Questions 1-2 are about the following passage.

    The United States of America is a very unique country. Most American citizens have ancestors that were immigrants or are immigrants themselves. In the past, many people moved to America for religious freedom and new opportunities. This did not happen automatically. Instead, a series of events led to the settlement and development of the United States. One of the most important and famous events was the settlement of Plymouth, Massachusetts by a group known as the Pilgrims.

     The Pilgrims are early Protestant Christian settlers from England. They moved to America in 1620 from England to escape religious persecution. Their king wanted them to worship at the Church of England, an Anglican church. However, they did not believe in this form of Christianity and wanted to "purify" Christian religious practices. They believed in a personal relationship with God and valued simplicity. They were frustrated with their country's views about religion and decided to leave.

    The Pilgrims took a ship called the Mayflower to "the New World." They landed at Plymouth and set up a settlement. Life there was very hard — the winters were long and cold, they did not know how and what to eat, and their settlement was unstable. The natives helped them to persevere. The Pilgrims were able to survive and start a new society where they could worship how they wanted. Later, many others would join them in the New World looking for religious freedom.

    The Pilgrims are important and instructive because they were the first familial settlement in North America. They were the first to try to start a new life and new society in the New World. Americans observe the holiday called Thanksgiving in order to honor their struggle and survival.