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The following exercise can be completed directly online. Click here for a print version of this exercise.



THE MAIN IDEA

1.   Which of the following sentences best describes the main idea of the article about The Last Spike?

How British Columbia joined Canada
The last spike
The building of the CPR
The difficulties faced by construction crews working for the CPR


2.   Why was the start of construction of the transcontinental railroad delayed?

"The Pacific Salmon"
"The Pacific Scandal"
"The Pacific Mountains"
"The Pacific Railway"


INFERENCES

For questions 3 & 4, select the option which best completes each sentence based on the article.

3.   British Columbia...

withdrew from Confederation, only to rejoin later.
felt isolated from the rest of Canada.
expected the government of Canada to live up to its promise.
was the last place construction of the railroad started.


4.   The transcontinental railroad...

helped unite Canada, both physically an politically.
was the biggest construction project ever in Canada.
cost too much.
caused several political scandals in Canada.


5.   What happened on November 7, 1885?

The British North America Act was signed.
Sanford Flemming considered a detailed plan for a railway.
The Pacific Scandal.
The last spike of the transcontinental railway was driven into the ground.


6.   The building of the railroad did nothing to change the Canadian west.

True
False


7.   British Columbia was always happy in Confederation.

True
False


8.   The Canadian government paid the CPR 25 million dollars and gave the CPR 25 million acres of prairie land to complete the railway.

True
False


9.   As the railroad progressed across the prairies, new towns began to be settled along the line.

True
False


10.   William Cornelius Van Horne drove the last spike.

True
False


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