Comprehension
November/December 2013
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“The Orphan Train” Quiz
Directions: Read the article “The Orphan Train” on page 4 of the November/December 2013 issue
of Storyworks. Then select the best answer for each question.
1. The tone of the article’s first two
paragraphs can best be described as _____.
A reassuring
Ccheery
B bleakDdoubtful
2. The matron’s decision to take the envelope
from Lee tells the reader that she is _____.
A understanding
B sweet
C controlling
D carefree
3. In the phrase “At the end of a grueling
week,” on p. 8, the word grueling means:
A exhausting and difficult
B extremely slow and boring
C extremely interesting
calm and quiet
D
4. What clue does the author provide to
help readers figure out the meaning of
grueling?
a definition of the word in the sentence
A
that follows
B an antonym within the sentence
C a synonym within the sentence
a description of parts of Lee’s journey,
D
such as being inspected like a farm animal
5. Which character trait did the Naillings
display when they introduced Lee to people
as their “new son”?
A pessimism
C humor
B warmth
Dcaution
6. Which of the following statements is NOT
supported by the text?
A
B
C
D
Lee lived in an orphanage for two years.
Lee’s father was a recent immigrant.
Thousands of kids rode orphan trains.
Lee lived to be more than 80 years old.
7. F
rom Lee’s words, “I ended up with the
Naillings. That was where I belonged,”
the reader can infer that _____.
A he had a good home in Texas
B he never missed his dad again
C he disliked having his own bedroom
he tried to go back to New York
D
8. The author describes Lee’s first breakfast at
the Naillings’s home: “It was the most food
he had ever seen at one time.” From this
statement, you can infer that _____.
A the Naillings were extremely rich
B the Naillings ate too much
C Lee’s original family didn’t like to eat much
D Lee’s original family could never afford much food
Constructed Response
Directions: On a separate piece of paper, write your answers in well-organized paragraphs.
Make sure you support your answers with information and details from the article.
10. Read “Magnificent Michaela” on page 9.
9. W
hy does the author mention that many kids
List three things that Lee and Michaela have
were chosen before Lee was? What does this
in common.
tell the reader about Lee’s experience?
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