NOTICE

Before the Printing Press

Before the printing press, books were written and copied by hand. The process was long and meticulous. There were many details to think about. Scribes were the main people who copied books. They wrote the text using a quill pen made from a feather. The ink was usually made from a mixture of carbon black, gum, and water. Scribes had to constantly dip their pens in the inkwell as they wrote. Sometimes they added colorful decorations and illustrations to the pages. These books were often written on parchment, which was a paper made from animal skin. After the text was complete, the pages were bound together by hand with wooden boards and a leather cover. This process took a lot of time and was very expensive. Therefore, books were not widely available to the general public. However, the care and attention that went into each copy made them true works of art and cultural treasures. They were cherished and passed down from parent to child.

INSTRUCTIONS: Match each word with the part of the paragraph that explains its meaning.
A. made from a feather
B. paper made from animal skin
C. people who copied books
D. there were many details to think about.
E. pages … together
F. dip their pen in (it)
G. works of art and cultural treasures … passed down from parent to child

1. meticulous
2. scribes
3. quill
4. inkwell
5. parchment
6. bound
7. cherished

Are there other words that you don't know? Do you think they are important to know? Why or why not? If they are important to know, how can you find their meaning?