Individuals, Events, & Ideas
What problem did early typewriters have that influenced keyboard design?
A) They were expensive to repair
B) The levers jammed when nearby keys were hit quickly
C) The ink dried too fast
D) They didn’t include enough letters
B) The levers jammed when nearby keys were hit quickly
7. What structure is used in paragraphs 9–10?
A) Cause and effect
B) Problem and solution
C) Compare and contrast
D) Chronological sequence
A) Cause and effect
What is the author's purpose in writing this article?
A) To criticize QWERTY
B) To explain why we still use QWERTY today
C) To encourage typing games
D) To compare modern keyboards only
B) To explain why we still use QWERTY today
21. What does “persist” mean in paragraph 16?
A) Stop suddenly
B) Keep trying even when it’s hard
C) Type quickly
D) Ask for help
B) Keep trying even when it’s hard
Which sentence best supports the claim that QWERTY was designed to fix a typing problem?
A) "Some are claimed to be easier to learn or faster to use than QWERTY."
B) "The trouble was that if you hit two keys quickly the levers would jam."
C) "Let’s turn the clock back."
D) "Perhaps make it a competition."
B) "The trouble was that if you hit two keys quickly the levers would jam."
What is the central idea of the article regarding the QWERTY keyboard?
A) It was created for aesthetic reasons.
B) It was designed to slow down typists.
C) It was developed to prevent typewriter jams and remains in use due to its widespread adoption.
D) It is the most efficient keyboard layout.
C) It was developed to prevent typewriter jams and remains in use due to its widespread adoption.
How does the author organize the article to explain the history of the QWERTY keyboard?
A) By comparing different keyboard layouts.
B) By describing personal experiences with typing
C) By listing the advantages and disadvantages of QWERTY.
D) By presenting a chronological history of typewriter development.
D) By presenting a chronological history of typewriter development.
What is the author's attitude toward learning to type?
A) Bored and uninterested
B) Positive and encouraging
C) Doubtful
D) Angry
B) Positive and encouraging
What does the word “reduce” most likely mean in paragraph 7:
“He tried various arrangements, always trying to reduce the need to type two keys that were close together”?
A) To remove all letters from the keyboard
B) To replace two letters with one
C) To make something happen less often
D) To stop people from using the keyboard
C) To make something happen less often
What claim does the author make about why QWERTY has stayed in use for so long?
A) It is the only layout used globally
B) It was the easiest layout to build
C) So many people learned it that switching would be difficult
D) It works only with typewriters
C) So many people learned it that switching would be difficult
What effect did Sholes’ key layout have on typing jobs in the 1900s?
A) It allowed people to become trained touch typists
B) It slowed down most secretaries
C) It caused people to stop using typewriters
D) It made computers popular
A) It allowed people to become trained touch typists
Why does the article shift from history to personal advice at the end?
A) To tell readers to stop using QWERTY
B) To explain new inventions
C) To connect the history to a useful skill
D) To introduce another typewriter brand
C) To connect the history to a useful skill
13. How does the author show his perspective is friendly and curious?
A) He gives a list of QWERTY facts
B) He interviews an expert
C) He shares childhood curiosity and typing stories
D) He criticizes modern keyboards
C) He shares childhood curiosity and typing stories
What does the word “vast” most likely mean in paragraph 9:
“For 100 years or so after the Remington typewriter arrived, vast numbers of people all over the world trained to become touch typists”?
A) Small and focused
B) Random and unorganized
C) Very large or widespread
D) Limited to one area
C) Very large or widespread
How does the author support the claim that other keyboard layouts have not replaced QWERTY?
A) By comparing them to piano keys
B) By describing how they’re made
C) By stating that many people were trained on QWERTY and haven’t switched
D) By showing that QWERTY was faster in a study
C) By stating that many people were trained on QWERTY and haven’t switched
How did the problem of typewriter key jams influence the development of the QWERTY keyboard?
A) It prompted Christopher Sholes to rearrange the keys to prevent jams.
B) It led to the creation of electronic typewriters.
C) It resulted in the abandonment of typewriters.
D) It had no significant impact on keyboard design.
B) It prompted Christopher Sholes to rearrange the keys to prevent jams.
How does paragraph 11 expand the structure of the text?
A) It introduces a fictional keyboard
B) It gives statistics on typing speed
C) It shows how keyboards are built
D) It explains global variations of QWERTY
D) It explains global variations of QWERTY
14. What perspective does the author have about changing keyboard layouts?
A) Change is unlikely because people are used to QWERTY
B) Everyone should change keyboards
C) Change is impossible
D) QWERTY is the best and only option
A) Change is unlikely because people are used to QWERTY
What does “variations” mean in paragraph 11?
A) Mistakes
B) Problems
C) Decorations
D) Different versions or types
D) Different versions or types
Which detail supports the claim that QWERTY is still used even though the original problem no longer exists?
A) “It was designed to slow down typists.”
B) “It seems that we are stuck with this layout, even if jams are no longer a problem.”
C) “Some are claimed to be faster.”
D) “Christopher Sholes invented it.”
B) “It seems that we are stuck with this layout, even if jams are no longer a problem.”
How did the invention of QWERTY influence how people learned to type?
A) People memorized the alphabet differently
B) Typing became a rare skill
C) Students had to write by hand
D) It became the standard layout everyone was trained on
D) It became the standard layout everyone was trained on
Why are paragraphs 12–14 grouped together?
A) They all describe how to learn touch typing
B) They are about different inventors
C) They show problems with typing
D) They compare typing and handwriting
They all describe how to learn touch typing
15. What does the author want readers to understand by the end of the article?
A) That QWERTY is the only layout used around the world
B) That typewriters are still better than computers
C) That the history of QWERTY still affects us and learning to type is valuable
C) That the history of QWERTY still affects us and learning to type is valuable
What does “commercially” mean in the phrase “commercially successful” from paragraph 8?
A) At a school level
B) In a way that involves selling to make money
C) Privately funded
D) On television
In a way that involves selling to make money
How strong is the author’s evidence for the idea that QWERTY is here to stay?
A)Strong, because the author shows historical reasons and how many people were trained on it
B) Strong, because the author lists scientific studies
C) Weak, because the author only tells personal stories
D) Weak, because the author doesn’t give any examples
A) Strong, because the author shows historical reasons and how many people were trained on it