◆◆◆
Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________________
Gimme a Slice!
D
o you like pizza? Do you know anyone who doesn’t?! Americans are crazy about pizza
pie. But did you know that pizza has been around for a very long time?
In fact, historians think that it goes back thousands of years. The first pizzas weren’t like
our pizzas today. They were flat pieces of bread. People baked them on cooking stones.
These pizzas were plain. They didn’t have cheese. And they didn’t have fancy toppings.
Modern pizza began in the city of Naples in Italy. In the 1700s, Naples was very poor. Pizza
became popular because it was cheap. People didn’t have to buy a whole pie. They could
After a while, people in other parts of Italy tried it. And they liked it, too. It was no
longer just for the poor. Even kings and queens ate it. Eventually it became one of
Italy’s national foods.
Americans first tasted pizza when people from Italy came to this country. Italians
brought their favorite foods. And pizza was one of them. It became even more popular
here after World War II. American soldiers who had been in Italy fell in love with pizza.
When they came home, they wanted more. And word spread. Pretty soon, everybody else
wanted a slice, too.
54
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
just buy part of the pizza. Today, many places still sell pizza by the slice.
◆◆◆
Name _______________________________________________ Date _____________________
Gimme a Slice!
Comprehension Check
1.
How were the first pizzas different from pizza today?
A They were square instead of round.
B They didn’t have cheese or toppings.
C The crust was very chewy.
D They were served cold.
2.
Where did the modern pizza get its start?
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
_________________________
3.
Originally pizza was eaten by
A the poor
B by everybody
C by people with big appetites
D by kings and queens
4.
When did pizza become popular in the United States?
A in the 1700s
B thousands of years ago
C after World War II
D after it became Italy’s national food
5.
What is the author’s main purpose for writing this passage?
A to persuade you that pizza is the best food
B to describe her favorite pizza
C to show the reasons people love pizza
D to give a brief history of pizza
55
●●●
Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________________
Gimme a Slice!
D
o you like pizza? Do you know anyone who doesn’t?! Americans, young and old, are
crazy about pizza pie. And they have been for generations.
Pizza in some form has been around for a very long time. Historians think it goes back
to the earliest civilizations. In early times, large, flat pieces of bread were baked on
cooking stones. But the first pizzas didn’t have cheese or toppings.
Over time, pizza spread beyond Naples to the rest of Italy. And soon it became popular
all over. Everyone ate it, even kings and queens. Different regions had their own favorite
toppings. In time, it became one of Italy’s national foods.
Today the cheesy pies are loved by Americans almost as much as Italians. Italian
immigrants first introduced pizza to the States when they came to this country. Then
after World War II, its popularity really grew. During the war, American soldiers in
Italy ate a lot of pizza. And they loved it. When they came home, they wanted more. Word
spread. And pretty soon, everybody else wanted a slice, too.
56
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
Modern pizza began in the Italian city of Naples. In the 1700s, pizza was a cheap food
that was eaten by the poor. Often people didn’t buy a whole pizza. They would buy
only what they could afford. Today, many pizzerias still sell pizza by the slice. So it’s
still affordable for just about anyone.
●●●
Name _______________________________________________ Date _____________________
Gimme a Slice!
Comprehension Check
1.
According to the passage, what got its start in Naples, Italy?
_________________________
2.
W
hy was pizza eaten by the poor people of Naples?
___________________________________________________________________________
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
___________________________________________________________________________
3.
According the passage, which is true?
A Pizza is eaten only by young people.
B Pizza is still affordable for most people.
C A slice of pizza costs a lot these days.
D Kings and queens hate pizza.
4.
Pizza was introduced in the United States by
A soldiers after World War II
B kings and queens
C the earliest civilizations
D Italian immigrants
5.
Why did pizza become popular in the United States after World War II?
A It was cheap to make.
B You could buy it by the slice.
C American soldiers returning from Italy loved it, and the word spread.
D It was introduced by Italian immigrants after the World War II.
57

Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________________
Gimme a Slice!
A
sk three of your friends what their favorite food is, and at least one of them will probably
say, “Pizza.” Americans, young and old, are crazy about pizza pie, and they have been for
generations. And what’s not to love? Chewy dough, gooey cheese, your favorite topping? Grab
some napkins and dig in!
Some version of pizza has been around for a very long time. Historians can trace it all the way
back to earliest civilization, when large, flat pieces of bread were baked on cooking stones.
But it took centuries before the arrival of the round cheesy pie we know and love today.
One of the most popular pizza toppings in Naples was tomatoes. Back then, many Italians were
afraid to eat tomatoes because they believed they were poisonous. But the poor couldn’t always
be so choosy. They went ahead and put tomatoes on their pizzas—and they lived to tell about it!
Over time, pizza’s popularity spread beyond Naples to the rest of Italy. It began to be eaten by
everybody, with a variety of different toppings. Eventually it became one of Italy’s national foods.
Today pizza is loved by Americans almost as much as by Italians. Italian immigrants who came to
this country in the early 1900s first introduced the pies. But it was after World War II that it’s
popularity really took hold. When American soldiers came home after being in Italy, they
clamored for the pizzas they’d grown to love. And pretty soon, everybody else wanted a slice, too.
58
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
Modern pizza began in Italy. It was originally an inexpensive food eaten by the very poor in
eighteenth-century Naples. Instead of buying a whole pizza, customers would buy only what
they could afford. This custom of buying just part of a pizza lives on in many places today, where
people order pizza by the slice.

Name _______________________________________________ Date _____________________
Gimme a Slice!
Comprehension Check
1.
In paragraph 3, the word custom means
A way of doing things
B discovery
C bargain
D luck
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
2.
Why were 18th century Italians afraid to eat tomatoes?
______________________________________________________________________________
3.
What did the people of Naples discover about tomatoes?
______________________________________________________________________________
4.
Why did pizza become popular after World War II?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5.
A synonym for clamored in the last paragraph is
A asked
B cried out
C whispered
D hinted
59
Answer Key
Gimme a Slice!
Page 55
1. B
2. Naples, Italy
3. A
4. C
5. D
Page 57
1. modern pizza
2. It was cheap, and they could buy
only as much as they could afford.
3. B
4. D
5. C
78
Leveled Nonfiction Passages for Building Comprehension • © 2011 by Carol Ghiglieri • Scholastic Teaching Resources
Page 59
1. A
2. They thought they were poisonous.
3. They weren’t poisonous after all.
4. American soldiers returning from
Italy wanted pizza, and the word
spread.
5. B