Text­Based Comprehension Directions: Read the following passage. Use information from the passage to answer the question below. Click the circle next to the best answer. Horse Heroes by Kate Petty The Pony Express was a horse relay designed to keep the mail moving day and night. It cut down the time taken for mail to reach California to just eight days. Each horse and rider galloped at top speed to the next station. The rider leaped off the exhausted horse shouting, "Pony rider coming!" The mail was transferred to a fresh horse, and the rider galloped off again on his new mount. There were 157 relay stations, and riders changed horses about six to eight times. The teams risked death together on a daily basis. Much of the route lay through the homelands of American Indians, some of whom declared war on the invaders of their territory. One of the bravest riders was "Pony Bob" Haslam. In May 1860, he arrived at a station in Nevada to find the keeper dead and all the horses gone. He set out for the next station, which was 40 miles away. "I knew I had to carry on. As I rode through the night, I kept watching my pony's ears. I knew he'd hear any ambush before I did." At the next station he persuaded the keeper to leave with them. Bob and his tireless horse saved the man's life—the next night that station was attacked. The Pony Express teams rode across rocky mountain passes and wide, empty plains in scorching sun, pouring rain, and freezing blizzards. If their rider fell off, some brave horses carried on alone to the next station. The final stop was Sacramento, California. Crowds of eager people would gather to watch the arrival of the last rider on the route bringing them their mail and newspapers. The success of the Pony Express teams proved that it was possible for the East and West coasts to keep in touch. It was a milestone on the way to modern America. The horses and riders that ran the Pony Express were real pioneers. 1. Part A: What inference can you draw about riders for the Pony Express? a.
b.
c.
d.
They were all over thirty. They were in good physical shape. They came from the East Coast. Most did not survive the job. 2. Part B: What detail from the passage best supports your answer to question 1? a. "the rider galloped off again on his new mount." b. "The teams risked death together on a daily basis." c. "that it was possible for the East and West Coasts to keep in touch." d. "riders that ran the Pony Express were real pioneers." 3. Part A: Which of the following details from the passage is an opinion? a. "There were 157 relay stations," b. "The final stop was Sacramento, California." c. "One of the bravest riders was 'Pony Bob' Haslam." d. "The Pony Express was a horse relay designed to keep the mail moving day and night." 4. Part B: What word from the passage best supports your answer to question 3? a. final b. designed c. relay d. bravest 5. Part A: What was the result of the Pony Express traveling through Indian territory? a. It slowed the riders down b. The riders were attacked. c. The American government struck new peace deals. d. American Indians were able to get news from the East Coast much more quickly. 6. Part B: Which detail from the passage best supports your answer to question 5? a. "It cut down the time taken for mail to reach California to just eight days." b. "'Pony rider coming!'" c. "declared war on the invaders" d. "it was possible for the East and West coasts to keep in touch." 7. Part A: What is the meaning of the word "relay" in the following sentence? "The Pony Express was a horse relay designed to keep the mail moving day and night." a. a race between teams of riders b. a special system of roads c. a passing along by stages d. a parade of horses and riders 8. Part B: What context clue from the first sentence helped you determine the meaning of the word "relay"? a. "Express" b. "keep the mail moving" c. "day and night." d. "designed" 9. Part A: What is the meaning of the phrase "keep in touch" in the following sentence? "The success of the Pony Express teams proved that it was possible for the East and West coasts to keep in touch.” a. stay in contact b. outdo one another c. compete d. exist 10. Part B: What context clue from the passage helped you answer question 9? a. "modern" b. "mail and newspapers." c. "pioneers." d. "last rider" 11. Part A: What is the meaning of the word "ambush" in the passage? a. a celebration b. a surprise attack c. train whistle d. war chant 12. Part B: What context clue helped you answer question 11? a. "ears" b. "tireless" c. "attacked" d. "watching" 13. In Horse Heroes you read about the Pony Express—the dangerous mail service of the mid­1800s. Now imagine you are a rider for the Pony Express. Write a series of short journal entries highlighting your adventures. Review the expository text to recall the types of threats you might face and what daily life was like. Include as many details as possible in your entries.