1. A town that appeared and grew very quickly after a nearby discovery of gold or silver was known as a...
- A. capital city
- B. boomtown
- C. port town
- D. farming village
2. The town of Leadville, Colorado, grew rapidly in the 1870s primarily due to the...
- A. construction of a major railroad stop.
- B. fertile land that was perfect for farming.
- C. discovery of large amounts of silver.
- D. beautiful scenery that attracted tourists.
3. Besides mining for precious metals, what other resource-based industry caused new towns to grow in the West?
- A. The timber industry
- B. Automobile manufacturing
- C. The movie industry
- D. Cotton farming
4. What was a direct result of news spreading about a major mineral strike in a Western territory?
- A. The area would be immediately closed to the public.
- B. A large number of people would quickly migrate there.
- C. It would slowly develop into a farming community.
- D. The government would buy all the land for a national park.
5. The main reason a mining town could go from a busy "boomtown" to an empty "ghost town" was that...
- A. the settlers decided to move to warmer climates.
- B. the valuable resources were completely used up.
- C. a new railroad was built somewhere else.
- D. people got tired of living in a crowded place.
6. What feature of Southern California was most important for the growth of the movie industry?
- A. Its large forests
- B. Its many rivers
- C. Its sunny weather
- D. Its mountain passes
7. Besides farming and moviemaking, what other major industry grew in the West because of its beautiful landscapes and natural wonders?
- A. Automobile manufacturing
- B. Clothing design
- C. Tourism
- D. Shipbuilding
8. The use of new tools and ideas to meet people's needs is called technology. Which of these is an example of farming technology used in the West?
- A. The natural richness of the soil
- B. Machines designed to gently pick tomatoes
- C. The long and warm summer season
- D. The sunny weather needed for plants to grow
9. Thanks to its warm climate and beautiful beaches, what is the most important industry in Hawaii today?
- A. Tourism
- B. Gold mining
- C. Lumber
- D. Sugarcane farming
10. What major problem did farmers in California's Central Valley have to solve to grow crops?
- A. The soil was not rich enough for plants.
- B. There was not enough rain during the growing season.
- C. The weather was too cold for most of the year.
- D. There was too much shade from large forests.