Rail Tycoons
How does the author organize most of the information in this passage?
A. by comparing and contrasting events
B. by telling what happened in time order
C. by asking questions and giving answers
D. by discussing problems and solutions
B. by telling what happened in time order
Which evidence from the passage supports the author’s claim that building the railroad was “difficult and dangerous” work?
A. “While Chinese laborers were paid the same, they were required to feed and house themselves.” (paragraph 4)
B. “Chinese workers formed their own communities.” (paragraph 5)
C. “In these areas, the Chinese workers had to use explosives to blast through the rock.” (paragraph 7)
D. “In California, last prevented them from voting or testifying in court.” (paragraph 10)
C. “In these areas, the Chinese workers had to use explosives to blast through the rock.” (paragraph 7)
What central idea about the transcontinental railroad does the author express in the passage?
A. The railroad led to a long period of peace between settlers and Native Americans.
B. The railroad improved travel and business but caused great harm to Native Americans.
C. The railroad made it easier for settlers to find bison and other resources.
D. The railroad made Native Americans stronger in battle by helping them travel faster.
B. The railroad improved travel and business but caused great harm to Native Americans.
What does the word roamed mean?
A. To build or create something
B. To stay in one place
C. To wander or travel freely
D. To sleep outdoors
C. To wander or travel freely
In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was complete. It changed life in the United States. People and goods could now traveled quickly across the country. Native Americans were deeply affected. They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years. Bison herds were hunted in great numbers, and they was nearly wiped out by the 1880s.
In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was complete.
A. In 1869 the transcontinental Railroad was complete.
B. In 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed.
C. In 1869, the Transcontinental railroad was complete.
D. correct as is
B. In 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed.
Which sentence is a central idea that best describes what happened when railroad tycoons expanded railroads in the United States?
A. Railroad tycoons replaced all wagon travel with ferries and steamships.
B. Railroad tycoons only built railroads in the western part of the United States.
C. Railroads allowed only wealthy people to travel luxuriously between cities.
D. Railroads made travel faster and opened new areas for farming and trade.
D. Railroads made travel faster and opened new areas for farming and trade.
According to the passage, why was the Central Pacific Railroad Company having troubles during the construction of the railroad in 1863?
A. It could not find enough workers to do the job.
B. It was laying track from the West toward the East.
C. It filled job openings by hiring Chinese workers.
D. It feared that the work was too hard for most workers.
A. It could not find enough workers to do the job.
Which two details from the passage support the claim that the transcontinental railroad had harmful effects on Native Americans?
A. “People and goods were able to travel from the East Coast to California in just a few days.” (paragraph 1)
B. “Before the railroad was built, giant herds of bison often covered the land for as far as the eye could see.” (paragraph 4)
C. “Most of the animals’ bodies were left to rot.” (paragraph 6)
D. “By then, all of the Plains tribes had been forced to move to reservations.” (paragraph 14)
E. “Members of the Plains tribes lost much of their ability to support themselves after the bison disappeared.” (paragraph 15)
D. “By then, all of the Plains tribes had been forced to move to reservations.” (paragraph 14)
E. “Members of the Plains tribes lost much of their ability to support themselves after the bison disappeared.” (paragraph 15)
What does the word plentiful mean?
A. Very rare or hard to find
B. Not enough to go around
C. Easy to lose or forget
D. More than enough of something
D. More than enough of something
In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was complete. It changed life in the United States. People and goods could now traveled quickly across the country. Native Americans were deeply affected. They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years. Bison herds were hunted in great numbers, and they was nearly wiped out by the 1880s.
People and goods could now traveled quickly across the country.
A. travel quick across the country
B. be traveling quickly across the country
C. travel quickly across the country
D. correct as is
C. travel quickly across the country
What information does the timeline contribute to the passage about the expansion of railroads in the United States?
A. The expansion of railroads in the U.S. was finished by the year 1900.
B. The expansion of railroads in the U.S. was completed in just ten years.
C. The expansion of railroads in the U.S. took place over nearly two centuries.
D. The expansion of railroads in the U.S. only happened in the western states.
C. The expansion of railroads in the U.S. took place over nearly two centuries.
What is one way the map on pg. 14 adds to readers’ understanding of the passage?
A. It helps readers understand how long it took to complete the railroad.
B. It tells readers the names of the companies that built the railroad.
C. It shows readers which eastern cities already had railroad stations.
D. It identifies the direction from where the railroad started and what direction it went.
D. It identifies the direction from where the railroad started and what direction it went.
In the passage, what does the image and caption on page 21 help show about the Lakota people?
