Who Do You think you are?

Which of these best describes the author’s purpose in the article?

• A To compare the journeys many people take in searching for ancestor.

• B To argue the importance of learning about ancestry.

• C To analyze the difficulties and obstacles that can impede an ancestry search

• D To explain the process of researching ancestry through one person’s story

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The author begins the article with information about the NBC show and Ancestry.com website in order to —

• identify the website that is responsible for much of Emmitt Smith’s research

• explain the resources and reasons why Emmitt Smith began researching his ancestry

• emphasize the importance of researching ancestry

• indicate that the NBC show was popular and had wide appeal

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Which words from paragraph 2 best help the reader understand the meaning of the phrase ghost town?

• remarkably, located

• Making his way

• next clues

• second cousin

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Read this from paragraph 4.

When he got to Virginia, Emmitt was shocked to see that the name "Puryear" was blazoned on businesses such as tire and flower shops.

The author’s purpose for including this information in the paragraph is most likely to —

• suggest that the family who owned Smith’s ancestors were wealthy and continue to be

• support the claim that slaves were sometimes sold at local taverns

• describe the typical treatment of slaves

• emphasize how easy it is to find clues during ancestry research

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The author organizes the article by —

• presenting steps needed to conduct an ancestry search

• describing the chronological journey of one ancestry search

• reviewing the unexpected dangers of beginning an ancestry search

• discussing the reasons to conduct an ancestry search

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Which of these is the best summary of the article?

• Emmitt Smith first talked to family members to learn about ancestry. Then, he used those clues and a website to help locate his grandmother’s birthplace. Finally, he was able to learn that his family was born into slavery.

• Emmitt Smith found family clues in Alabama in his ancestry-search. These clues helped him learn that his family was born into slaver

• Too few people take the time to research their ancestry. If more people were aware of the tools they and resources they had access to, then more people would find information about their pasts.

• Using a popular website and family interviews, Emmitt Smith was able to locate family members and identify the origin of his family in America. The journey revealed surprising pieces of information about Smith’s past and also proved to be an emotional experience.

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In paragraph 6, the author cites percentages to show that —

• Emmitt had a lot of work to do in order to learn about his ancestry.

• the experts at Ancestry.com can identify a person’s ancestral origins

• Emmitt was disappointed when he learned of his ancestral composition

• ancestry research is an important and meaningful pursuit

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In paragraph 3 of the article, what type of information does the author present?

• Anecdotal details about slave narratives

• Factual data and statistics about ancestry

• Personal experience detailing a research process

• Persuasive arguments against slavery

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Which statement best expresses the main idea of paragraph 4?

• When researching family history, local businesses can be a valuable resource.

• When looking into ancestry, you should always seek multiple perspectives.

• It’s important to make sure your information is accurate when researching.

• The process of researching ancestry can reveal painful truths about history.

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In paragraph 5, the author conveys a tone of —

• humiliation

• surprise

• conflict

• relief

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