Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad

Multiple Choice

What is mainly the significance of the following passage (paragraph 4)?

At the same time, someone had taught her where to look for the North Star, the star that stayed constant, not rising in the east and setting in the west as the other stars appeared to do; and told her that anyone walking toward the North could use that star as a guide.

• The passage shows Harriet’s interest in astronomy.

• The passage suggests how an enslaved person like Harriet might escape to freedom.

• The passage explains the false myths about the North Star.

• The passage proves Ben is college-educated.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following choices best explains why Harriet hears the song sung so quiet that it is “almost whispered” in Paragraph 14?

Old Rit taught Harriet the words of that song that the slaves were forbidden to sing, because of the man named Denmark Vesey, who had urged the other slaves to revolt by telling them about Moses and the children of Israel. Sometimes, in the quarter, Harriet heard snatches of it, sung under the breath, almost whispered: “Go down, Moses... .” But she learned the words so well that she never forgot them.

• The song was a spiritual tune that felt most powerful in low tones.

• The song was a secret that slaves were not eager to share with one another.

• Slaves were only supposed to sing religious songs on Sundays.

• The slaves knew they could get in trouble if they were caught singing the song.

Multiple Choice

What do the following lines from Paragraph 18 reveal?

The children under eight had neither shoes, stockings, jacket nor trousers. They were issued two tow-linen shirts a year—short, one-piece garments made of a coarse material like burlap, reaching to the knees. These shirts were worn night and day. They were changed once a week. When they were worn out, the children went naked until the next allowance day.

• The children on the plantation were given better care than the adults.

• Harriet was quite upset at how limited her access to clothing was.

• The special issue days were the only time children received clothing.

• The children wore any extra clothes that the adults were not using.