then write the answers in complete in the correct order.
_________ The pulp is strained and washed.
sentences.
_________ The pulp is beaten until it is the correct texture.
1. What did the Egyptians use to make paper?
_________ Woodchips are heated with chemicals.
2. What did the Egyptians use their paper for?
_________ The paper is passed through heated rollers to give it
3. What was Ts’ai-Lun’s discovery and why was it so a smooth finish.
important? _________ The woodchips turn into pulp.
4. Why was there such a great demand for paper in the 15th _________ The pulp is put through a screen to remove un
century? wanted material.
5. Why have paper recycling programs become so important _________ The pulp is made into sheets or rolls of paper.
in modern society? _________ More chemicals are added.

VOCABULARY REVIEW ✍
A. Choose the word(s) with the closest meaning to the underlined words
in the following sentences.
1. Woodchips are turned into pulp.
a) water b) blocks c) a soft mass of material
2. Egyptians made paper from papyrus, a marsh reed.
a) cotton b) a type of grass that grows in water c) large tree
3. After the printing press was invented, paper was in great demand.
a) needed, desired a lot b) very expensive c) ordered
4. Europeans adopted the Chinese way of making paper.
a) liked b) changed c) used
DISCUSS
5. Ts’ai-Lun discovered how to make paper out of cotton.
a) found out b) studied c) taught 1. How did the invention of the printing press
change the world?
B. Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right.
_____ 1. switch a) create, make something new 2. Do you think that the use of e-mail and the
_____ 2. strain b) area of low-lying wet land Internet has cut down on our use of paper?
_____ 3. texture c) writing material made from the skin of animals
_____ 4. marsh d) cover 3. What kind of paper recycling programs are
_____ 5. century e) usual there in your community?
_____ 6. technique f) put through a screen or net to separate materials
4. In what ways do you recycle paper?
_____ 7. parchment g) a hundred years
Together with your group members, try to
_____ 8. wrap h) change
think of as many ways as possible to reduce
_____ 9. invent i) arrangement or feel of material
the amount of paper we use.
_____ 10. common j) method

C. Choose one of the words from the left column above to answer the following questions.
1. What do you do with tea made from loose tea leaves before you drink it? _____________________________________________
2. What do you do with gifts before you give them? ________________________________________________________________

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 Famous Things
Paper

ANSWER KEY

Please note: The reading for this topic is also available in full-page format at the end of the lesson (page 4).

PRE-READING QUESTIONS
1 - 5. individual answers
5. Paper is an environmental problem because the production of paper uses many precious resources.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
A. True or False
1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F

B. The Process of Making Paper - Put the statements in the correct order
3. The pulp is strained and washed.
6. The pulp is beaten until it is the correct texture.
1. Wood chips are heated with chemicals.
8. The paper is passed through heated rollers to give it a smooth finish.
2. The wood chips turn into pulp.
4. The pulp is put through a screen to remove unwanted material.
7. The pulp is made into sheets or rolls of paper.
5. _ More chemicals are added.

C. Written answers
1. The Egyptians used a marsh reed called papyrus to make paper.
2. They used their paper to record business transactions, religious ceremonies and stories, and for artwork.
3. Ts’ai-Lun discovered how to make paper out of cotton or flax and this process was the basis of modern papermaking.
4. There was a great demand for paper in the 15th century because the printing press had been invented.
5. Paper recycling programs have become important in modern society because paper is used so much that it has become
an environmental problem.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
A. Choose the word(s)
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. a

B. Matching
1. h 2. f 3. i 4. b 5.g 6. j 7. c 8. d
9.a 10. e

C. Choose the correct word to answer the questions

1. strain it 2. wrap them

3
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photocopied by members of [Link] in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@[Link] for complete details.
 Famous Things
Paper

Paper

Paper is a material made mainly from wood pulp. It is used for writing, printing, and art work, to wrap things,
and even to cover walls.

To make paper, woodchips are heated with chemicals, a process that turns them into pulp. The pulp is strained,
washed, and put through a screen to remove any unwanted material. More chemicals are added, and the pulp is
beaten until it is the correct texture. It is then put through a papermaking machine to form into sheets or rolls of
paper. Finally, it is passed through heated metal rollers to give it a smooth finish.

Paper has a long history. About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians made paper from papyrus, a marsh reed. They
used it to record business transactions, religious ceremonies, or stories and for artwork.

In 105 A.D., Ts’ai-Lun of China discovered how to make paper out of cotton or flax. The process he invented is
the basis of modern papermaking. His technique was known in Korea, Japan, Tibet, and India by the 7th century
and in the Middle East by the 10th century.

Until the 1200s, Europeans wrote on parchment, which was made from animal skins and was expensive to
produce. After the printing press was invented in 1456, printing materials were in great demand. To meet this
demand, Europeans adopted the Chinese way of making paper because it was much cheaper.

In 1690, Pennsylvania became home to the first paper mill in America. By 1810, several mills existed and rags
for paper production were getting harder to find. However, about the same time, Mathias Koop of England
discovered how to make paper out of wood pulp and the mills switched to it. Papermaking machines were
invented soon after.

Today, paper is so common that it is an environmental problem and has given rise to many recycling programs.

4
Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of [Link] in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@[Link] for complete details.