Fire Birds

Based on information presented in the selection, what can the reader conclude about the black-backed woodpecker?

• It prefers to eat small insects but also consumes a variety of fruits and seeds.

• It is better protected from danger when living in a burned forest than when living in an unburned forest.

• It moves from forests in Canada to forests in the United States each year.

• It leaves the burned forest because other birds invade its habitat.

Read the origin of the word devastate.

from Latin de- + vastare, meaning “to lay waste”

This information helps the reader understand that devastated in paragraph 1 means —

• ruined

• empty

• harsh

• remote

The author wrote this selection most likely to —

• describe ways that forest fires affect an area

• explain how burned forests benefit from the black-backed woodpecker

• convince the reader that the black-backed woodpecker is an unusual type of bird

• demonstrate the ways animals survive in different types of forests

Which sentence from the selection best explains why the black-backed woodpecker is able to build its unique type of home?

• This woodpecker relies on the environment of the burned forest. (paragraph 2)

• This nest is usually built inside a tree trunk or a fallen log. (paragraph 4)

• It also has a very thick skull bone and a strong neck. (paragraph 4)

• The woodpecker can move into the nest cavity as soon as it is drilled. (paragraph 4)

What can the reader conclude from paragraphs 5 through 8?

• The work of the black-backed woodpecker has a lasting impact on the survival of other forest birds and animals.

• The black-backed woodpecker moves to another forest when it has difficulty finding food

• Plants on the forest floor produce fruits and seeds that attract black-backed woodpeckers to the burned forest.

• The black-backed woodpecker is without a home when people try to clean up a burned forest.

The photograph and caption next to paragraphs 5 and 6 in the selection convey the idea that the nest cavity —

• extends beyond the tree

• is fast and easy to construct

• can only be used in certain seasons

• provides a safe environment