Academic Reading
The humble pencil
ADespite its name, a pencil contains no lead. The writing core is made of graphite, a soft form of carbon, mixed with clay and baked hard. The proportion of clay determines how hard or soft the pencil is, and therefore how dark a line it makes.
BThe modern pencil dates from the sixteenth century, when a large deposit of pure graphite was discovered in England. Wooden casings were added to make the brittle graphite easier to hold. Cheap, reliable and erasable, the pencil remains a favourite tool of artists, engineers and schoolchildren alike.