Portrait of Aristotle, the renowned Greek philosopher.

Grade 6 Reading Comprehension Worksheet: Aristotle – Greek Philosopher

Let's go through the passage and answer each question based on the information provided.

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#### Passage Summary:
Aristotle was a famous Greek philosopher born about 350 years before Christ (B.C.). He was born in a Greek colony, and his father, Nichomachus, was the physician to the king of Macedonia. His father died when Aristotle was young. At age 17, he went to Athens to study at Plato’s Academy for 20 years. After Plato’s death, he moved to Mysia, where he taught for three years and married Pythias, the king’s daughter. They had a daughter, but Pythias died young. Some writers say Philip of Macedonia invited Aristotle to teach his son Alexander (who later became Alexander the Great) for five years. Later, Aristotle returned to Athens and founded his own school, the Lyceum, where he taught for 13 years. The school lasted over 200 years. Aristotle studied many subjects including science, plants, animals, the human body, weather, earth, heavens, politics, government, ethics, and philosophy. He taught moderation and defined virtue as the soul’s disposition that promotes human flourishing. He believed ordinary people could govern themselves if virtuous. He died in 322 B.C. at age 62.

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Answer Each Question:

1. What do you know about the early life of Aristotle?

Aristotle was born in a Greek colony around 350 years before Christ. His father, Nichomachus, was the royal physician to the king of Macedonia. Unfortunately, his father died when Aristotle was very young. When he was 17, he was sent to Athens to study at the Academy under Plato, the leading philosopher of the time.

> ✔ *Key facts:* Born in a Greek colony, father was a physician, lost father early, went to Athens at 17 to study with Plato.

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2. What did he do in Mysia?

In Mysia, Aristotle taught for three years in the king’s court. He also married the king’s daughter, Pythias. They had a daughter, but Pythias died when she was a young woman.

> ✔ *Summary:* Taught in the royal court, married the king’s daughter, had a daughter.

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3. What did some writers claim about Aristotle?

Some writers claim that Philip, the king of Macedonia, invited Aristotle to come and teach his son Alexander, who was 13 years old at the time. Aristotle tutored Alexander for five years.

> ✔ *Claim:* Aristotle was invited by King Philip to tutor his son, Alexander the Great.

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4. Where did Aristotle set up his school?

Aristotle set up his own school, called the Lyceum, in Athens after returning from tutoring Alexander.

> ✔ *Answer:* He set up his school in Athens.

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5. How many subjects did Aristotle study?

The passage lists the following subjects Aristotle studied:
- Science
- Plants
- Animals
- The human body
- Weather
- The earth
- The heavens
- Politics
- Government
- Ethics
- Philosophy

That’s 11 subjects.

> ✔ *Answer:* Aristotle studied 11 subjects.

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6. What were the teachings of Aristotle and when did he die?

Aristotle taught moderation, encouraging his students to follow the "middle road" between extremes. He defined virtue as the disposition of the soul that promotes human flourishing. He believed that common people with virtue could govern themselves. He died in 322 B.C. at the age of 62.

> ✔ *Teachings:* Moderation, virtue as the path to human flourishing, belief in self-governance for virtuous individuals.
> ✔ *Death:* Died in 322 B.C. at age 62.

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✔ Final Answers:

1. Aristotle was born in a Greek colony around 350 B.C., his father was a royal physician, and he lost his father young. At 17, he went to Athens to study under Plato.
2. In Mysia, he taught for three years in the king’s court and married the king’s daughter, Pythias.
3. Some writers claim that King Philip of Macedonia invited Aristotle to teach his son Alexander.
4. Aristotle set up his school, the Lyceum, in Athens.
5. Aristotle studied 11 subjects: science, plants, animals, human body, weather, earth, heavens, politics, government, ethics, and philosophy.
6. Aristotle taught moderation and defined virtue as promoting human flourishing; he believed ordinary people could govern themselves if virtuous. He died in 322 B.C. at age 62.

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This worksheet helps students practice reading comprehension, summarizing, and extracting key details from a historical text.