Benchmark 8.2

Which sentence BEST summarizes what this passage is about?

• Many plants were destroyed in Yellowstone National Park.

• A serious fire struck Yellowstone National Park in 1988.

• Yellowstone National Park was closed for the first time in 1988.

• Thousands of people battled a fire in Yellowstone National Park.

Choose TWO sentences from the passage that supports what the story is about.

• “They thought that it was just another fire season beginning.”

• “Wildfires are nature’s way of clearing out dead undergrowth and allowing new plants to grow.”

• “But that year a serious drought had hit North America.”

• “The fires destroyed millions of trees and plants in their path.”

• “About one-third of the park had been seriously damaged.”

According to the passage, the fire in Yellowstone was started by -

• a lightening strike

• a serious drought

• a campfire

• a dropped match

What finally put out the fire in Yellowstone?

• 9,000 firefighters

• a change in the weather

• 4,000 U.S. Soldiers

• helicopters with chemicals

The author included a sidebar with this passage to -

• describe where the fires began

• give directions to Yellowstone

• describe the "Old Faithful" geyser

• give facts about Yellowstone

According to the sidebar, what is most special about the founding of Yellowstone Park?

• It has a large variety of wildlife.

• It has three different waterfalls.

• It was the world's first national park.

• It covers a large area of land.

Which meaning of the word strike fits the way it is used in

paragraph 1?

• a pitched ball over the plate in baseball.

• a violent act of hitting or a blow

• an ending to work until certain demands are met

• a sudden or unexpected discovery

In the sidebar, the word features means -

• an important part or characteristic

• an important movie

• details about location

• types of national parks

What allowed the fires to continue spreading?

• Firefighters dropped chemicals onto the blaze.

• The park was closed for the first time.

• Park supervisors let small fires burn at first.

• The Old Faithful Inn burned causing more fires

Choose TWO key details from the passage that help explain how you know what allowed the fires to continue burning.

• “They thought that it was just another fire season beginning.”

• “They figured these small fires would burn out on their own.”

• “But that year a serious drought had hit North America.”

• “By July, it was being called ‘the worst drought in the history of

  Yellowstone National Park.’

• “They flew over in helicopters and airplanes to drop water and

  fire-fighting chemicals onto the fires.”