Riding Out West and Going Home

What is the central idea of the selection “Riding Out West”?

• Trains allowed people to travel to new places.

• Trains saved people money when they traveled. 

• El Paso became a famous city that people moved to.

• El Paso was the first city in Texas to build a railroad.

How is the information in the selection “Riding Out West” organized overall?

• The cause of the construction of railroads is explained to show why people wanted to travel to West Texas.

• The chronological order of events is used to show how the railroad in West Texas developed over time.

• The description of the different ways people traveled in West Texas is used to highlight the problems with railroads.

• The railroad in West Texas is compared to railroads in other places to show that train travel was popular.

What is the most likely reason the author wrote the selection “Riding Out West”?

• To express how important trains were for growing travel

• To describe where different states built railroad tracks

• To explain why some cities became crowded with more people

• To show why people liked to ride in trains more than in wagons

In lines 8 through 14 of the poem “Going Home (Burlington Route),” the word jolting describes movement that is —

• comforting

• rough

• exciting

• dangerous

Read lines 11 through 14 of the poem “Going Home (Burlington Route).”

I open my window and let the air blow in,
The air of morning,
That smells of grass and earth—
Earth, the grain-giver.

The poet uses a cause-and-effect organizational structure in these lines most likely to —

• show how train travel makes the speaker appreciate the land

• show the reader what passengers did on trains while traveling

• show the reader how the weather changes during train travel

• show what the speaker is looking at while traveling on the train

Which lines from the poem “Going Home (Burlington Route)” use figurative language to build a sense of happiness?

• The sharp curves and windings left behind,

  The roadway wide open, (lines 4–5)

• (The crooked straight

  And the rough places plain.) (lines 6–7)

• I open my window and let the air blow in,

  The air of morning, (lines 11–12)

• They spin bright along the bright rails,

  Singing and humming, (lines 20–21)

How does the selection “Riding Out West” explain the effect of trains DIFFERENTLY from the poem “Going Home (Burlington Route)”?

• The selection explains how trains changed an entire area, while the poem shows how trains allow one person the freedom to travel.

• The selection shows how trains were important in the past, while the poem explains the ways trains work today.

• The selection gives examples of how trains were respected by many people, while the poem shares people's doubts about the usefulness of trains.

• The selection provides information about how trains changed over time, while the poem focuses on one train's design.

Which idea in the selection “Riding Out West” is SIMILAR in the poem “Going Home (Burlington Route)”?

• People value the freedom to move easily from one place to another.

• People prefer to travel to places that are the farthest away from their houses.

• People believe traveling to new places will help them find better opportunities.

• People should work together to find new ways to appreciate the world around them.

How is the idea of traveling in the selection “Riding Out West” DIFFERENT from the poem “Going Home (Burlington Route)”?

 

Select TWO correct answers.

• The selection describes traveling long distances, while the poem describes shorter trips, such as going home.

• The selection covers many reasons to travel, while the poem covers one goal, going home.

• The selection talks about old ways of traveling, while the poem talks about finding new ways of traveling.

• The selection shows a broad picture of travel by train, while the poem is a personal travel experience.

• The selection tells about traveling over rivers, while the poem tells about traveling through open land.

How is the information presented in the selection “Riding Out West” DIFFERENT from the information presented in the poem “Going Home” (Burlington Route)?

• Only the selection uses details to describe the practical benefits of traveling by train

• Only the selection uses personal experiences to describe how people felt about using trains to travel.

• Only the selection uses imagery to describe the experience of traveling by train.

• Only the selection uses details to show where the trains travel.