Unit 3 Info Text (8th): Pre- and Post- Assessment

1. What central idea is conveyed in the passage?

• A) Despite its short existence, the Pony Express exemplified innovation and pioneer spirit.
• B) The transcontinental telegraph ended the Pony Express.
• C) William Russell created the Pony Express to deliver mail.
• D) The Pony Express operated for only 18 months.

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2. What evidence from the passage best shows William Russel's motivation for creating The Pony Express?

• A) "The Pony Express route was nearly 2,000 miles long and had about 190 stations."
• B) "The service used fast Morgan and Thoroughbred horses which traveled at a quick trot, canter or gallop."
• C) "In the late 1850s, California was booming from the Gold Rush but it took months for messages to reach the West Coast from the East Coast of the United States."
• D) "It was set up and operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company."

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3. The word obsolete in paragraph 3 comes from Latin word obsolētus, meaning "worn out, gone out of use.” Based on this information, the word obsolete most likely means ____.

• A) modern
• B) effective
• C) rare
• D) out of date

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5. Which statement is an accurate inference about the impact of the Pony Express based on the passage?

• A) It delivered a high volume of mail during its short existence.
• B) It demonstrated the potential for rapid communication across the US.
• C) Its riders showed incredible dedication and work ethic.
• D) It laid the groundwork for future mail delivery services.

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6. Which source would provide the most reliable details to verify facts about the Pony Express?

• A) An encyclopedia entry
• B) An autobiography of a rider
• C) A novel set in the era
• D) A movie about the West

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7. The author's primary purpose in writing this passage is to

• A) Entertain
• B) Persuade
• C) Inform
• D) Express an opinion

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8. Which is the thesis statement of the passage?

• A) The Pony Express was a high speed mail service crossing the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains, and through the Sierra Nevada from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 1860 to October 1861.
• B) It symbolized the efforts required to settle the frontier and bind California with the rest of the nation.
• C) Riders had to be tough, lightweight, and skilled in horsemanship.
• D) It was set up and operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company and marked the high point in speed and reliability of the overland service to the West Coast before the telegraph.

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9. Which sentence best summarizes the passage?

• The Pony Express was a fast overland mail service using a relay system of horses and riders across nearly 2,000 miles of rugged frontier territory from Missouri to California in the early 1860s that captured the public imagination but lasted only 18 months before being replaced by the telegraph.
• The Pony Express was a mail delivery service in the eastern United States during the 19th century that used cars and trucks to deliver letters between major cities like New York and Boston.
• The Pony Express was started by a French entrepreneur in the 1850s to deliver fine wines and cheeses from California vineyards and dairies to restaurants and shops in New York City and Washington D.C.
• The Pony Express was a failed experimental robotics project by the U.S. Postal Service in the 1980s aimed at having drones autonomously deliver small packages to homes and businesses.

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10. The author includes the fact that the Pony Express route had "about 190 stations spaced about 10 miles apart" to demonstrate ______.

• A) The large number of postal workers needed to run the Pony Express
• B) How remote and dangerous the Pony Express trail was
• C) The immense scale and challenging terrain of the route
• D) How the relay system allowed the Pony Express to maximize speed

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11. The author's statement that the Pony Express was "short-lived" implies that

• A) it failed to deliver much mail.
• B) it only operated for a brief time.
• C) its routes were not very long.
• D) its riders had short careers.

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