Grade 06 Reading Assessment (RI.6.1 - 6.8)

to support a claim about how popular New York was at the time

to support a claim about how quickly New York's population increased

to support a claim about how superior New York's transportation system was at the time

to support a claim about how important it was for New York to have quick transportation out of the city

paragraph 1

paragraph 3

paragraph 5

paragraph 7

moving

growing

competing

developing

"Then, in the second half of the 19th century, a flood of immigrants began to arrive in America."

"Most of these newcomers came through Ellis Island Immigration Station located in New York Harbor."

"Lacking the means or desire to move any farther, many of these immigrants settled where they landed - in New York City."

"Their large numbers overwhelmed an already crowded city."

Streets became very busy with all of the carriages being pulled by horses.

Horses became tired after pulling carriages with large numbers of people in them.

Horse-drawn carriages were uncomfortable to travel in because of street conditions.

Many people still had to walk because there was limited room in a horse-drawn carriage.

"Introduced in New York City in 1827, omnibuses were essentially stagecoaches drawn by horses."

"While stagecoaches had generally been used to carry passengers between major cities, omnibuses picked up and discharged riders along an established route within a locale."

"Designed to carry about 12 to 15 people comfortably, omnibuses were often packed with more people than that, who endured a bumpy - and not exactly swift - ride through the city's mostly cobblestone streets."

"Within about 20 years, nearly 600 omnibuses were in use on Manhattan's city streets."

"The first forms of urban transportation relied on horsepower."

"The organization of the city streets today, with signal lights and signs at intersections to direct traffic flow, and with crosswalks offering pedestrians a safe place to cross a street, didn't exist in the 1800s."

"Today's familiar gas-powered cars weren't mass produced until 1908."

"Here's a look at some of the early forms of transportation in New York City before the first subway tracks were laid."

"The first cable car in New York City was incorporated as part of the design for the newly constructed Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883." (paragraph 7)

"Like horsecars, cable cars ran on rails embedded in the streets, but they were powered by steam-driven machines at either end of the line that moved the cars along a long, looped cable." (paragraph 7)

"The development of electricity as a power source in the late 1800s changed the future of transportation." (paragraph 8)"

"Power was fed through cables that ran either above the trolleys or underground through conduits along the trolley rack line on the street." (paragraph 8)

"Lacking the means or desire to move any farther, many of these immigrants settled where they landed - in New York City." (paragraph 2)

"They were mostly private enterprises that were largely unregulated by any single overseeing body." (paragraph 3)

"Here's a look at some of the early forms of transportation in New York City before the first subway tracks were laid." (paragraph 3)

"Electric trolleys were smooth, quiet, and emitted less pollution than steam-powered cable cars." (paragraph 8)