The Renaissance

The word Renaissance means rebirth. This period of history is considered to be a rebirth of
learning and a rediscovery of ideas which were lost during the Dark Ages. The Renaissance
was a time when man began to question and explore everything. This period of time from
about 1300-1600 A.D. was an age of adventure and curiosity.

People became fascinated with the world around them. They set out on
dangerous voyages to explore unknown lands. Artists began to paint
beautiful pictures in quite a different style from Medieval times. Music
changed. Scientists studied plants, animals, man, the world around
themselves, and even space. People’s ideas about the earth and the
Universe changed. Many new things were invented such as the printing
press and the telescope. This was the period during which Michelangelo
sculpted, Botticelli painted, Columbus sailed to North America, Shakespeare wrote his plays,
and Mercator created world maps using longitude and latitude.

Everything that concerned man and his life on earth became important to the people of
the Renaissance. People began to investigate the study of what is known as humanism, or
thinking about the interests and ideals of man. This was not a new idea. It was a revival
of ideas that had been explored by the Greeks and Romans a long time before. It fact,
people of the Renaissance became fascinated with many Greek and Roman ideas
including those involving sculpture, philosophy, painting and science.

1. The main idea in this article is.....

A. Renaissance means rebirth.
B. Ideas and learning were lost during the Dark Ages.
C. Renaissance was an age of adventure and curiosity.

2. The author's purpose in paragraph 2 is...

A. To inform you that people began to explore and investigate many different things during
the Renaissance.
B. To persuade or convince you that people became fascinated with the world around
them during the Renaissance.
C. To teach you about famous people of the Renaissance and what they did.

3. Which two people that are mentioned in paragraph 2 must have been artists?

……………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. What does humanism mean?

………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Who first began the study of humanism?

………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Answers:

1. The main idea in this article is.....

C. Renaissance was an age of adventure and curiosity.

2. The author's purpose in paragraph 2 is...

A. To inform you that people began to explore and investigate many different things during
the Renaissance.

3. Which two people that are mentioned in paragraph 2 must have been artists?

Michelangelo, who sculpted, and Boticelli, who painted.

4. What does humanism mean?

It means thinking about the ideals and interests of man.

5. Who first began the study of humanism?

The Greeks and Romans began its study.