Page 11 - SpringBoard_ELA_Assessment_Grade6_FlipBook

Name: ______________________ ID: A
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Letters were wrapped in oil silk to protect them from moisture, either from stormy weather, fording streams, or perspiring animals. While a mail of twenty pounds might be carried, the average weight did not exceed fifteen pounds. The postal charges were at first, five dollars for each half-ounce letter, but this rate was afterward reduced by the Post Office Department to one dollar for each half ounce. At this figure it remained as long as the line was in business. In addition to this rate, a regulation government envelope costing ten cents, had to be purchased. Patrons generally made use of a specially light tissue paper for their correspondence. The large newspapers of New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco were among the best customers of the service . . .
Read the following sentence from the passage.
The riders dressed as they saw fit.
Which of the following sentences BEST describes the meaning of this sentence?
a. The riders dressed in a way they thought was best.
b. The riders wore uniforms assigned by the government.
c. The riders dressed for the various climates they encountered.
d. The riders wore clothing that was tight and lightweight.
Which of the following sentences from the passage is an opinion of the author?
a. "Yet one thing is certain: in loyalty and blind devotion to duty, no group of employees will ever surpass the men who conducted the Pony Express."
b. "The carrying of larger guns meant extra weight, and it was made a rule of the Company that a rider should never fight unless compelled to do so."
c. "While the horses were of the highest grade, they were of mixed breed and were purchased over a wide range of territory."
d. "The large newspapers of New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco were among the best customers of the service..."
Which of the following sentences from the text BEST suggests that speed was one of the key goals of the Pony Express?
a. "The carrying of larger guns meant extra weight, and it was made a rule of the Company that a rider should never fight unless compelled to do so."
b. "While the horses were of the highest grade, they were of mixed breed and were purchased over a wide range of territory."
c. “The saddle-bag used by the pony rider for carrying mail was called a mochila; it had openings in the center so it would fit snugly...and yet be removable without delay.”
d. "While a mail of twenty pounds might be carried, the average weight did not exceed fifteen pounds."
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