Biography · Level 2 · 125 words
The Brothers Who Learned to Fly
Original passage © Team AM, written for Hone Literacy.
Orville and Wilbur Wright were two brothers in the United States who ran a shop that built and repaired bicycles. In their free time, they shared a big dream. They wanted to build a machine that could fly.
Many people had tried to fly before and failed. The brothers studied birds and tested small models. They built a flying machine with wings and an engine, and they practiced controlling it. They also used a wind tunnel to learn how air pushed against different shapes.
In 1903, near a windy beach in North Carolina, their machine lifted off the ground and flew for a short time. It was one of the first flights by a powered airplane. Their patient work helped open the age of flying.
Comprehension questions
1. What kind of shop did the Wright brothers run?
- A A bakery
- B A bicycle shop
- C A bookstore
- D A clothing store
Show answer
B. A bicycle shop
The passage says they ran a shop that built and repaired bicycles.
2. What does the passage suggest helped the brothers succeed?
- A They were lucky on the first try with no practice
- B They studied, tested, and practiced patiently
- C They copied a finished airplane
- D They flew without any planning
Show answer
B. They studied, tested, and practiced patiently
The text describes them studying birds, testing models, using a wind tunnel, and practicing.
3. What is the passage mostly about?
- A How to fix a bicycle
- B Two brothers whose careful work led to one of the first powered flights
- C A trip to the beach
- D How birds build nests
Show answer
B. Two brothers whose careful work led to one of the first powered flights
The passage focuses on the brothers' effort to build a flying machine and their early flight.
Source: Written for Hone Literacy. Original passage © Team AM, written for Hone Literacy.