Unit 5 Week 5 Reading Test Prep Questions
Use with “Where it All Began”
1. How does the author organize the passage?
a. by explaining the relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith
b. by describing the sequence of events that the settlers experienced
c. by describing the Indian attacks on settlers
d. by comparing the past of America to our present America.
2. Read these sentences from the passage.
John Smith, an experienced military man, became head of the colony in 1608. He had been in
charge of finding local tribes willing to swap food for English copper and beads. Smith was
tough with both the Indians and Englishmen. “He that will not work, shall not eat,” he told the
colonists.
What does the adage “He that will not work, shall not eat” mean?
a. The settlers and Indians would not be given food and would have to fend for themselves.
b. The settlers would have to fight the Indians in order to receive food.
c. The settlers would have to work in the settlement in order to have food for their family.
d. The settler would have to take food from the Indians.
3. Read these sentences from the passage.
John Smith was tough with both the Indians and Englishmen. “He that will not work, shall not
eat,” he told the colonists. Smith new that an attitude of every man for himself would endanger
the colony.
What does Smith mean when his says the adage an “every man for himself” attitude would
endanger the colony?
a. If the settlers don’t work together in the settlement then they won’t survive
b. The settlers should take care of everyone else and not themselves.
c. The Indians and settlers should work together.
d. Every man needs to take care of himself.
4. Read the sentences from the passage.
They were faced with tremendous challenges. The water from the James River was not safe to
drink, and food was scarce.
What is the OPPOSITE of the word tremendous?
a. Little
b. Strange
c. Plentiful
d. Great
5. Read the sentence from the passage below.
Archaeologists digging in Jamestown have discovered Indian artifacts along with English ones,
evidence that Indians lived in the fort for some time.
What does the word artifacts mean in the sentence?
A. old Indian art work
B. Old dirt that has been dug up
C. evidence from the past
D. Archaeologists’ tools for digging
6. Read the sentence from the passage below.
In the words of one voyager, they found “fair meadows and goodly tall trees.”
The word goodly is a word that we do not used today. Goodly meant “very”. What did the
voyager mean by saying the trees were “goodly tall”?
a. Not tall
b. Tall
c. Very small
d. Very tall
7. The author includes the last paragraph in the article to support the point that
a. James town was a greedy place filled with hatred and war
b. Jamestown was important to the foundation of America’s history
c. Government started in Jamestown
d. Settlers and Indians became friends.
Use with Our Spanish Beginnings
8. How does the author structure the first 3 paragraphs of the passage?
a. By comparing and contrasting Ponce de Leon to Christopher Columbus
b. By describing who Ponce de Leon was
c. By sequencing the actions of Ponce de Leon
d. By describing how Florida was discovered
9. Read the sentence from the passage.
Establishing a colony on La Florida was easier said than done.
What does the adage, easier said than done, mean?
a. It was easy to establish Florida because Ponce de Leon did it.
b. Florida was very difficult to establish because of its physical features and weather
c. Six other expeditions were made to try to establish Florida, but they all failed.
d. Florida was inhabited by native tribes
10. Read the sentence from the passage.
Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the Castillo (castle) de San Marcos was built over time,
between 1672 and 1695.
What does the proverb “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, mean in the passage?
a.
b.
c.
d.
It took time to build Castillo de San Marcos
It took one day to build Castillo de San Marcos
It was made of wood and easy to build
It was very strong and sturdy
11. Why did the Spanish build the Castillo de San Marcos?
a. They were under constant attack from pirates and enemy ships
b. The English were getting on their nerves
c. They were tired of their old forts
d. They wanted to create the biggest fort in history
12. Read the sentence from the passage.
St. Augustine became the main northern outpost of the Spanish empire. It was also the center
for Spanish mission in the region. Since it was a target for enemy attack, the settlement was
forces to relocate several times over the next six years.
What is the OPPOSITE meaning of the word relocate?
a. Stay put
b. Move
c. Settle down
d. Colonize
13. How does the author structure the paragraphs on page 454 and 455?
a. Sequencing events about St. Augustine
b. Comparing and contrasting past St. Augustine with the current St. Augustine
c. Describing the difficulties in St. Augustine
d. Describing the steps used to build Castillo de San Marcos
14. In what ways is St. Augustine like living Archaeology?
a. It has people living in the city and buildings
b. It has museums that document history, artifacts, and Spanish colonial sites
c. It is the oldest city in the United States.
d. Visitors can come see St. Augustine
15. Why did the author include the information in the paragraph “What’s in a Name?”
a.
b.
c.
d.
To help you learn Spanish
To teach you about certain Spanish words
To describe how our Spanish heritage has affected our language today
To tell you about your name
16. Explain how the use of sequencing helps you understand the articles “Where It All Began” and
“Our Spanish Beginnings”. Support your answer with clear text evidence from the articles.