Amtrak

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/amtrak

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the reporting marks?AMTK, AMTZ
2. What is the network mileage?Operates over 21,400 miles (34,000 km) of track
3. What is Amtrak and why was it created?Amtrak is the national passenger train company that started in 1971 to bring back trains after many private companies stopped running them. It helps people travel across the country by train.
4. How fast can Amtrak trains go?Some Amtrak trains can travel up to 160 miles per hour on busy routes, but most trains go slower, usually around 79 miles per hour.

Portmanteau: A word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, like 'smog' from 'smoke' and 'fog'.
Contiguous United States: The 48 states of the U.S. that share borders with each other, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Subsidy: Financial aid or support extended to an economic sector or business by the government.