Columbus and His Expeditions

True or false?

Columbus thought he could sail east to get to the Indies and would arrive in a few weeks.

• True

• False

Why would the king and queen of a country decide to fund an explorer’s

expedition to an unknown land?

What do the words closed the deal mean in the following sentence from the selection? Finally, in 1492, Columbus closed the deal.

• The king and queen said “no sale” to Columbus.

• Columbus thought Earth was smaller than other explorers thought.

• The King and Queen of Spain agreed to fund his voyage.

• Columbus showed his plan to the King of Portugal who sold him land.

When Columbus asked King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for funding the second time, what had changed that allowed them to agree to the funding?

• Columbus was a salesman and a navigator.

• The war between Spain and the Moors had ended.

• The king and queen were interested in Columbus’ plan.

• The wealthy men of Genoa, Italy convinced the king and queen to fund the voyage.

The black and white puppy wagged __________ tail in delight upon seeing his owner.

• its

• it's

Which of the following words with the prefix pro– could be used to describe what Columbus shared with kings and a queen about his idea?

• prologue

• proposal

• progress

• prophecy

Choose the correct suffix to add to the root word.

Gold and spices were valu______ items that explorers wanted to find in order to get rich.

• ish

• ness

• able

• ible

After becoming a priest, why did Las Casas continue to keep slaves?

What does the word converted mean in the following sentence?

They should be converted to the true faith.

• protected

• ashamed

• enslaved

• changed

What happened that caused Las Casas to change his mind and free the people he enslaved?

• He witnessed the suffering of the indigenous people.

• He was offered a higher position by the Spanish crown.

• He wanted to gain more wealth.

• He was forced by the king to free them.