Cute Animals Skills Check

Read the excerpt below:

We love "big eyes and soft features," he says. These remind us of babies. People feel like they want to care for them.

Which question is answered in this excerpt?

• Where do animals with big eyes and soft features live?

• What kinds of animals have big eyes and soft features?

• Why do people like animals with big eyes and soft features?

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.1

Which sentence explains a reason WHY some people do not like the Chinese giant salamander?

• "One example is the Chinese giant salamander."

• "It has slimy brown skin, and a giant, odd mouth."

• "The salamander is endangered like the panda."

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.8

CCSS.W.4.1B

Finish the sentence below:

"One main idea of the article is that ...

• ... diseases hurt humans more often than animal attacks."

• ... one kind of salamander weighs as much as an adult human."

• ... scientists mostly study animals that people like."

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

Please read the paragraph below:

We react in certain ways to creatures for many reasons. Their size, intelligence, how they act, and how many are left in the wild affect our feelings. We also like animals that are more like us. Chimpanzees are an example.

What is the MAIN idea of this paragraph?

• People react to creatures in certain ways for many reasons.

• Chimpanzees are creatures that are a lot like people.

• People want to know how many creatures are left in the world.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

Please read the following excerpt:

"Diseases are more likely to hurt humans than animal attacks," he said.

This might explain why most of us don't find lions and bears awful. They may be dangerous in real life. Still, they are covered in soft fur, like cuddly toys.

Based on this excerpt, which statement is TRUE?

• Attacks by lions and tigers hurt more humans than diseases do.

• Humans like dangerous creatures if they are covered with soft fur.

• Creatures like lions and tigers act like cuddly toys in real life.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.2

Which detail from the article supports the idea that people are sometimes disgusted by creatures that are not cute?

• Meanwhile, the salamander "looks like a 150-pound bag of brown slime," he adds.

• It's similar to the way that worms improve soil health around the streams and lakes they live in.

• The movie 'Free Willy' inspired many people to protect endangered orcas.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.8

Please read the paragraph below:

"Big eyes and soft features" bring out our parenting instincts, he says. In other words, some animals make us feel as though we want to care for them. This is "because they remind us of human infants." The dark rings around pandas' eyes remind us of babies.

How does this paragraph support the MAIN idea of the article?

• It explains a main reason why people like certain creatures.

• It explains why people should take care of certain creatures.

• It explains how people should take care of certain creatures.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.8

How does the information toward the end of the article support its MAIN idea?

• The information explains advantages and disadvantages that occur when people like certain animals.

• The information shows that images of certain animals that people like can appear in many different places.

• The information explains why there are certain animal species that are in danger of being hunted illegally.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.8

Please read the section Some Of Most Endangered Species Are Not Cute or Some Animals Inspire Yuck.

Which excerpt supports the conclusion that it might not make sense to be fearful of certain dangerous-seeming animals like rats and snakes?

• Graham Davey studies phobias, or human fears, at the University of Sussex's School of Psychology.

• "Disgust is a learned emotion. Babies are not born with it ... It's probably transmitted socially, culturally, and within families," he said.

• "In terms of threat to humankind, disease and illness are bigger than being attacked by an animal," he said.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.8

Please read the following excerpt:

Research in 2017 found a strong link between society's preferred animals and those most studied in scientific research.

Which of the following is an accurate explanation of what this paragraph means?

• Research in 2017 discovered that scientists mostly study animals that people like.

• In 2017, scientists discovered that society prefers animals that have been studied a lot.

• Research in 2017 discovered that a strong link exists between some animals.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.3