Text-Dependent Questions for “A Well-Kept Secret”
(ReadWorks article)
Sample Responses
First Read:
1. What is the meaning of the word “preserve” as used in the text?
The word preserve means to protect. The author stated that many of the
granaries had been perfectly preserved, which meant they were found exactly the way
the Native Americans had left them.
2. How did Wilcox “go to great lengths to keep the secret” of the ancient site?
Wilcox knew he needed to keep the secret in order to preserve the site, so he
and his family made several efforts to protect it from others. He didn’t tell anyone
about the land. Also, in 1951, he bought the land to raise cattle. Finally, to make sure
people stayed out, they built gates to protect the land. Wilcox and his family knew
that they needed to work hard to keep this secret from others.
3. How did the Fremont people acquire the food they needed?
The Fremont people were hunter-gatherers, which means they hunted for their
food and gathered food from their environment. Weapons, such as arrowheads, were
discovered as part of their society, which shows that they hunted for animals. They
were also farmers and grew food that they needed. Grass seed and corn were found in
some of the preserved granaries, which were plants they would have grown for their
tribe.
Second Read:
4. Why did Wilcox and the scientists think it was important to preserve the artifacts
and land of the Fremont people?
Wilcox thought it was important to preserve the artifacts and land of the
Freemont people because unprotected land in the southwest was often destroyed by
tourists, collectors, and vandals. Archaeologists are hoping to solve the mystery behind
the disappearance of the Fremont people, but need to continue to research and study
the artifacts and land left behind. Without these intact, scientists may never know
what really happened to this group of Native Americans.
5. What does the author mean by the phrase “loved to death”?
The author uses the phrase “loved to death” to describe what might happen if
everyone was allowed to explore the ancient land. Many people would love to see the
artifacts and land as the Fremont people had lived, but the site would be overrun with
people who would “ransack” the site, which would destroy the ancient land by
removing or destroying the artifacts.
6. Why is Wilcox considered a hero?
In the last paragraph, Wilcox claims that archeologists consider him a hero. If he
wouldn’t have locked the gates, keeping people out of the ancient site for all this time,
the land would most likely have been destroyed. Because he tried so hard to keep it a
secret and keep people out, it has remained intact and archeologists are able to study
the land and artifacts to learn more about this ancient Native American tribe, the
Freemont people.
Third Read:
Determine the main ideas of the article and use supporting details to summarize the
key points.
In range Creek Canyon, a remote area of Utah, a cowboy named Waldo Wilcox
came across an area that contained many ancient artifacts and houses. He decided
that they should be preserved so that they wouldn’t be destroyed by others and so he
and his family worked hard to make sure the area was kept a secret. He bought the
land, built a gate, and later contacted a local preservation group to make sure that
the land would be preserved.
Once the state of Utah owned the land, scientists were able to study the site and
artifacts to learn more about the people that had lived there long ago – a Native
American group called the Freemont people. The scientists have learned a lot about
the Freemont people, including when they lived there, where some of their villages
were located, and how they stored their food. There are still a lot of unanswered
questions however, which is why they are still careful about who has access to the
ancient site. If Wilcox hadn’t been so careful in keeping his secret about the land, the
ancient society of the Freemont people may have remained a mystery forever.