From the Narrative of the Life of Harriet Tubman

Which of the following quotes from the selection characterizes Tubman as severe?

• A) She had promised her passengers food and rest and warmth, and instead of that, there would be hunger and cold and more walking over the frozen ground. (paragraph 17)

• B) She made the runaways take shelter behind trees at the edge of the fields before she knocked at the door. (paragraph 24)

• C) She said, “Go on with us or die.” The husky low-pitched voice was grim. (paragraph 40)

• D) She tried to explain to them why none of them could go back to the plantation. (paragraph 41)

Read the sentence from paragraph 12.

"If they were caught, the eleven runaways would be whipped and sold South, but she—she would

probably be hanged"

Which idea does this detail convey?

• Slavery was legal in the South but illegal in the North.

• The runaways and Harriet Tubman were taking a big risk.

• Slavery was evil and caused massive amounts of suffering.

• The runaways and Harriet Tubman were likely to be caught.

Which idea does the author’s tone in paragraph 12 help to convey about slave owners in the South?

• They were not willing to negotiate with Tubman.

• They did not manage their plantations effectively.

• They knew slavery was wrong but were driven by greed.

• They considered slaves valuable property that they wanted returned.

Read the sentence from paragraph 16.

"The man who stood in the doorway looked at her coldly, looked with unconcealed astonishment

and fear at the eleven disheveled runaways who were standing near her."

The word disheveled comes from Latin roots that mean “to disarrange the hair.” Which word would

best replace disheveled in the sentence and convey a similar meaning?

• Disordered

• Disturbed

• Unhappy

• Unknown

In which two sentences does the author’s word choice create a hopeful mood?

• For a while, as they walked, they seemed to carry in them a measure of contentment; some of the serenity and the cleanliness of that big warm kitchen lingered on inside them. (paragraph 32)

• Ellen pretended to be very ill—her right arm was in a sling, and her right hand was bandaged, because she was supposed to have rheumatism. (paragraph 34)

• She told them about Frederick Douglass, the most famous of the escaped slaves, of his eloquence, of his magnificent appearance. (paragraph 36)

• These people who had risked their own security to help runaways would be ruined, fined, imprisoned. (paragraph 41)

• This time she told them about the long agony of the Middle Passage on the old slave ships, about the black horror of the holds, about the chains and the whips. (paragraph 43)

Read the sentence from paragraph 32 of the selection.

But as they walked farther and farther away from the warmth and the light, the cold and the

darkness entered into them.

Which tone does the author’s word choice in this sentence suggest?

• Bitter

• Indifferent

• Disappointed

• Despairing

Read the sentence from paragraph 32.

"They fell silent, sullen, suspicious."

The word suspicious comes from a Latin root that means “mistrust.” Which word would best replace

suspicious in the sentence and convey a similar meaning?

• Confused

• Skeptical

• Angry

• Worried

Which of the following quotes from the selection reveals a motivation for Tubman?

• It was the largest group that she had ever conducted, but she was determined that more and more slaves should know what freedom was like. (paragraph 9)

• She had never been in Canada but she kept painting wondrous word pictures of what it would be like. (paragraph 18)

• In spite of the severe cold, the hard work, she came to love St. Catharines, and the other towns and cities in Canada where black men lived. (paragraph 56)

• She made two trips a year into slave territory, one in the fall and another in the spring. (paragraph 59)

Harriet Tubman's character and personality are revealed in this selection. Which of the following best supports this statement?

• Her bravery in leading slaves to freedom.

• Her skills in cooking and sewing.

• Her ability to read and write.

• Her talent in music and arts.

What is the "tone" of a story?

• The feeling the passage evokes from the reader
• The author, narrator, or speaker's attitude toward a subject
• The time and place of the story
• The summary of events in the story

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CCSS.RL.9-10.4