What can Jikji’s record tell us?

Correct answer: A book printed with movable metal type

The record concerns surviving books printed with movable metal type. It is not a claim about every kind of book.

Evidence: Printed in 1377, Jikji is recognised as the oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type. The key fact at the top defines the comparison.

Correct answer: That metal type was first invented in 1377

Surviving evidence and a technology’s first invention are different questions. The reading also mentions records of earlier printing.

Evidence: The date of a surviving book therefore does not establish when the technology was invented. The first section separates a surviving example from an invention date.

Correct answer: The 1377 edition used metal type; the 1378 edition used woodblocks.

One work can have editions printed by different methods. The table distinguishes both their dates and methods.

Evidence: Its metal-type edition, printed at Heungdeok-sa in Cheongju, differs from the woodblock edition produced the following year. The table below pairs each edition with its date and method.