RIverboat Days

How does the first paragraph contribute to the overall structure of the article?

• It introduces Clemens as a famous author.

• It describes the steamboat in detail.

• It establishes Clemens’s initial goal, which contrasts with what happens later.

• It explains the dangers of piloting a riverboat.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

What is the purpose of paragraph 3 in developing the article’s theme?

• It emphasizes Clemens's childhood ambition, which connects to his later career.

• It provides a historical fact about riverboats.

• It introduces Horace Bixby, a key mentor for Clemens.

• It explains why Clemens struggled as a riverboat pilot.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Which text structure best describes the way paragraphs 5–7 are organized?

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

• Sequence of events

• Problem and solution

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

How do paragraphs 6 and 7 support the overall meaning of the article?

• They compare different methods of piloting a steamboat.

• They highlight the dangers and difficulties of navigating the Mississippi River.

• They describe the role of the Civil War in Clemens’s career.

• They emphasize the luxurious features of riverboats.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

How does the mention of “floating palaces” in paragraph 4 help develop the article?

• It shows why Clemens wanted to go to South America.

• It emphasizes why piloting was a difficult job.

• It highlights the appeal of riverboats to passengers and the public.  

• It introduces the dangers of river travel.  

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

How does the author use sequencing to explain Clemens’s journey to becoming a pilot?

• The article jumps between past and future events to create suspense.

• The events are arranged in chronological order, showing Clemens’s gradual shift in ambition.

• The article starts with Clemens’s success as an author and then explains his riverboat career.

• The events are organized by topic instead of time order.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

What was the purpose of including information about the “mark twain” measurement in paragraph 8?

• To explain why Clemens chose “Mark Twain” as his pen name

• To describe the process of navigating a steamboat

• To contrast modern and historical navigation methods

• To explain why riverboats often crashed

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

How does the article compare Clemens’s piloting career and his writing career?

• It argues that Clemens was more successful as a pilot than as a writer.

• It shows that Clemens’s experiences on the river influenced his writing.

• It describes how Clemens wrote adventure stories about South America.

• It explains how Clemens became wealthy from his riverboat career.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

What argument do the authors make about Clemens’s time as a riverboat pilot?

• It was a brief but important period that shaped his future writing.

• It was a dangerous and difficult job with little reward.

• It was a lifelong passion that he pursued until old age.

How does the article support the claim that Clemens’s experiences as a pilot made him a great writer?

• It explains that he used real people he met on the river as characters in his books.

• It states that piloting required no memory skills, unlike writing.

• It describes how he avoided writing about the Mississippi River in his books.

• It argues that piloting was unrelated to his writing style.