Bell's Great Invention
Nicole Frail

1People say that Alexander Graham Bell's magnum opus was the telephone. This great achievement occurred when he made the first phone call on March 10, 1876. On that day, Bell placed one phone in a room with his assistant, Thomas Watson. Bell sat with a second phone in another room. Watson pressed the receiver against his ear and was surprised when he heard Bell say his name. It worked! Bell's hard work had finally paid off!

2By early 1878, Bell's phones had been installed in homes in New Haven, Connecticut. To make a call, people had to connect through a switch board. For the first time, two people living in different parts of town could communicate without writing a letter or meeting in person.

3As a result of Bell's invention, staying in touch became easier. If a young man in Boston needed to talk to his sister in New York, he could ask the switch board operator to call her at home. Though they lived in different states and could not see each other, family members could chatter over the phone.

4The sizes, shapes, and colors of phones have changed greatly since the 1870s. Today's phones are smaller, and some are portable. In addition to allowing people to talk, some phones can take pictures and send text messages. The conversations held on phones have changed, too. After Bell first showed the world a working telephone, only a few homes had one installed. People used phones only to deliver important messages. Now, people discuss anything and everything on the phone! You can call your best friend to ask what he or she plans to wear to school, or you can call a close relative just to talk about your day. People today can talk to anyone they want, no matter where the other person lives. He or she could live in a different state, or even a different country, and still be able to call and say "hello."

5Alexander Graham Bell's first telephone holds a special place in history. If it wasn't for Bell's phone, people may never have developed pay phones, cell phones, and other similar inventions to keep in touch with loved ones.

13)
Which two words from the passage are related in meaning?
A) history and inventions
B) assistant and receiver
C) telephone and operator
D) messages and conversations