The Life and Times of the Ant Comprehension

Which sentence below BEST describes the author's perspective on ants?

• Ants are endangered creatures whose survival is threatened by technology.

• Ants are much smarter than other insects, such as bees and butterflies.

• Ants are dangerous pests whose social communities threaten people.

• Ants are amazing little creatures whose activities benefit the earth.

Why does the author include a timeline at the beginning of the article?

• to show that ants have not been on Earth as long as people

• to show that people have not been on Earth as long as ants

• to show that dinosaurs are more important than ants

• to show that dinosaurs lived longer than ants

According to the article, why are ants sometimes compared to people?

• They both choose jobs when they are adults.

• They both work together to solve problems.

• They both live in underground homes.

• They both dig holes and tunnels.

Why does the author include a thermometer in one of his drawings of an anthill?

• to show how anthills absorb and transfer the sun's heat to the nest

• to show how anthills reflect the sun's heat away from the nest

• to show why some ants freeze to death in the winter

• to show why anthills are more active in the heat

Where are you MOST likely to find an ant nest?

• beside a brick building

• next to a lake or pond

• under a rock or log

• near tall grass

What purpose do the captions on the author's diagrams have?

• They provide amusing details but are not related to the topic.

• They explain how the author learned to draw and study ants.

• They provide additional facts related to the topic.

• They summarize the main ideas in the text.

Under which heading would you look to find information about the different jobs that ants have?

• "Grass Root Highways"

• "Masters of the Earth"

• "A Dangerous World"

• "A Life of Work"

How does the author support his claim that an ant is one of the strongest creatures on Earth?

• with the fact that ants lift objects 5 times their body weight

• by describing a forest path built entirely by ants

• by comparing ants to human weight lifters

• with a picture of an ant next to an elephant

Why does the author include a diagram of a giant anteater in the text?

• to show its resemblance to aardvarks and armadillos

• to show how its body parts help it hunt for ants

• to show that it is not a very intelligent animal

• to show how much bigger it is than an ant

Which sentence below does NOT describe a way that ants help plants to grow?

• They recycle leaves by breaking them down to grow fungus.

• They spread flower pollen as they feed on plants.

• They spread plant seeds as they transport food.

• They recycle soil nutrients by digging.