Short Facts - Comprehension Exercise

Floods can cause tremendous damage. They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind. It can take months to clean up after a flood.

What is the main idea?

• Floods can cause a lot of damage.

• Floods cause mudslides.

• Floods damage houses and roads.

• Cleaning after a flood isn't fun

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

• Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

• Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way

• Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

• They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

The peregrine falcon is a beautiful wild bird. It is also one of the fastest. In 1978, the peregrine falcon was placed on the endangered species list. The main reason the peregrine falcon was dying out was the use of pesticides.

Which of the following is NOT a supporting detail?

• The peregrine falcon is one of the fastest wild birds

• It was placed on the endangered species list

• It was dying out because of pesticides

• The peregrine falcon is an amazing bird

Darin and Gary had worked all winter down in the basement putting together a model radio controlled airplane. Darin instructed Gary how to make every part, but he allowed Gary to do all the work himself. Gary had to cut out all of the balsa wood parts, glue the pieces together and attach the special skin onto the wooden body of the plane. They even practiced flying a radio controlled model plane on a computer program. Darin drove them to a field to test out the plane. When they returned home, Gary came home crying with his plane in a box. He never worked on a model plane again.

How old do you think Gary is?

• 2

• 11

• 22

• 52

Before the United States was a country, it was a group of English colonies. Until 1793, England didn't really bother the American colonists. The people handled their business the way they wanted. However, England had a lot of war debts to pay. Some of the money was owed because England had defended the colonies in the French and Indian War. Citizens who were living in England wanted taxes to be lowered. The king decided to take more control over the colonies to get the money to pay off the debts. He started a new tax for the colonies. After being left to make their own decisions for so long, some of the colonists did not want to give up control They did not want to pay high taxes. Why did England start demanding taxes in America?

• They are mean and nasty and just wanted the Americans to suffer

• England needed to sell more tea to the Colonies

• England had a lot of debt from wars

• The American Colonies were not making enough money for England

Animals in the forest have a wide variety of adaptations. Monkeys have long tails. They can use them almost like another hand. This helps them swing quickly through the tops of trees. They can even do this while holding their babies or gathering food. Giraffes need to reach leaves at the tops of tall trees. Having a long neck is an adaptation that allows them to do this. How do monkeys use their tails as an adaptation?

• they swat flies with them

• they scare predators with them

• they use them like another hand

• they don't use their tails as an adaptation

Living things adapt to their environment so they can survive. An organism adapts when it develops a behavior that makes it more likely to survive. It can also adapt by forming a physical characteristic or body part that helps it survive. What does the word adapt mean in the first sentence?

• changing its eating and sleeping habits

• changing its behavior or its physical characteristics

• changing its environment or habitat

• giving birth to multiple offspring

Spider Webs

All spiders spin webs. That's because webs help spiders. Webs help spiders do three things. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide and webs help spiders catch food. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Many spiders like to lay their eggs in their webs. The webs help keep the eggs together. Webs help spiders keep their eggs safe. Webs help spiders hide. Most spiders are dark. They are brown, grey, or black. But spider webs are light. They are white and cloudy. When spiders hide in their webs, they are harder to see. Webs help spiders catch food. Spider webs are sticky. When a bug flies into the web, it gets stuck. It moves around. It tries to get out. But it can't. It is trapped! Spiders can tell that the bug is trapped. That's because spiders feel the web move and the spider is hungry. The spider goes to get the bug. As you can see, webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide and webs help spiders catch food. Without webs, spiders would not be able to live like they do. Spiders need their webs to survive!

This passage is mostly about

• spider colors

• spider webs

• spider food

• spider size

Spider Webs

All spiders spin webs. That's because webs help spiders. Webs help spiders do three things. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide. And webs help spiders catch food. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Many spiders like to lay their eggs in their webs. The webs help keep the eggs together. Webs help spiders keep their eggs safe. Webs help spiders hide. Most spiders are dark. They are brown, grey, or black. But spider webs are light. They are white and cloudy. When spiders hide in their webs, they are harder to see. Webs help spiders catch food. Spider webs are sticky. When a bug flies into the web, it gets stuck. It moves around. It tries to get out. But it can't. It is trapped! Spiders can tell that the bug is trapped. That's because spiders feel the web move. And the spider is hungry. The spider goes to get the bug. As you can see, webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide. And webs help spiders catch food. Without webs, spiders would not be able to live like they do. Spiders need their webs to survive!

How can spiders tell when something is trapped in their web?

• They hear it.

• They smell it.

• They feel it.

• They see it.

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was “presentable,” as Alice had often said. What type of job did Paul have?

• Doctor

• Lawyer

• Ditch digger

• Store cashier