Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 479
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 479 – PASSAGE – 3
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 479
READING PASSAGE – 3
Benjamin Franklin – The founding father of United States
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, and expired on April 17, 1790. He was an American with a wealth of knowledge and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a top author, printer, political theorist, politician, Freemason, postmaster, scientist, originator, humourist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a chief figure in the American Enlightenment and the past of physics for his findings and theories concerning electricity. He invented many prominent things such as lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. He founded numerous civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia’s first fire department and the University of Pennsylvania.
Benjamin Franklin was born on Milk Street, in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1706, and blessed at Old South Meeting House. He was one of seventeen children born to Josiah Franklin, and one of ten born by Josiah’s second wife, Abiah Folger: the daughter of Mary Morrill. James and Jane were among Benjamin’s siblings. Jane was younger to Peter Foulger and Benjamin.
IELTS General Reading Test
Josiah desired Ben to attend school with the clergy but had limited resources to send him to school for two years. He joined Boston Latin School but soon dropped out; he sustained his education through insatiable reading. Although his parents wanted him to think of church as a career. But his schooling ended when he was ten. After that, Benjamin worked for his father for a time, and at 12 he became an apprentice to his brother James. James was a printer, who taught Ben the printing trade. When Ben was 15, James originated The New-England Courant, which was the opening truly independent newspaper in the colonies.
When deprived of the chance to write a letter to the paper for publication, Franklin adopted the pseudonym of “Silence Dogood”, a middle-aged widow. Mrs. Dogood’s letters were published and became a subject of discussion around town. Neither James nor the Courant’s readers were aware of the trick, and James was unhappy with Ben when he discovered the popular correspondent was his younger brother.
IELTS General Reading Test
Franklin was a supporter of unrestricted speech from an early age. When James was jailed for three weeks in 1722 for publishing material unattractive to the governor, young Franklin took over the newspaper and had Mrs. Dogood (quoting Cato’s Letters) announcing in the newspaper: “Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.” Franklin left his internship without his brother’s consent, and in so doing turn out to be an escapee.
Franklin campaigned for colonial unity in the early days and earned the title of “The First American”. He was an author and spokesman in London for several colonies at that time. As the first United States Ambassador to France, he represented the emerging American nation. Franklin was the first person to recognize the American ethos as a nuptial of the practical values of prudence, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to fascism in both politics and religion, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment.
IELTS General Reading Test
In the words of historian Henry Steele Commager, “In a Franklin could be fused the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat.” To Walter Isaacson, this styles Franklin “the most talented American of his age and the most persuasive in inventing the type of society America would become.”
Franklin became an effective newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia, the leading city in the colonies, publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette at the age of 23. After few years, he became rich publishing this and Poor Richard’s Almanack, which he authored under the pseudonym “Richard Saunders”. After 1767, he was associated with the Pennsylvania Chronicle, a newspaper that was known for its revolutionary opinions and condemnations of British policies.
IELTS General Reading Test
He pioneered the Academy and College of Philadelphia which opened in 1751 which later became the University of Pennsylvania. He was also the first President of the college of Philadelphia. He organized the American Philosophical Society as the secretary and was elected president in 1769.
Franklin turns out to be a national hero in America as a mediator for numerous colonies when he fronted an effort in London to have the Parliament of Great Britain repeal the unpopular Stamp Act. A skilled diplomat, he was broadly respected among the French as American minister to Paris and was a main figure in the development of positive Franco-American relations. His hard work proved integral for the American Revolution in securing shipments of vital ammunitions from France.
IELTS General Reading Test
He was promoted to deputy postmaster-general for the British colonies in 1753, previously he was Philadelphia postmaster for many years, and this allowed him to set up the first national communications network. During the revolution, he turned out to be the first United States Postmaster General. He was dynamic in community affairs and colonial and state politics, as well as national and international affairs. Since 1785 to 1788, he aided as governor of Pennsylvania. He firstly owned and dispensed in slaves but, by the late 1750s, he started disagreeing with captivity and became an abolitionist.
Franklin was honoured more than two hundred years after he passed away. He was honoured on coinage and the $100 bill, name of many towns. Counties, educational institutes warships, and corporations, as well as uncountable cultural references.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 27-34
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
TRUE – If the statement agrees with the information.
FALSE – If the statement contradicts the information.
NOT GIVEN – If there is no information on this.
27. Benjamin Franklin was the solitary founding father of the United States.
28. Abiah Folger had 17 children.
29. Benjamin learned about printing from his brother James.
30. James was ecstatic when he found that the eminent correspondent was his brother Franklin.
31. Franklin was given the title ‘the first American’ by a prevalent newspaper.
32. Franklin became renowned at the age of 23 when he published the Pennsylvania Chronical.
33. Franklin became the head of first sports committee of Pennsylvania.
34. Franklin was privileged more than 200 years after his death.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 35-40
Complete each sentence with the correct heading.
Write the correct letter in your answer sheet.
35. When Franklin was 12 years old…..
36. Franklin did not apprise his brother after exiting apprenticeship,…..
37. He became the first United States Ambassador to France…..
38. At the age of 23…..
39. Franklin was refuted to write a letter to the newspaper for publication,….
40. Franklin attended Boson Latin School…..
IELTS General Reading Test
A. so adopted the penname of “Silence Dogood”.
B. he became a fugitive.
C. he exemplified the growing American nation.
D. he became a trainee to his brother James.
E. he printed the Pennsylvania Journal.
F. James founded The New-England Courant.
G. but did not graduate.
H. became popular in America.
I. won a lot of accolades at school.
IELTS General Reading Test
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
27. FALSE
28. FALSE
29. TRUE
30. FALSE
31. NOT GIVEN
32. FALSE
33. NOT GIVEN
34. TRUE
35. D
36. B
37. C
38. E
39. A
40. G
IELTS General Reading Test