"Marathon: A Race, A Battle, Or Both?" Achieve 3000

Select the letter of the correct answer.

Which of these sentences would be most important to put in a summary of this Article?

• A.

  People run from Athens to Sparta in a race called the Spartathlon.

• B.

  The origins of the marathon stretch back to a battle in ancient Greece.

• C.

  Persian King Darius told the Greeks to submit, but the Greeks refused.

• D.

  Marathons are a major part of the Summer Olympic Games.

Which is the closest synonym for the word exaggerate?

• stretch

• predate

• deliver

• celebrate

According to the Article, which of these happened third?

• A.

  Persian arrows bounced off the Greeks' giant shields and heavy armor.

• B.

  Persian King Darius demanded that the Greeks submit to Persian rule.

• C.

  The Greeks refused to submit to the Persians, and the Persians took action.

• D.

  The Persians sent warriors on battleships to the Greek city-state of Athens.

According to the Article, why did the Persians lose at the Battle of Marathon?

• A.

  A man named Pheidippides was sent to Sparta to get help, but they were busy with a festival.

• B.

  The Greeks sent 25,000 warriors on 600 battleships to the Greek city-state of Athens.

• C.

  Ionians started rebelling against the Persian Empire, leaving only 10,000 Persian troops to fight.

• D.

  The Persians' arrows were so light they bounced off the Greeks' heavy armor and giant shields.

Which question is not answered by the Article?

• A.

  How many warriors died on each side during the Battle of Marathon?

• B.

  Has a person ever run from Athens to Sparta in under two days?

• C.

  Who stopped to eat an egg before winning the first official marathon?

• D.

  Why has the official length of a marathon changed over time?

The Article states:

The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BCE. It was the first clash of the Greco-Persian Wars. Ionia (part of modern-day Turkey) was rebelling against the Persian Empire. Some Greeks were supporting Ionia's efforts to resist Persian rule. The Persians didn't like the Greeks stepping in.

Which phrase from the passage helps you understand the meaning of the word resist?

• A.

  Battle of Marathon took place

• B.the Greeks stepping in

• C.

  rebelling against the Persian Empire

• D.

  The Persians didn't like

Which of these is an opinion?

• A.

  The story of Pheidippides's run was very inspiring.

• B.

  The first official modern marathon was won by Spyridon Louis.

• C.

  The Battle of Marathon was the first clash of the Greco-Persian Wars.

• D.

  The Greeks supported Ionia's efforts to resist Persian rule.

The Article states:

The first official modern marathon was held at the 1896 Olympics. The race celebrated the story of Pheidippides and his run from Marathon to Athens. For that first race, 17 runners competed. About half dropped out from exhaustion.

Why did the author include this passage?

• A.

  To describe how many years had passed since Pheidippides's run

• B.

  To persuade readers that a marathon is an endurance race

• C.

  To convince readers that Pheidippides died of exhaustion

• D.

  To demonstrate the number of runners who dropped out of the first marathon