PENCIL
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
The humble pencil is undoubtedly the most widely used tool for writing and drawing the world over. The earliest forerunner of the modem pencil was called ‘Pencillus’ and was used by the ancient Romans. There were usually made of lead. That is why pencils to this day are called “Lead pencils”. Although they are not made of lead any longer. Today’s pencils are made of graphite. Though, we do not know who it was that invented the Roman ‘lead pencils’ we do have records about the inventor of the graphite pencil. Graphite was first used in pencils in 1565. It was a European naturalist called Konrad von Gesner who first encased a piece of graphite in a wooden holder to draw his sketches. Today, pencils are available for almost every kind of drawing, writing and marking. There have been many innovations in the making of pencils.
Pencils today, are made out of wood free materials in order to save trees and forest wealth. These are becoming popular across the world, because of their eco-friendly nature.
(a) Who used a pencil for the first time and under what name?
(b) What is the difference in pencils made today and in the past?
(c) Who invented a graphite pencil and when?
(d) Why does the writer call some pencils as eco-friendly?
(e) What are the main uses of pencils today?
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