Steamship — Questions and answers
Read the full story
What did Robert Fulton believe about steam navigation for rivers?
Choices
- It would be a boring new idea.
- It would be a very important time in human history. ✓
- It would only work on small creeks.
- It would make rivers harder to travel.
Answer: It would be a very important time in human history.
From page 1
According to Captain Thomas, what made going upstream on rivers very hard before steam?
Choices
- There were too many fish in the rivers.
- Sails struggled, rowers got tired, and barges moved very slowly. ✓
- The water was too hot for the boats.
- There were not enough rivers to travel on.
Answer: Sails struggled, rowers got tired, and barges moved very slowly.
From page 2
What was one of the big problems Elias Thorne worried about when putting a steam engine into a ship?
Choices
- The engine would be too quiet.
- The engine would make the ship go too fast.
- The weight of the engine would be too much for the hull. ✓
- The engine would make the ship glow in the dark.
Answer: The weight of the engine would be too much for the hull.
From page 4
What was Robert Fulton's main idea for making the 'Clermont' successful?
Choices
- To paint it a very bright color.
- To make it float without any engine.
- To combine a strong engine with good hull and paddlewheel designs. ✓
- To ask his patron to steer it all the time.
Answer: To combine a strong engine with good hull and paddlewheel designs.
From page 5
How did the fisherman, Silas, react when he saw the 'Clermont' moving upstream without sails?
Choices
- He thought it was a very common sight.
- He was bored and yawned.
- He was astonished and called it a miracle. ✓
- He thought it needed more wind to move.
Answer: He was astonished and called it a miracle.
From page 7
According to Mr. Hawthorne, what was a big benefit of steamboats for trade?
Choices
- Goods took much longer to reach their destination.
- Goods reached Albany in a much shorter amount of time. ✓
- Goods needed to be moved by horses.
- Goods could only be moved when the wind was blowing.
Answer: Goods reached Albany in a much shorter amount of time.
From page 8