Black Cowboy, Wild Horses Exam

Where do BOTH the opening AND closing scenes of "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses" take place?

• on a cliff that overlooks a corral

• at the edge of a small frontier town

• on a wide, treeless plain

• in a dream that the main character has

Which statement is true about Bob Lemmons, according to "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses"?

• He can't read words, but he can read animal tracks.

• He can't ride a horse, but he can find herbs of wild horses

• He can't read words, but he can write messages using pictures

• He can't read animals tracks, but he can round up wild horses alone.

In "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses," why can't Bob Lemmons light a fire at night?

• The horses will see it

• The horses will run from it

• The horses will try to put it out.

• The horses will smell the smoke on him

In "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses," how does Bob Lemmons take control of the herd?

• He puts ropes on the horse and leads them to the ranch and into corral

• He has his horse defeat the stallion and take its place as the leader

• He kills the rattlesnake and thereby wins the trust of the horses

• He leads the horses into a ravine during a storm and traps them

If an audience milled around before a speech, which of the following MUST be true? Base your answer on the meaning of milled

• People were waiting quietly in their seats

• People were standing in line for tickets

• People were wandering around

• People were applauding

If a mouse skittered under a table, what did the mouse most likely do? Base your answer on the meaning of skittered.

• shook in terror

• dashed quickly

• tiptoed quietly

• munched noisily

Which of the following situations BEST illustrates the meaning of quivering?

• a sleepy child climbing into bed for the night

• a happy child dancing at a friend's birthday party

• a hungry child gobbling a bowl of macaroni and cheese

• a nervous child waiting to go onstage for the first time

Read this excerpt from "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses."

He looked down at the corral where the other cowboys were beginning the morning chores, then turned away and stared at the land stretching as wide as love in every direction. The sky was curved as if it were a lap on which the earth lay napping like a curled cat. High above, a hawk was suspended on cold threads of unseen winds. Far, far away, at what looked to be the edge of the world, land and sky kissed.

QUESTION: Which of the following statements best summarizes the environment described in the excerpt?

• The area is in a valley with farms all around

• The area is very flat and spread out

• The area is mountainous and cold

• The area is wooded and hilly

Read this excerpt from "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses."

He looked down at the corral where the other cowboys were beginning the morning chores, then turned away and stared at the land stretching as wide as love in every direction. The sky was curved as if it were a lap on which the earth lay napping like a curled cat. High above, a hawk was suspended on cold threads of unseen winds. Far, far away, at what looked to be the edge of the world, land and sky kissed.

QUESTION: Which of the following pairs of phrases from the excerpt best support the answer to the last question?

• beginning the morning chores; stared at the land

• sky was curved; earth lay napping like a curled cat

• stretching as wide as love in every direction; the edge of the world

• hawk was suspended; cold threads of unseen winds

Read this excerpt from "Black Cowboy, Wild Horses."

He stopped, needing only to be close enough to see the horses when they came to drink. Toward evening he saw a trail of rolling, dusty clouds.

QUESTION: What does the appearance of "rolling, dusty clouds" most likely indicate?

• horses galloping on dusty ground

• an oncoming thunderstorm

• steam rising off the river

• a dangerous dust storm