THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
1 Slavery was legal for over 200 years in some parts of North America, particularly the southern states of the United States, where the plantation system of agriculture depended on the labor of slaves, most of whom came from Africa. Slaves had no rights or freedoms because they were thought of as property. From the time of its origin, slavery had opponents. The abolitionist movement began in the 1600s when the Quakers in Pennsylvania objected to slavery on moral grounds and wanted to {{U}}abolish{{/U}} the institution.
2 In 1793, Canada passed a law abolishing slavery and declared that any escaped slaves who came to Canada would be free citizens. Slavery was already illegal in most northern states; however, slaves captured there by slave hunters could be returned to slavery in the South. Canada refused to return runaway slaves or to allow American slave hunters into the country. It is estimated that more than 30,000 runaway slaves immigrated to Canada and settled in the Great Lakes region between 1830 and 1865.
3 The American antislavery movement was at the height of its activity during the 1800s, when abolitionists developed the Underground Railroad, a loosely organized system whereby runaway slaves were passed from safe house to safe house as they fled northwards to free states or Canada. The term was first used in the 1830s and came from an Ohio clergyman who said, "They who took passage on it disappeared from public view as if they had really gone to ground." {{U}}Because the Underground Railroad was so secret, few records exist that would reveal the true number of people who traveled it to freedom.{{/U}} The most active routes on the railroad were in Ohio, Indiana, and western Pennsylvania.
4 Runaway slaves usually traveled alone or in small groups. Most were young men between the ages of 16 and 35. The {{U}}fugitives{{/U}} hid in wagons under loads of hay or potatoes, or in furniture and boxes in steamers and on rafts. They traveled on foot through swamps and woods, moving only a few miles each night, using the North Star as a compass. Sometimes they moved in broad daylight. Boys disguised themselves as girls, and girls dressed as boys. In one welt-known incident, twenty-eight slaves escaped by walking in a funeral procession from Kentucky to Ohio.
5 The "railroad" developed its own language. The "trains" were the large farm wagons that could conceal and carry a number of people. The "tracks" were the backcountry roads that were used to {{U}}elude{{/U}} the slave hunters. The "stations" were the homes and hiding places where the slaves were fed and cared for as they moved north. The "agents" were the people who planned the escape routes. The "conductors" were the fearless men and women who led the slaves toward freedom. The "passengers" were the slaves who dared to run away and {{U}}break for{{/U}} liberty. Passengers paid no fare and conductors received no pay.
6 The most daring conductor was Harriet Tubman, a former slave who dedicated her life to helping other runaways. Tubman made 19 trips into the South to guide 300 relatives, friends, and strangers to freedom. {{U}}She was wanted dead or alive in the South{{/U}}, but she was never captured and never lost a passenger. A determined worker, she carried a gun for protection and a supply of drugs to quiet the crying babies in her rescue parties.
7 A number of white people joined the effort, including Indiana banker Levi Coffin and his wife Catherine, who hid runaways in their home, a "station" conveniently located on three main escape routes to Canada. People could be hidden there for several weeks, recovering their strength and waiting until it was safe to continue on their journey. Levi Coffin was called the "president of the Underground Railroad" because he helped as many as 3,000 slaves to escape.
The people who worked on the railroad were breaking the law. Although the escape network was never as successful or as well organized as Southerners thought, the few thousand slaves who made their way to freedom in this way each year had a symbolic significance out of proportion to their actual numbers. The Underground Railroad continued operating until slavery in the United States was finally abolished in 1865.
单选题
The word {{U}}abolish{{/U}} in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】Abolish means end in this context. Clues: ...objected to slavery...; ...wanted to the instilution; ... Canada passed a law abolishing slavery and declared that any escaped slaves who came to Canada would be free citizens; the prefix ab
单选题
Why did thousands of runaway slaves immigrate to Canada?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】Clue: In 1793, Canada passed a law abolishing slavery and declared that any escaped slaves who came to Canada would be free citizens.
单选题
Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the
highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in
important ways or leave out essential information.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】Because the Underground Railroad was so secret... is paraphrased in ... it was a secret organization. ...few records exist that would reveal the true number of people who traveled it to freedom is paraphrased in We do not know exactly how many slaves escaped on the Underground Railroad....
