Read the article The Pony Express before answering Numbers 1 through 5. The Pony Express

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1 UNIT 3 WEEK 3 Read the article The Pony Express before answering Numbers 1 through 5. The Pony Express The Pony Express was just what its name suggests a speedy delivery service that used ponies and horses to deliver the U.S. mail across the country. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 drew thousands of settlers west. The growing population in the west required a fast mail delivery service. The route of the Pony Express began in St. Joseph, Missouri. This was one of the main starting points for settlers heading west. From there, the riders would travel through Kansas. Then they rode through territory that is now part of the states of Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. The riders finally completed the 2,000-mile trail in Sacramento, California. Pony Express riders rode the trail in both directions, east and west. Service on the Pony Express officially began on April 3, At 5:00 that day, a young man named Johnny Fry was the first rider to leave St. Joseph. Crowds cheered as Fry made his way through the city streets. He boarded a ferry that took him and his horse across the Missouri River to Kansas. Meanwhile, another rider named Harry Roff took off from Sacramento, heading east. Eleven days later, on April 14, the riders arrived at their destinations with the mail. Over time, more than 100 stations were built and stocked with between 400 and 500 horses. Station keepers and horse tenders worked at the stations. Riders stopped there to refill their supplies and get fresh horses. That meant the animals had to run only 10 to 15 miles before getting a chance to rest. About 80 riders worked for the Pony Express. The average age of the riders was around 20. The records show that there were teenagers, and at least one rider was only 11. No matter how old they were, Pony Express riders were lean, strong, and resourceful. The trail itself was rough and unpredictable. Riders were subject to attacks by people hiding among the rocks, woods, and bushes along the way. At least one rider was killed in an ambush in July of It took 10 days in summer and 12 to 16 days in winter to send mail from St. Joseph to Sacramento or back. However, in November of 1860, one Pony Express delivery made the trip in a record five days! What was that special message? It was news that a new president of the United States had been elected. He was named Abraham Lincoln. 128 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3

2 UNIT 3 WEEK 3 The Pony Express only lasted for 19 months. In 1861, telegraph services were beginning to reach the West. This new service reduced the need for mail-carrying riders. By October of the same year, the east and west coasts were fully linked with a trans-continental telegraph service. On the very same day, the Pony Express stopped. Still, it gave the American West some of its most exciting legends. The young men who rode for the Pony Express proved they were brave and tough. They won a lifetime of great stories to tell. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3 Grade 6 129

3 Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on The Pony Express. 1 Put the events in the order they occurred. Number them from 1 to 5. The Pony Express stops. Gold is discovered in California. A Pony Express rider is killed in an ambush. Johnny Fry and Harry Roff set out on the Pony Express. News of Lincoln s election is delivered by Pony Express. 2 How does the author tell about the beginning of the Pony Express? A by comparing different routes B by listing what the riders carried C by describing problems riders created D by giving the dates of some of the rides 130 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3

4 3 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the article. No matter how old they were, Pony Express riders were lean, strong, and resourceful. What does the word resourceful show about the riders? A They had a lot of energy. B They were good with horses. C They found solutions to problems. D They gave directions to different places. Part B: What is the suffix of resourceful? A re B resource C source D ful 4 Read the sentence from the article. The trail itself was rough and unpredictable. What does the word unpredictable show about the trail? A It had surprises. B It was dangerous. C It was easy to travel. D It could not be passed. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3 Grade 6 131

5 5 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: What happened to the Pony Express after the telegraph was invented? A It got larger. B It stopped running. C It spread out to the West. D It stopped going to the South. Part B: Which set of sentences from the article tells what happened? A Station keepers and horse tenders worked at the stations. Riders stopped there to refill their supplies and get fresh horses. B However, in November of 1860, one Pony Express delivery made the trip in a record five days! What was that special message? C In 1861, telegraph services were beginning to reach the West. This new service reduced the need for mail-carrying riders. D By October of the same year, the east and west coasts were fully linked with a trans-continental telegraph service. On the very same day, the Pony Express stopped. 132 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3

