Destined for Oregon/The Oregon Trail

Which words or phrase from the excerpt help the reader

know the meaning of the word arduous?

• not wanting

• difficult

• led by

  men

• made the trip alone

Which event occurs as a result of Pa’s broken leg?

• Minnie writes her father a letter

• Minnie’s family joins a wagon train to meet Pa out west

• Minnie’s brother Jack joins a hunting party

• Minnie stays up late worrying

Read the following sentence from paragraph 3.

Already, they were accustomed to the rhythm of the trail.

The author uses figurative language to illustrate that Minnie’s family

has –

• learned to dance with other members of the wagon train

• become discouraged and worried about life in the wagon train

• gotten used to being separated from Minnie’s father

• gotten used to the daily routine of the wagon train

In paragraph 2, the word reassurance means –

• comfort

• worry

• loud

• power

In this story, the author emphasizes the importance of being –

• good at hunting

• brave and positive

• smart and pretty

• fast and hardworking

What does Ma’s letter to Pa show about her?

• Ma is not a brave woman, but family is very important to her.

• She is a brave woman who will do whatever it takes to keep her

  family together.

• Ma is an adventurous risk taker.

• She is not a very dedicated mother but loves the idea of travel.

Look at these sentences from paragraph 7.

But now, the situation seemed hopeless. Each

day brought impossible challenges and worries.

The author uses hyperbole here to show the reader that –

• Minnie feels frightened for her family’s future

• the wagon train will be unable to reach Oregon

• Jack’s hunting party likely won’t return to the wagon train

• Minnie’s family should never have left Missouri

Use “The Oregon Trail” to answer questions 21 and 22.

Part A

Details in paragraph 4 support the idea that –

• many people suffered from illness and disease while on the

  Oregon Trail

• the geography of the American West presented dangerous

  challenges for travelers on the Oregon Trail

• wagons on the Oregon Trail had to be more sturdy than wagons

  used in other parts of the American West

• violence made the journey difficult for many travelers on the

  Oregon Trail

Part B

Which detail from the selection best supports your answer in

Part A?

• The wagons carried hundreds of pounds of coffee, flour, bacon,

  salt, sugar, water, and tools.

• There was little time for rest.

• Steep slopes and narrow paths on mountain crossings led to

  runaway wagons and fatal falls.

• By 1890, hundreds of thousands of people had moved west on

  the Oregon Trail.

The map best supports the information in which paragraph?

• Paragraph 1

• Paragraph 2

• Paragraph 4

• Paragraph 6