Wild Horses of Assateague Island Quiz

Part A

Read the sentence from paragraph 7 of "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island."

Assateague's horses are uniquely adapted to survive on a barrier island.

What does the word adapted mean as it is used in the sentence?

• chosen because of a gentle manner

• changed in order to fit certain conditions

• cared for because of harsh living conditions

• colored in order to match the surroundings

Part B

Which statement from "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island" best supports the answer to Part A?

• "Genetically they are considered horses, even though they are now pony size."

• "Many of the horses live in the marshes close to their best food sources."

• "Foals are usually born in late spring..."

• "This helps maintain a hardy, healthy population of wild horses."

Part A

Which statement provides the best explanation of why the Assateague horses have survived on the barrier island for so long?

• The townspeople have kept the horses as pets for many years.

• The horses are protected when visitors drive cautiously.

• The horses adjusted to the island.

• The fire department provides the horses with some veterinary care.

Part B

Which sentence from "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island" best supports the answer to Part A?

• The wild horses of Assateague Island are descendants of domesticated animals brought to the island over 300 years ago.

• The Assateague horses drink over twice the amount of water that domesticated horses will due to their salty food supply.

• Virginia's horses are privately owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and receive some veterinary care.

• You can often see the horses and other wildlife by driving slowly along park roads.

Part A

Which statement about how the horses came to live on Assateague Island has the most support in "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island"?

• The horses were placed on the island by the government.

• The horses swam to the island after a shipwreck.

• The horses were put on the island by farmers.

• The horses were native to the island.

Part B

Which phrase from "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island" best supports the answer to Part A?

• . . . dramatic tale of struggle and survival . . .

• . . . descendants of those hardy animals turned loose . . .

• . . . owned and managed by the National Park Service.

• . . . free-roaming wildlife and could be anywhere . . .

Part A

Which statement best explains why the ponies travel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island?

• On Chincoteague Island, there is more food for large numbers of ponies to eat.

• On Assateague Island, the poor weather is harmful to the ponies.

• On Chincoteague Island, there is better grass for the ponies to graze.

• On Assateague Island, there is limited space for large numbers of ponies to live.

Part B

Which sentence from 'Wild Ponies of Chincoteague' best supports the answer to Part A?

• To keep the herd from getting too big, some new foals are sold each year at auction . . .

• The 'Saltwater Cowboys' were rounding them up.

• Some slept, and some of the foals suckled their mothers' milk.

• They were getting their strength back for the next event.

Part A

How does the author mainly organize the information in 'Wild Ponies of Chincoteague'?

• by stating a problem and how it can be solved

• by stating a point of view and then comparing ideas

• by explaining the causes and effects of an event

• by explaining events in the order that they happened

Part B

Which sentence from the article supports the structure in the answer to Part A?

• A) "The weather was wet and dreary, and I felt like an icicle as raindrops fell cold against my cheeks."

• B) "First, I heard faint whinnying sounds drifting through the salty air."

• C) "My sisters and I sloshed through the mud to get to the corral where the ponies were held for the auction."

• D) "The pony was strong and spirited, and I had to hold him back."