Unit 6 Going west
Comprehend the text
Pre-reading
As we all know, there are many people who are from other places in our city. They come here for different reasons, some because of the war, some because of the poor soil and some because of the bad weather in their places. There are many difficulties for them going from one place to another. Can you imagine what difficulties did they go through? At that time, there are no cars and trains. And the transport is not so convenient.
Now, read the test in your books, you will learn about something about the settlers from other places.
Reading
Read the text then answer some questions.
1 When did we decide to move to another place?
1845,10
2 How long did the journey last?
About a year
3 What is our first destination?
India Greek in Kansas
4 Is the journey hard? Can you make some examples about it?
Yes, it is hard. You can make many examples.
Post-reading
True or False
(F )1 We traveled alone.
with many other families
(F )2 We traveled day and night.
by day
(T )3 During walking through the desert, we couldn’t ride the wagons.
(T )4 For many weeks we had suffered from heat, thirst and starvation.
(F )5 During the long journey, we could help each other.
The situation was so desperate that, in most cases, no one could help another. Each had all he could do to save himself and his animals.
(F )6 When a young man in our group suggested that I stay behind with the children and wait for help, I agreed.
I didn’t agree.
(T )7 When the animals smelt the water, they all ran.
Exercise 2
Choose the best answers
1.The reason why my father wanted to go to California is that . 答案：C
A. California was in desert B. California was far away
C. California was a wonderful land described in a book
D. California was the largest state in the USA
2.People moving to the west would meet in . 答案：A
A. Kansas B. California C. Salt Lake Valley D. Salt Lake Desert
3.On which day did the author enter the Salt Lake Desert? 答案：B
A. April 12. B. November 4. C. October 15. D. December 25.
4.Why did the travelers call their ninety-mile drive through the Salt Lake Desert the “Long Drive”? 答案：D
A Because the landscape was dry and barren.
B. Because water was salty and not drinkable.
C. Because their water supply was so low.
D. All of the above.
5.After the travelers burnt their wagons, they had to go on their feet with another miles to go. B
A.2 500 B.500 C.90 D.45
6. What does the author mean by saying “No, I won’t give up.I knew that giving up meant a shallow grave in the sand.” ? A
A. He was determined to go on with the journey ,for he was sure to die through Salt Lake Desert unless he struggled against the hardship.
B. He was sure to continue the journey, for he would die because of the sand.
C. He intended to go on with the journey , for death would wait for him unless he paused in the desert.
D. He was going on with the journey ,for nobody would escape from the desert if he gave in to the bad fate .
7.The animals almost ran when the travelers reached the edge of the desert, why? 答案：C
A. Because they were tired and weak.
B. Because they had no burden.
C. Because they must have smelt the water.
D. Because they went back to their home.
8.How long did the author spend finishing the journey? 答案：C
A. More than 40 months. B. About 2 months.
C. About a year. D. About a year and a month.
9.Which of the following description can indicate that the wagons were not the most suitable means of transport? C
A. The cattle became tired and weak. The animals dragged their legs, too weak to pull their burden.
B. As the animals could no longer pull the wagons, we burnt them and packed the oxen with our supplies.
C. The journey through the mountains and deserts in the central part of the continent was the most trying part.sometimes the wagons had to be lifted and pulled up when there were no roads.
D. For miles both sides of the road were lined with dead animals and starvation.
10.From the text, we can infer . 答案：D
A. the author and the travelers had to go all day and all night long
B. there was no oxen left when the travelers reached California
C. many travelers died when their days of hardship came to an end
D .it’s a long way to travel from the author’s hometown to California
11.The best title of the text is . 答案：B
A.A Journey To California B. Long Drive
C. The Salt Lake Desert D. Enjoy Your Life
12.what can we learn from the ending of the story “Going West”? D
A. People shouldn’t set foot on a wild land because of hardship.
B. Travelers should travel light
C. Travelers should arrange for their journey before setting off for their destination.
D. Perseverance can go hand in hand with survival or success in time of danger or difficulty.