A. They used trains to transport goods across the Plains.
B. They stayed in one place year-round to hunt and gather.
C.They built permanent homes before the railroad arrived.
D. They traveled with animals that helped them carry supplies.
D. They traveled with animals that helped them carry supplies.
What are descendants?
A. Friends and neighbors
B. People’s children and grandchildren
C. Teachers and students
D. Pets and animals you care for
B. People’s children and grandchildren
In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was complete. It changed life in the United States. People and goods could now traveled quickly across the country. Native Americans were deeply affected. They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years. Bison herds were hunted in great numbers, and they was nearly wiped out by the 1880s.
They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years.
A. lived on the Great Plains
B. living on the Great Plains
C. live in the Great Plains
D. correct as is
A. lived on the Great Plains
How does the timeline help readers understand what happened with the development of railroad travel in the United States?
A. It shows that railroad development stopped after 1900.
B. It shows that railroad development was fast but only lasted a few years.
C. It shows that railroad travel expanded and advanced over a long period of time.
D. It shows that railroad travel only helped cities in the western United States.
C. It shows that railroad travel expanded and advanced over a long period of time.
How does the photograph on on the bottom of pg. 14 add to readers’ understanding of the Chinese railroad workers’ experience?
A. It shows how the workers built bridges over rivers to complete the railroad.
B. It shows the rocky, mountainous landscape the workers had to cut through for the railroad.
C. It shows the tools and explosives the workers used to tunnel through the Sierra Nevada.
D. It shows where the workers rested after laying track across flat terrain.
B. It shows the rocky, mountainous landscape the workers had to cut through for the railroad.
Which detail is most relevant to the central idea that the railroad improved travel but caused harm to Native Americans?
A. “European American settlers flooded the West.” (paragraph 1)
B. “Herds of bison could easily damage train tracks or block trains from moving.” (paragraph 5)
C. “Native Americans faced pressure to take on a lifestyle similar to these newcomers.” (paragraph 15)
D. “The U.S. government made a promise in its treaties.” (paragraph 13)
C. “Native Americans faced pressure to take on a lifestyle similar to these newcomers.” (paragraph 15)
What does the word devastating mean?
A. Funny or exciting
B. Terribly harmful
C. A little confusing
D. Safe and peaceful
B. Terribly harmful
In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was complete. It changed life in the United States. People and goods could now traveled quickly across the country. Native Americans were deeply affected. They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years. Bison herds were hunted in great numbers, and they was nearly wiped out by the 1880s.
Bison herds were hunted in great numbers, and they was nearly wiped out by the 1880s.
A. it was
B. they were
C. there was
D. correct as is
B. they were
What is the meaning of the word grueling as it is used in paragraph 1?
A. gentle and bearable
B. undemanding and easy
C. extremely tiring and demanding
D. quick and efficient
C. extremely tiring and demanding
How does the author organize most of the information in the passage?
A. by describing events related to Chinese railroad workers in chronological order
B. by comparing Chinese workers with other railroad workers
C. by asking and answering questions about the roles of Chinese railroad workers
D. by explaining the causes and effects of the transcontinental railroad.
A. by describing events related to Chinese railroad workers in chronological order
What do both the Chinese workers and Native Americans have in common in relation to the transcontinental railroad?
A. They describe how immigrant workers helped build towns in the West.
B. They explain how the transcontinental railroad impacted different groups of people.
C. They focus on how settlers took land from Chinese immigrants.
D. They describe how the U.S. government paid Native Americans and Chinese workers equally.
B. They explain how the transcontinental railroad impacted different groups of people.
Read this sentence from paragraph 4 of the passage:
“The transcontinental railroad crossed the traditional hunting grounds of many Plains tribes.What does the word traditional mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. belonging to a group for a long time
B. unusual or rare
C. new and unfamiliar
D. borrowed from another group
A. belonging to a group for a long time
In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was complete. It changed life in the United States. People and goods could now traveled quickly across the country. Native Americans were deeply affected. They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years. Bison herds were hunted in great numbers, and they was nearly wiped out by the 1880s.
Which revision best improves the clarity and meaning of the final sentence?
Original: They had live on the Great Plains for thousands of years.
A. They have lived on the Plains for many years.
B. They had been living on the Plains before bison disappeared.
C. Native Americans had lived on the Great Plains for thousands of years.
D. The Plains was home to the Native Americans for years.
C. Native Americans had lived on the Great Plains for thousands of years.