WorksheetsThe Last Great Race on Earth
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 45mins
Which statement expresses the main idea of the article?
In Iditarod, exhausted racers often fall asleep or see imaginary things along the trail, and their dogs must move forward without guidance.
Weariness, bad weather, and hazards along the trail make the Iditarod sled race across Alaska a great but dangerous challenge to each race.
There are few races anywhere in the world more thrilling than the annual Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska.
Large areas of Alaska have few, if any, settlers.
The Iditarod sled race begins in the city of
Nome
Anchorage
Fairbanks
St. Maries
During the race, mushers must stop at
dusk
dawn
15 checkpoints
18 checkpoints
Each team consists of
one main racer, their alternate, and a dozen or more dogs
one racer, a dozen or more dogs, and a support crew that brings in fresh dogs
one racer and a dozen or more dogs
a leader and their family
When Gary Paulsen was caught in a blizzard, he
waited it out in a deserted mining town
lay down in the snow until the storm ended
had to quit the race
took a different route
Once, two of Susan Butcher's dogs were killed
when they fell through thin ice on a lake
by a powerful and angry moose
when they had a dog fight
when they lost their footing in a canyon
There's only one thing they cannot be: cowards. If they are, they will never survive this grueling 1,160 mile race. Grueling means:
popular
very difficult
easy
tiring
Hours later, after the snow finally stopped, Paulsen and the dogs dug themselves out. Then they resumed the race. What does resumed mean?
stopped
watched
began again after an interruption
dropped out of
Some exhausted mushers begin to hallucinate. What does exhausted mean?
extremely tired
fresh; full of energy
unfriendly
mean
Some exhausted mushers begin to hallucinate. What does hallucinate mean?
speak loudly
face reality
get hungry
have fantasies
Butcher tried to scare the moose off with an ax. But again and again, the animal tried to trample her dogs.
gore
beat down with one's feet
lift up
eat
What is the authors' purpose in writing "The Last Great Race on Earth"?
to encourage the reader to move to Alaska
to encourage readers to race sled dogs
to inform the reader about weather conditions in Alaska
to describe a situation in which athletes face extreme dangers to win a race
Which best describes the danger faced by Iditarod racers?
Once in a while, mushers run into something more. They come across a crazed moose.
The dogs never get tired, so they can run forever.
The race begins in the city of Anchorage. Mushers harness their best 15 or 20 sled dogs.
The dogs find their rhythm. The teams catch every twist and turn in the trail.
What is the effect of the racers' lack of sleep by the middle of the race?
The racers develop frostbite on their cheeks, toes, and fingers
Racers run into terrible storms
Racers make the dogs feel sleepy
The racers fall asleep in the sled as they race, and they begin to hallucinate
If you were a musher in Iditarod, how could you use the information from the article to win the race and get to the finish line safely?
Unlike other mushers, maintain a regular sleep schedule
Refuse to quit the race, no matter what happens to you or your dogs
Pack lots of supplies and a warm sleeping bag
Train as many dogs as you can and have them on stand throughout the trail
