Name:______Date: ______Reading Comprehension Test Pioneer Girl

Vocabulary Circle the Best Answer.

1. My class raised money to purchase a ______, which we then donated to a farm that had been destroyed by a flood. a) prairie b) heifer c) immigrants d) pioneer

2. My ancestors were ______to this country because they originally lived in France. a) immigrants b) sod c) heifer d) homestead

3. The first people to settle in America were also known as ______. a) claim b) heifer c) discouraged d) pioneers

4. If you become ______it is very difficult to reach your goals. You need to stay positive! a) discouraged b)convinced c) sod d) homestead

5. The grasslands of the Great Plains are excellent for farming because the land is very ______. a) sod b) convinced c) fertile d) prairie

6. If someone does not ______the prize within two weeks, a new winner will be chosen. a) discouraged b) pioneer c) sod d) claim

7. Ma and Pa went to go visit the Brown ______, which is fifty miles south of where we live. a) prairie b) immigrants c) homestead d) fertile

8. Instead of using wood, some pioneers and Indians used ______to build their homes. a) sod b) immigrants c) heifer d) prairie

1 Comprehension Questions: Multiple Choice Circle the Best Answer. 9. Which people might be most tempted by the poster to buy land in Nebraska? Pg. 500-501 a) People with a lot of extra money. b) People whose farms are not very fertile. c) People who have large families. d) People who want to work in the city.

10. Why did so many Nebraska families build homes out of sod? Pg. 500-501 a) They wanted to try a new kind of home – something different than they had before. b) Sod homes were the newest fad – only the “important” people were using sod. c) There were very few trees on the prairie, and sod was free. d) Sod is easier to work and build with.

11. What can you learn about the settlers from how the handled the threat of prairie fires? Pg. 502-503 a) They weren’t very smart. b) They were weak and gave up easily. c) They were tough because only men lived on the prairie. d) They were hard working people who learned how to work together to fight a common cause.

12. What can you infer from the list of foods the author includes? Pg. 504-505 a) The harvest was good and they will have enough to eat during the winter. b) The harvest was bad and they will have to stretch their food in order to survive the winter. c) The harvest was just okay, but they will survive the winter if they eat small portions. d) The harvest was good, but it will only last them a few weeks.

13. Why does the Yoders’ arrival upset Grace’s mother? Pg. 508-509 a) She doesn’t like the Yoders. b) She doesn’t like it when people visit. c) Her house is a mess. d) There isn’t enough food for everybody.

14. What did you learn about Grace from the incidents with the bad-tempered heifer? Pg. 512-513 a) She is brave and sensible even when she is scared or hurt. b) She gives up easily when she is scared or hurt. c) She is unable to perform chores around the homestead because she is very weak. d) She refuses to help because she doesn’t want to get hurt.

15. What are some skills and traits farm children needed to have to do farm work effectively? Pg. 510-511 a) You need to be able to read, write, and get good grades in school. b) You need to be able to keep your room clean and help with the dishes. c) You need to be able to work with animals, gather fuel, and do many other jobs. d)You don’t need any special skills or traits because farm work is easy.

2 Short Answer Responding Questions: (3 Points) Use complete sentences to answer the questions.

16. What do you think would have been the best and worst things about being a child in a homesteading family? Explain your answer. (Whole book) ______

17. What was our focus strategy for “Pioneer Girl”? Explain the strategy. How does one practice this strategy? (Whole Book) ______

18) What is our current Theme? Explain why this story “Pioneer Girl” belongs in this theme. Give as many examples and reasons as possible. (Whole Book) ______

*BONUS* What type of story is this/genre?

______

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