Why did the tenant farmers described in John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” believe that the land was theirs? A.

They and their ancestors had been born on the land and worked it for years.

B. They had legal documentation from years before to support their claim.

C. They felt that since they were the first to claim it, the land was rightfully theirs.

D. They had bought it from the Indians who owned it originally.

Why would a sheriff arrest tramps along Route 66?

A.

to stop them from panhandling in his town

B.

to give them food and rest on their long journey westward

C.

to ensure that they had not committed any crimes

D.

to prosecute them for illegally traveling West

Why was the rain that fell on Billie Joe’s farm “no blessing”?

A.

It caused the river to overflow and wash away Billie Joe’s house.

B.

It came too late to wash away the dust.

C.

It was so hard that it washed the soil away.

D.

It fell during the wrong season.

Which of the following best describes the experience of living through a dust storm?

A.

It lasted for months at a time, leaving the soil dry and impossible to irrigate.

B.

It tore apart small buildings, the dust made it impossible to see for hours.

C.

It was over in seconds, but the devastation that it caused could never be repaired.

D.

A. It leveled land and left heaps of dust covering cars and buildings.

What topic did Woody Guthrie’s songs often tackle?

A.

the devastation wreaked by the dust storms

B.

the call of the open road

C.

inequities facing American men and women

D.

the geography of America