Television History Reading Quiz

NCEA Level 1 English — Reading Comprehension

Name:

Date:

📺 Reading Passage: The Box That Changed the World

It is hard to imagine life without television. Yet just over a century ago, the idea of sending moving pictures through the air seemed like pure fantasy. The story of how television came to be is one of rivalry, brilliance, and a few lucky accidents.

In 1926, a Scottish inventor named John Logie Baird gave the world's first public demonstration of a working television system in London. His early images were blurry and flickering — the faces on screen looked more like ghosts than people — but the idea was revolutionary. Within a decade, the BBC in Britain had launched the world's first regular public television broadcasting service in 1936.

Meanwhile, a young New Zealand-born engineer named Eric Tigerstedt was among many inventors around the world racing to develop electronic television technology. Across the Pacific, American inventor Philo Farnsworth — who had sketched out his idea for an electronic television at just 14 years old — successfully transmitted the first all-electronic television image in 1927. His invention would eventually form the basis of modern television.

Television arrived in New Zealand later than in many countries. The first official broadcast took place on 1 June 1960, when AKTV2 went to air in Auckland. At first, programmes were only shown for a few hours each evening, and everything was in black and white. Colour television didn't arrive in New Zealand until 1973. By the 1980s, most New Zealand households owned at least one television set, and it had become the centrepiece of family life.

Today, streaming services and smartphones have changed the way we watch content, but television remains a powerful medium. From Baird's ghostly flickering images to high-definition screens that hang on walls like paintings, the journey of television reflects humanity's endless drive to connect, communicate, and tell stories.

🔍 Part 1: Multiple Choice

Circle the best answer for each question.

1. Where did John Logie Baird give his first public television demonstration?

New York

London

Auckland

Edinburgh

2. What was notable about Philo Farnsworth's television idea?

He was already a famous scientist when he came up with it

He sketched the idea when he was only 14 years old

He invented it by accident while working on radio

He worked alongside John Logie Baird

3. When did New Zealand's first official television broadcast take place?

1 June 1936

1 June 1955

1 June 1960

1 June 1973

4. Which word best describes the author's overall tone in this passage?

Critical and doubtful

Admiring and informative

Humorous and sarcastic

Sad and nostalgic

5. What does the phrase "the centrepiece of family life" (paragraph 4) suggest about television in New Zealand by the 1980s?

Televisions were placed in the centre of the room for better reception

Television had become the most important and central part of how families spent time together

Families argued about what to watch on television

Television programmes focused on family topics

✏️ Part 2: Short Answer

Answer in full sentences where possible.

6. Identify two specific details from the passage that show how television technology improved over time.

7. The final paragraph states that television "reflects humanity's endless drive to connect, communicate, and tell stories." Do you agree? Use evidence from the passage and your own knowledge to support your answer.