Compare Fictional and Historical Accounts Practice Test

Read the two passages about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Fiction (story excerpt):

Lena kept her bus fare coins in her pocket even after she stepped onto the sidewalk. The driver’s eyes had followed her out like a warning, but she didn’t turn back. All around her, people were walking—teachers in good shoes, men in work boots, grandmothers leaning on nieces’ arms. The morning air smelled like exhaust and determination. “You coming to the meeting tonight?” Mrs. Carter asked, adjusting her hat as if it were armor. Lena nodded, though her feet already ached. She had heard the name Rosa Parks spoken softly in kitchens and loudly in churches, like a bell that wouldn’t stop ringing. As the bus rolled past half-empty, Lena felt something new: not just anger, but a steady kind of hope that kept time with her steps.

Historical Account (factual):

The Montgomery Bus Boycott began in December 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. African American residents organized a boycott of the city buses that lasted over a year, ending in December 1956. The boycott was a major event in the Civil Rights Movement and helped bring national attention to segregation. Leaders included Martin Luther King Jr. and local community organizers.

Question (Identify What's Altered): Which part of the fictional passage is an invented detail rather than a documented historical fact?

Read the two passages about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

Fiction (story excerpt)

The swamp water sucked at Josie’s shoes with every step, as if it wanted to keep her. Ahead, the woman everyone called Moses lifted a hand, and the whole line froze. Moonlight silvered the reeds; somewhere an owl spoke once, then went quiet. “Listen,” Harriet whispered, her voice low as a prayer. Josie’s heart beat so loudly she feared the hunters would hear it. Harriet’s eyes never stopped moving—tree line, path, sky—like she could read danger the way other people read a page. When a dog barked far off, Josie flinched, but Harriet squeezed her shoulder. “We keep going,” she said. “Freedom don’t wait for fear to finish talking.” Later, in a safe attic that smelled of apples, Harriet drew a rough map with a bit of charcoal and told Josie the North Star had never betrayed her yet.

Historical Account (factual)

Harriet Tubman (c. 1822–1913) escaped slavery and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people reach freedom. She made multiple trips back into the South and was known for her courage and careful planning. The Underground Railroad was not a literal railroad but a network of people, routes, and safe houses. Tubman also served the Union during the Civil War in roles that included scouting and nursing. While Tubman’s achievements are documented through biographies, records, and testimonies, exact word-for-word conversations during escapes are generally not preserved.

Question: What historical information does the fictional passage preserve accurately?