Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 in
the South of the United States, She was an African-American and a slave. In
those days in the South, African-Americans were slaves. People bought slaves to
work in their houses, farms, and fields. Their masters bought and sold them
like property. When Harriet became a young woman, she wanted to be free. She
wanted to escape to the North of the United States. Everyone in the North was
free.
Finally, Harriet Tubman escaped from
the South to the North on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad
was not a real railroad. It was a secret organization of people. These people
helped slaves to escape. At night, they took the slaves to a safe house. The
slaves hid there. The next night, they took the slaves to the next house or
"station" on the railroad. The word underground can mean secret. This
is why people called the organization the Underground Railroad.
When Harriet Tubman was free, she
decided to help slaves. So she joined the Underground Railroad. Soon she became
its leader. It was a very dangerous job. She went back to the South time after
time. She brought back slaves to freedom in the North. Before Harriet Tubman
died in 1913, she helped 300 slaves to escape. She helped these people begin
new lives as free men and women. Today, we honor the name of this brave woman.
1. Why was Harriet a slave?
a. Because she wanted it.
b. Because of her origin.
c. Because her parents were slaves.
2. What was the girl’s biggest wish when she became older?
a. She wanted to move to another part of America.
b. She wanted to help people.
c. She wanted to build the underground railway station.
3. What did the Underground Railroad mean?
a. A kind of roads.
b. A group of masters.
c. A secret organization.
4. How did the Railroad make people free?
a. It brought them to safe places.
b. It killed their masters.
c. It gave them transport.
5. What job did Harriet have?
a. She was a doctor.
b. She was a leader of one organization.
c. She became a master.
6. What do people think about Harriet nowadays?
a. They respect her.
b. They hate her.
c. They adore her.
7. What is the synonym for the word ‘honor’ (paragraph 3)?
a. Revere
b. Detest
c. Abominate
d. Abhor
