Question

Passage (Margaret Knight, Inventor)

Margaret Knight was born in 1838. Margaret began thinking of inventions at a very young age. She started out making sleds and kites for her brothers while growing up in Maine. When she was just 12 years old, she had an idea for a device that could be used in factories to shut down machinery, preventing workers from being injured.


Margaret Knight was an employee in a paper bag factory when she invented a new machine to automatically fold and glue paper bags. The machine she invented creates the square bottoms for paper bags. Paper bags had been more like envelopes before and they fell apart much easier. Her invention made paper bags much more durable. Margaret Knight can be considered the mother of the grocery bag. She founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company in 1870.


Margaret Knight is considered one of "the female Edisons," and she received some 26 patents. Patents are grants from the government that give an inventor the sole right to make, use, and sell an invention. It ensures that someone can't steal an original idea and profit without paying the inventor. Margaret Knight's machine-made, flat-bottomed paper bags are still in use to this very day!


1) Which of the following statements is a complete and accurate summary of the text?

A) Margaret Knight was born in 1838 in Maine, and at the age of 12, she designed a machine that added automatic shutoff features that kept factory workers safe. Later in life, she received 26 patents for her inventions, which caused her to become as rich and famous as many male inventors. Many people called her the "female Edison."


B) Margaret Knight was born in 1838 in Maine, where she began inventing at a very young age, creating sleds and kites for her siblings. Later on in life, she won acclaim and fortune by inventing a machine that kept factory workers safe by adding an automatic shutoff function. This machine saved many lives, causing many people to call her the "female Edison."


C) Margaret Knight was born in 1838 in Maine, where she designed kites and sleds for her siblings. She later came up with a paper bag folding and gluing machine, which allowed her to open her own paper bag company. The success of this company led her to invent more, receiving 26 patents, which caused many to call her the "female Edison."


D) Margaret Knight was born in 1838 in Maine, where she invented kites and sleds for her siblings. These projects led to her coming up with new safety features for factories that she patented when she was only 12 years old, which propelled her to later success when she received 26 patents for her inventions. For this reason, some called her the "female Edison."



2) What is the central idea of the passage?


A) Margaret Knight's idea revitalized grocery bags.


B) Margaret Knight showed her talents at a very young age.


C) Margaret Knight was an extremely competent and successful inventor.


D) Margaret Knight's patents revealed intelligence and ingenuity.

Answer 1

The correct summary and central idea are option C for both questions, recognizing Margaret Knight as a successful inventor who received 26 patents and was known as the 'female Edison'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct summary of the text about Margaret Knight, the inventor, is option C, which states: Margaret Knight was born in 1838 in Maine, where she designed kites and sleds for her siblings. She later came up with a paper bag folding and gluing machine, which allowed her to open her own paper bag company. The success of this company led her to invent more, receiving 26 patents, which caused many to call her the "female Edison."

As for the central idea of the passage, it is option C: Margaret Knight was an extremely competent and successful inventor. Her creativity was not limited to one field; instead, she developed various inventions including safety devices for factories and the revolutionary design for paper bags, which are still in use today.

Answer 2

1) The most accurate summary of the text is Option C: Margaret Knight was born in 1838 in Maine, where she designed kites and sleds for her siblings. Later, she invented a paper bag folding and gluing machine, leading to the establishment of her paper bag company. Her success in inventing, marked by 26 patents, earned her the title of the "female Edison."

2) The central idea of the passage is C) Margaret Knight was an extremely competent and successful inventor. The text highlights her early inventive endeavors, the creation of a revolutionary paper bag machine, the founding of her own company, and her significant contributions to the field of invention, ultimately earning her the recognition as one of "the female Edisons."

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage chronicles Margaret Knight's remarkable journey as an inventor, beginning with her early creations of sleds and kites in Maine. At the age of 12, she conceived a safety device for machinery, demonstrating her inventive mindset from a young age. The narrative then shifts to her groundbreaking invention of a machine that automated the production of paper bags, making them more durable and leading to the establishment of the Eastern Paper Bag Company.

The accurate summary (Option C) encapsulates Margaret Knight's life and achievements, touching upon her early inventions for siblings, the pivotal paper bag machine, the foundation of her company, and the significant number of patents she received. The comparison to "the female Edison" underscores her importance and contribution to the world of invention.

In essence, the central idea (Option C) emphasizes Margaret Knight's competence and success as an inventor. Her impact on the paper bag industry, her entrepreneurial ventures, and the numerous patents received collectively highlight her intelligence, ingenuity, and lasting legacy in the field of invention.