PaginePaginepagineapp.comBefore the 1400s, most books in Europe were copied by hand. A single book could take months to finish, so books were rare and expensive.
Around 1440, a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg developed a printing press with movable metal type. Individual letters could be arranged into words, inked and pressed onto paper again and again.
With the press, workers could print hundreds of pages a day. Books became cheaper, and more people learned to read. Ideas about science, history and religion spread faster than ever before.
Printing presses were used in China and Korea even earlier, with carved wooden blocks and movable type. Gutenberg's press helped the idea spread widely across Europe and, eventually, the world.
A Pagine Original passage.
1. How were most books made before the 1400s?
2. Who developed the printing press around 1440?
3. What is movable type?
4. Name two effects of the printing press.
5. What does the last paragraph add?
6. Is this text organised by cause and effect or by comparison? Explain.
Worksheets › Grade 4 › Reading comprehension
Free 4th grade reading comprehension worksheet: "The Invention of the Printing Press", an original non-fiction passage with 6 questions. Answer key included. Skill: Reading informational text: key details and main idea. Level: Grade 4 — also suits Year 5 (UK).
Yes — it is free to print for home or the classroom. Sign in with a free Pagine account, then use the Print button or save it as a PDF.
It is designed for Grade 4 (ages 9–10), but use it with any child who is ready.
Reading informational text: key details and main idea.
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