Jessica the Hippo

Which detail from the selection suggests that Jessica is smart?

• A. She has become comfortable with the family dogs.
• B. She figured out how to unlock a door.
• C. She spends time with other hippos.
• D. She stayed afloat on the river.

• A. Joubert encouraged Jessica to play with his dogs.
• B. Joubert discovered where in the river Jessica was born.
• C. Joubert knew how to make the milk Jessica needed.
• D. Joubert told Jessica’s fans about her on a website.

• F. Meaning 1
• G. Meaning 2
• H. Meaning 3
• J. Meaning 4

The reader can conclude that it is unusual for —

• F. a hippo to live with humans
• G. a hippo to appear on TV
• H. mother hippos to have their babies in the water
• J. people to fear large animals

The photograph best supports which idea from the selection?

• A. Jessica was on a special diet when she was a baby.
• B. Jessica sometimes seeks the company of other hippos.
• C. Jessica’s story has made her famous around the world.
• D.  Jessica’s size makes keeping her as a pet difficult.

Which of these is the best summary of the selection?

• F. Tonie Joubert found a weak baby hippo near his house and decided to take care of her. With Joubert’s help, the hippo grew big and strong. The hippo seems to like staying with Joubert, and she is treated like a member of the family.
• G. Tonie Joubert decided to keep a baby hippo he found lying next to a river. The hippo became friendly with the family dogs and now visits other hippos in the area.
• H. When Tonie Joubert found a baby hippo, he realized that she needed to be cared for. He fed the hippo a special kind of milk until she became healthy. The hippo became very large and began to break furniture in Joubert’s house.
• J. When a baby hippo was in danger, Tonie Joubert knew just what to do. Joubert named the hippo and let her stay in his house. When the hippo grew too large for the house, she slept on the back porch.

What does the word 'fortunate' mean in paragraph 1?

• A. Wise
• B. Happy
• C. Lucky
• D. Proud

Which sentence best explains why Joubert was able to provide the care Jessica needed?

• F. He had nursed many orphaned animals back to health.
• G. He knew the baby hippo was very young and weak.
• H. He carried the 26-pound animal into his house and named her Jessica.
• J. He mixed egg yolks and cream and fed it to Jessica from a bottle.

According to the selection, the problem with having Jessica in the house was that she —

• A. ate food that was not good for her
• B. wanted to be left alone
• C. bothered the family dogs
• D. broke things

Bonus!: What does the term 'game warden' mean in paragraph 4?

• A. someone who plays with animals
• B. someone who hunts animals
• C. someone who protects wild animals
• D. someone who researches endangered animals