Biography · Level 4 · 189 words

Harriet Tubman's Dangerous Journeys

Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in the United States in the early 1820s. As a young woman, she made a bold decision to escape, traveling north on foot, often at night, until she reached a state where she could be free.

Many people would have stopped there, content with their own freedom. Tubman did not. She returned to the South again and again to lead others out of slavery. To do this, she relied on a secret system known as the Underground Railroad, which was not a real railroad at all. It was a network of safe houses and trusted helpers who hid escaping people and pointed them toward freedom.

Tubman became famous for her courage and caution. She traveled in winter, when long nights gave more cover, and she planned routes carefully to avoid capture. It is said that she never lost a single person she guided. Later in her life, she also worked as a nurse and a scout during the Civil War, and she spoke out for the rights of women. Her steady bravery made her one of the most admired figures of her time.

Comprehension questions

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4 questions
1. What does the passage suggest about Tubman's character?

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B. She was brave and willing to risk herself to help others
She repeatedly returned to the South to free others despite great risk, showing selfless bravery.

2. In the passage, the Underground Railroad was actually what?

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B. A network of safe houses and helpers
The text says it was not a real railroad but a network of safe houses and helpers.

3. Why did Tubman often travel in winter?

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B. Long nights gave more cover
The passage states she traveled in winter because long nights gave more cover.

4. What is the passage mostly about?

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C. How Tubman escaped slavery and then risked her own freedom to lead others out
The passage follows one thread: Tubman escaped, then returned again and again to guide others to freedom, showing the steady bravery that made her admired. The Underground Railroad, the winter travel, and her war work all serve that story.

Source: Written for Fluency. Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.