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Grade 8 (A2) · Fact text · 241 words

How Lighthouses Work

A fact text about lighthouses, how they work and how sailors recognize each one.

Tap any word to hear it · dotted words have a definition in the glossary

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1For thousands of years, sailors have faced a serious problem: how can you find your way along a dark at night? Rocks and water near the shore can easily destroy a ship. The answer was the lighthouse, a tall tower with a bright light at the top. One of the most famous early lighthouses stood in Alexandria, Egypt, and it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

2Early lighthouses used fires of wood or coal, and later oil lamps. These lights were not very strong, so ships could only see them from a short distance. In the nineteenth century, a French scientist named Augustin Fresnel designed a special . It is made of many rings of glass, and it collects the light and sends it out in a powerful .

3But how do sailors know which lighthouse they are looking at? Each lighthouse has its own pattern. Some flash once every few seconds, others flash twice or show a light. During the day, lighthouses are recognized by their colors and stripes. Sailors check these patterns on their , so they know exactly where they are.

4In the past, lighthouse lived in or next to the towers. They climbed the stairs every evening to light the lamp and cleaned the glass. Today, most lighthouses are automatic and do not need . Still, lighthouses remain important as a , and many of them have become museums.

📘 Glossary
  • coast - the land next to the sea
  • shallow - not deep
  • lens - a curved piece of glass that bends light
  • beam - a strong line of light
  • steady - not changing or moving
  • charts - maps of the sea
  • keepers - people who look after something
  • backup - something extra to use if the main thing fails

Questions

  1. Finding details

    1. According to paragraph 1, why is a dark coast dangerous for ships?

  2. Finding details

    2. Copy the words from paragraph 1 that show that the lighthouse in Alexandria was very special.

  3. Finding details

    3. What was the problem with the first lighthouses?

  4. Reference words

    4. What does the word 'It' in paragraph 2 refer to? (“It is made of many rings of glass…”)

  5. Word meaning

    5. The word 'beam' in paragraph 2 means ___

  6. Making inferences

    6. Why does each lighthouse have its own pattern of light?

  7. Finding details

    7. How can sailors recognize a lighthouse during the DAY? Give ONE answer.

  8. Finding details

    8. Complete the sentence: Today, most lighthouses ___

  9. Purpose and structure

    9. What is the purpose of paragraph 4?

Answer every question to get a score (0/9)

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