6 Read the article From Anchorage to Nome before answering Numbers 6 through 10. UNIT 3 WEEK 3 From Anchorage to Nome In Anchorage, Alaska, every winter, a crowd gathers downtown. People line up along the frozen sidewalks to witness the beginning of the famed Iditarod Trail Race. Soon, as many as 75 teams of sled dogs and their drivers will head out for Nome. This city is more than 1,100 miles to the northwest of Anchorage. The Road to Nome Each driver, or musher, has a team of 16 dogs that carry all the supplies for the journey on the sled. For the safety of the dogs and mushers, all teams must carry certain gear, such as a heavy sleeping bag, an ax, and booties for the dogs. The teams travel separately along the trail. However, they must meet with volunteers at specific spots where the dogs are checked to make sure they are in good health. During the race, the teams navigate a challenging trail filled with dangerous natural features. On one day, the dog sleds follow steep mountain trails. The next, they might cross frozen rivers. Two days later they might make their way through thick forests. Teams must brave temperatures that drop as low as 50 degrees below zero. Blizzards sweep across the trail, and conditions become unbearably windy and cold. Despite these difficulties, the first team usually arrives in Nome in about ten days. The Trail s History The Iditarod Trail has a long and eventful history. Part of the route was created hundreds of years ago. Native Alaskans and fur traders first used it for travel. Then, at the start of the twentieth century, the U.S. government blazed a much longer path. It allowed gold miners to get mail and supplies. In the summer, supplies came by boat. In the winter, however, dog sleds provided the only reliable form of transportation. Despite the trail s importance, by the 1940s most of it was no longer in use. Airplanes did the job of dog teams. The introduction of snowmobiles made it much easier to travel through the Alaskan wilderness. By the 1960s, few Alaskans knew anything about the role that the Iditarod Trail had played in their history. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3 Grade 6 133

7 UNIT 3 WEEK 3 The Iditarod Trail Race Then Dorothy Page, a local historian, decided to reintroduce dog sleds to Alaskans. She knew a musher named Joe Redington. Together, they got people interested in starting a dog race on the Iditarod Trail. Some people thought it was crazy to race through Alaska s wilderness. Page and Redington never lost sight of their goal, though. The first big dog race was held in Today, the race draws people together from around the globe. Many teams come from Alaska. But men and women from the mainland United States and countries around the world have competed. It doesn t matter who crosses the finish line first. Everyone is a winner. Every dog team that finishes this race takes home a portion of the prize money. The Iditarod Trail Race is filled with spirit, excitement, and goodwill. No wonder it is called the Last Great Race on Earth. 134 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3

8 Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on From Anchorage to Nome. 6 Read the sentence from the article. For the safety of the dogs and mushers, all teams must carry certain gear, such as a heavy sleeping bag, an ax, and booties for the dogs. What does safety mean? A cost B happiness C protection D strength 7 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: In the section The Road to Nome, how does the author explain that the Iditarod Trail is difficult? A by listing places along the trail in the order they appear B by comparing the features and the conditions on the trail C by telling about problems that cannot be solved on the trail D by explaining that temperatures go up and down on the trail Part B: Which sentence from the section supports your answer in part A? A Each driver, or musher, has a team of 16 dogs that carry all the supplies for the journey on the sled. B The teams travel separately along the trail. C However, they must meet with volunteers at specific spots where the dogs are checked to make sure they are in good health. D Blizzards sweep across the trail, and conditions become unbearably windy and cold. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3 Grade 6 135

9 8 Circle the text structure used in the section The Trail s History. Sequence Cause and effect Problem and solution Compare and contrast Text Structure 9 Read the sentence from the article. Then Dorothy Page, a local historian, decided to reintroduce dog sleds to Alaskans. What did Dorothy Page do when she reintroduced dog sleds? A She made them better. B C D She brought them back. She studied their history. She taught people about them. 10 Read the paragraph from the article. Then Dorothy Page, a local historian, decided to reintroduce dog sleds to Alaskans. She knew a musher named Joe Redington. Together, they got people interested in starting a dog race on the Iditarod Trail. Some people thought it was crazy to race through Alaska s wilderness. Page and Redington never lost sight of their goal, though. The first big dog race was held in How is the paragraph organized? A by explaining how each problem on the trail was solved B C D by giving details about the steps taken to establish a dog race by giving step-by-step instructions on how to race in the Iditarod by explaining what happened after a dog race was run on the trail STOP 136 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 3, Week 3