Who Was Isaac Newton?
Lexile: 700 | Grade: 4
Passage
Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists in history. He lived in England more than 300 years ago. Even as a child, he was curious about how the world worked. He liked to build things and ask questions that others didn’t think to ask.
One famous story about Newton is that he saw an apple fall from a tree and began wondering why it fell down instead of up. This question led him to think deeply about gravity—the force that pulls things toward the ground. He later explained that gravity is what keeps the planets moving around the sun, and also what makes apples fall from trees.
Newton didn’t just study gravity. He also made big discoveries in light, motion, and math. He showed that white light is made of many colors by shining it through a glass prism. He wrote important laws about how objects move, which are still taught in science classes today.
Even though Newton was a genius, he worked hard and asked a lot of questions. He once said, 'If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.' That meant he learned from the scientists who came before him—and helped others learn after him.
Today, people still remember Isaac Newton for changing the way we understand the world. He showed that asking simple questions—like why an apple falls—can lead to big answers.
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Questions
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
- A. Isaac Newton was a scientist who made many important discoveries.
- B. Isaac Newton liked to grow apple trees.
- C. Isaac Newton was the first person to live in England.
- D. Isaac Newton became famous for building glass prisms.
Q2: What happened after Newton saw the apple fall from the tree?
- A. He climbed the tree to pick more apples.
- B. He created a new type of apple.
- C. He started thinking about the force of gravity.
- D. He built a telescope.
Q3: What does the word 'curious' most likely mean in the first paragraph?
- A. Funny or silly
- B. Wanting to learn or know more
- C. Angry at small things
- D. Afraid to ask questions
Q4: What does Newton’s quote about 'standing on the shoulders of giants' mean?
- A. He stood on people to see better.
- B. He was stronger than other scientists.
- C. He learned from great scientists before him.
- D. He didn’t like working alone.
Q5: What did Newton discover by using a glass prism?
- A. That glass makes things look upside-down
- B. That light is made of many colors
- C. That apples grow faster in sunlight
- D. That gravity can bend light
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Answers & Reasoning
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: A
💡 Reasoning: The passage explains Newton’s work in gravity, motion, light, and how he helped science grow.
Q2: What happened after Newton saw the apple fall from the tree?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The story explains that seeing the apple fall made Newton curious about why things fall downward.
Q3: What does the word 'curious' most likely mean in the first paragraph?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The passage says Newton asked questions others didn’t think to ask, showing his desire to learn.
Q4: What does Newton’s quote about 'standing on the shoulders of giants' mean?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The quote means he respected the work of scientists who came before him and built upon their ideas.
Q5: What did Newton discover by using a glass prism?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The passage says he used a prism to show that white light is made of many colors.
Printable Comprehension Practice
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