1. Across the Wide Dark Sea
Vocabulary and Comprehension Test

2. Vocabulary
1. Caught in the snowstorm, we ________ together to stay warm.
lurked
vast
huddled
furl

3. Vocabulary
2. The pioneers looked out over the ________ prairie and know it would take them days to cross it.
beams
huddled
lurked
vast

4. Vocabulary
3. The lone wolf ________ in the shadows near the sheep pen.
rigging
lurked
furl
adjusted

5. Vocabulary
4. The sailors climbed the ________ as the tall ship pulled into port.
rigging
vast
settlement
background

6. Vocabulary
5. In olden days, everyone helped raise the ________ for a new barn at barn-raising parties.
rigging
furl
beams
huddled

7. Vocabulary
6. The sailors had to ________ the sails to keep them from ripping in the storm.
lurked
furl
vast
beams

8. Vocabulary
7. The pioneers cleared the land so they could start a ________ near the river.
settlement
rigging
beams
reputation

9. Comprehension
8. This selection is most like historical fiction because ________.
people’s names weren’t mentioned in the story
storms come up at sea all the time
people could not live that long on the Mayflower
the Mayflower really sailed to America

10. Comprehension
9. Why do the faces of the people on shore grow smaller and smaller?
The people are all very short.
The ship is sailing away from them.
The people on the ship don’t have good eyesight.
The people on the shore are running away.

11. Comprehension 10. The living quarters on the ship are ________.
bright and cheery
large enough
full of space
very crowded

12. Comprehension 11. Why is the storyteller’s family luckier than most?
They have a dry corner.
They are damp and cold.
They sleep in a work boat.
They are packed in tightly.

13. Comprehension 12. What does the family eat at sea?
beans, hamburgers, and bread
salt pork, beans, and bread
peanut butter, jelly, and beans
roast pork and string beans

14. Comprehension
13. Which phrase best helps you picture the fierce storm?
a stiff wind
catching hold of a rope
raging, foamy water
not too stormy

15. Comprehension 14. The ship began to leak due to ________.
the many storms it has gone through
its weight
an iron jack falling on it
the number of people on board

16. Comprehension
15. Rigging, mast, and main beam can be grouped as ________.
parts of a ship
passengers’ supplies
kinds of birds
sailors’ equipment

17. Comprehension
16. Why do people begin to question their reasons for going on this journey?
Their clothes are always wet.
The voyage is so difficult.
They are running out of food.
The sailors are very rude.

18. Comprehension
17. All the following are evidence of land being nearby except ________.
seaweed
tree branches
clouds
feathers

19. Comprehension
18. When does the storyteller’s mother cry and smile at the same time?
when she eats fresh food
when she sees land ahead
when her son gets better
when the ship leaves port