Monster of the Deeps

Which quotation provides support for the MAIN IDEA of the text?

• "Over the years, more than 250 dead or dying giant squid have washed ashore. Others get caught in fishing nets."

• "Scientists can learn some things from these clues and from smaller species of squid that they've studied, but many habits and behaviors of this deep-sea giant remain a mystery."

• "He named them Architeuthis ('Archie' to its friends), which means 'first squid.' Today, scientists who study squid and their relatives are called teuthologists."

• "Like their smaller squid relatives, giant squid belong to the group of animals called cephalopods, which also includes octopuses."

Which two choices tell how scientists have learned information about giant squid?

• Scientists compared smaller types of squid to giant squid.

• Scientists followed giant squid as they hunted for food in the ocean.

• Scientists studied giant squid that died and washed onto beaches.

• Scientists placed special cameras on whales and watched giant squid.

• Scientists read stories written by people who had seen giant squid.

What does the word shred mean as it is used in paragraph 8?

• move

• rip

• stop

• watch

Read the sentence from paragraph 11: "But scientists love a challenge." What does the author mean by the sentence?

• Scientists are determined to get answers to their questions.

• Scientists work together on teams to learn about unknown creatures.

• Scientists are pleased when they discover new creatures.

• Scientists ask for help from others to get answers to their questions.

Which quotation supports the inference that giant squid are strong?

• "Scientists have measured giant squid that are up to 43 feet long, more than the length of a bus."

• "Two even longer tentacles can reach out and clamp down on prey. Its large, parrotlike (yes, as in the bird!) beak is buried deep in muscle. Inside this powerful beak, toothlike ridges shred food for the squid to swallow."

• "Special cells in its skin let it change its appearance. In the 2012 video, the giant squid flashes between warm brownish gold and bright silver."

• "These whales often enjoy a dinner of tasty squid, and Dr. Roper hoped to get a whale's-eye view of the hunt. He had no such luck (although we now know how the world looks to a whale)."

What text structure is used in the "Squid Squads" section?

• The author uses cause and effect to explain how the large size of the ocean made it difficult for scientists to find giant squid alive in the ocean.

• The author uses chronological order to explain that scientists spent many years searching for giant squid alive in the ocean.

• The author uses compare and contrast to explain the similarities and differences between scientists who have tried to find giant squid alive in the ocean.

• The author uses problem and solution to explain how scientists used special cameras to try to get the first images of giant squid alive in the ocean.

Part A: What point does the author make about the scientists who study giant squid?

• Scientists want to continue learning about giant squid because there are still details about the creatures that remain unknown.

• Scientists are always surprised by the large size of giant squid when they see them in the wild.

• Scientists want to use special cameras to see where giant squid live but have been unable to find the best kind of equipment so far.

• Scientists are unsure how giant squid are able to escape from danger so quickly in the wild.

Part B: Which quotation from the text best supports the answer in Part A?

• "He named them Architeuthis ('Archie' to its friends), which means 'first squid.' Today, scientists who study squid and their relatives are called teuthologists."

• "Scientists have measured giant squid that are up to 43 feet long, more than the length of a bus."

• "Perhaps the most perplexing question -- Why are giant squid so hard to find alive? -- is still a mystery."

• "Using undersea robots and crewed research subs, scientists plunge as far down as they can, hoping to observe the camera-shy squid at home."

How does the diagram help the reader understand the text?

• The reader can see why some parts of the giant squid are so big.

• The reader can see how parts of a giant squid help it change color.

• The reader can see what different parts of a giant squid look like.

• The reader can see which parts of a giant squid help it find food.