单选题
The word fugitives in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】Fugitives means runaways in this context. Clues: Runaway slaves...; ... hid in wagons...; ... traveled on foot...; ...escaped...
单选题
All of the following are mentioned as methods of escape on the
Underground Railroad EXCEPT
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】The passage does not mention riding in a railcar as a method of escape on the Underground Railroad. All the other answers are mentioned: The fugitives hid in wagons under loads of hay...; Boys disguised themselves as girls, and girls dressed as boys; ... twenty-eight slaves escaped by walking in a funeral procession
单选题
The author discusses the language of the Underground Railroad in
paragraph 5 in order to
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】The author's purpose is to illustrate the secret nature of the escape network. Clues: ...the Underground Railroad was so secret...; ...developed its own language; ...elude the slave hunters; ...hiding places...; ...slaves who dared to run away and break for liberty.
单选题
The word elude in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】Elude means avoid in this context. Clues: ...backcountry roads that were used to the slave hunters; ...hiding places The runaway slaves had to avoid being caught by the slave hunters.
单选题
The phrase break for in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】Break for means escape to in this context. Clue: ...slaves who dared to run away and liberty. The purpose of the Underground Railroad was to help slaves escape to liberty in areas where slavery was illegal.
单选题
Which of the following statements is true about passengers on the
Underground Railroad?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】Clue: ...the Underground Railroad, a loosely organized system whereby runaway slaves were passed from safe house to safe house as they fled northwards to free states or Canada.
单选题
In stating that {{U}}She was wanted dead or alive in the South{{/U}} in
paragraph 6, the author means that Harriet Tubman
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】The author means that Harriet Tubman was sought by the authorities for helping escaped slaves. Clue: ...Harriet Tubman, a former slave who dedicated her life to helping other runaways; ...but she was never captured....
单选题
The author points out that workers on the Underground Railroad
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】Clue: The people who worked on the railroad were breaking the law.
单选题
It can be inferred from paragraph 8 that the author most likely
believes which of the following about the Underground Railroad?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】You can infer that the author believes the railroad represented a psychological victory for abolitionists. Clues: ... the few thousand slaves who made their way to freedom in this way each year had a symbolic significance...; ...slavery in the United States was finally abolished in 1865.
填空题
Look at the four squares,
,
,
,
and
, which indicate where the following
sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best
fit?
Women and children also escaped, but they were more easily captured.
Runaway slaves usually traveled alone or in small groups. Most were young men between the ages of 16 and 35.
The fugitives hid in wagons under loads
of hay or potatoes, or in furniture and boxes in steamers and on rafts. 
They traveled on foot through swamps and
woods, moving only a few miles each night, using the North Star as a compass.
Sometimes they moved in broad daylight. 
Boys disguised themselves as girls, and girls dressed as boys. In one well-known
incident, twenty-eight slaves escaped by walking in a funeral procession from
Kentucky to Ohio. 
, , ,
and , which indicate where the following
sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best
fit?Women and children also escaped, but they were more easily captured.
Runaway slaves usually traveled alone or in small groups. Most were young men between the ages of 16 and 35.
The fugitives hid in wagons under loads
of hay or potatoes, or in furniture and boxes in steamers and on rafts. They traveled on foot through swamps and
woods, moving only a few miles each night, using the North Star as a compass.
Sometimes they moved in broad daylight.
Boys disguised themselves as girls, and girls dressed as boys. In one well-known
incident, twenty-eight slaves escaped by walking in a funeral procession from
Kentucky to Ohio.
多选题
An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is
provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that
express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in
the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or
are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
【正确答案】
B、D、E
【答案解析】Key information: The abolitionist movement.., objected to slavery on moral grounds...; The American antislavery movement was at the height of its activity during the 1800s, when abolitionists developed the Underground Railroad, a loosely organized system whereby runaway slaves were passed from safe house to safe house as they fled northwards to fiee states or Canada; ...hiding places where the slaves were fed and cared for...; The "agents '" were the people who planned the escape routes. The "'conductors" were the fearless men and women who led the slaves toward freedom. The "passengers '" were the slaves who dared to run away and break for liberty. Answer (A) is not mentioned; answers (C) and (F) are minor ideas.