Benchmark Review

Read the following sentence from paragraph 7.

Amphibians always have to stay near water because they need intermittent time in water to keep their skin moist and to give birth to their young.

What are two synonyms for the word intermittent as it is used in this sentence? Check all that apply.

• A. constant

• B. seasonal

• C. recurring

• D. occasional

• E. perpetual

Part A: Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the text?

• A. Amphibians and reptiles are very similar in many ways, but are not exactly the same.

• B. Amphibians are weaker than reptiles because they have permeable skin and have to live near water.

• C. Many people think that amphibians and reptiles are scary because of their venom, but only reptiles are venomous while amphibians are only poisonous if eaten.

• D. Many people are afraid of amphibians and reptiles, but they are actually fascinating creatures who need humans' help to avoid extinction.

Part B: Which details from the text best supports your answer from part A? Select two options.

• A. ...both amphibians and reptiles scare humans because some of their species are poisonous or venomous.

• B. These two groupings of animals are often mistaken for one another because of their similarities.

• C. ...but the misconception that all snakes, lizards, and frogs are poisonous is widely accepted. Snakes are presented in our culture as being vicious.

• D. Perhaps being educated about amphibians and reptiles and their relatively low threat to human safety would help humans care more about saving them.

• E. The skin on amphibians is soft and permeable, which means that substances can get through it.

Part A: Which of these inferences about the

author's purpose is supported by the text?

• A. The author wrote the text in order to motivate people to get out into nature and learn more about animals.

• B. The author wrote the text in order to motivate people to stop fearing amphibians and reptiles and instead help them survive.

• C. The author wrote the text in order to shame people about their ignorance of the difference between amphibians and reptiles.

• D. The author wrote the text in order to encourage more humans to take amphibians and reptiles into their homes to care for them as pets.

Part B: Which sentence from the text best supports your answer from part A?

• A. When humans go into nature for recreation, they will often hike along creeks or near ponds, enjoying the complexity and beauty of the ecosystem around them.

• B. Pollution and environmental hazards are wiping out these creatures, and, like we do with many other species around the world, humans have the power to help.

• C. The truth is, very few species of amphibians or reptiles would ever offensively attack humans, but the misconception that all snakes, lizards, and frogs are poisonous is widely accepted.

• D. While both amphibians and reptiles have a bad reputation for being scary, they have many characteristics that make them different from one another.

First, read the dictionary definition.

Then, complete the task.

Dictionary definition: the state of being held or confined without chance of escape

Click on the word in the paragraph that most closely matches the definition given.

• A. This effort is directed toward developing two

• B. distinct

• C. reproducing

• D. populations in the wild and one in

• E. captivity.

Part A: Which statement best describes the central idea of the text?

• A. Once plentiful in population, California condors currently battle extinction.

• B. California condors are physically unique birds that are endangered because they attract hunters.

• C. Captive breeding has been a controversial method of preserving California condors since the 1980s.

• D. Although California condors nearly died out, their circumstances have changed and they are thriving more today than ever.

Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer from part A?

• A. The California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, is one of the largest flying birds in the world.

• B. Captive breeding must be carefully managed for a number of reasons, such as minimizing loss of genetic diversity.

• C. It will take many years before we will know whether the condor population will be able to survive.

• D. The condor population (wild and captive) has steadily increased, reaching over 400 in 2013.

Read the excerpt from the text and answer the question that follows. There have been so many problems facing the condor for so long that the species was not going to survive in the wild without help from people. Part A: Which events from the text led to this statement being true? Select three options.

• A. Westward expansion drained the food supply of California condors.

• B. The raven population increased unexpectedly, endangering young California condors.

• C. Environmental changes set off by humans caused California condors to have one chick at a time.

• D. Humans made advancements that affected the habitats of California condors.

• E. California condors were taken into captivity quickly, and their numbers in the wild decreased too rapidly to recover.

Part B: Select the paragraph that best shows society’s attempt to combat the issues stated in Part A.

• A. Paragraph 4

• B. Paragraph 6

• C. Paragraph 7

• D. Paragraph 13