Kylie's Fossil Find

What is the purpose of the first two paragraphs in “Kylie’s Fossil Find”?

• A. They describe the first event in a sequence of events.

• B. They explain the effects of Kylie’s actions on her family.

• C. They describe Kylie and compare her to the paleontologists.

• D. They explain a problem that will be solved in the rest of the passage.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim that fossils can be preserved for long periods of time?

• A. “Every time it rained, the butte eroded and more of the fossil was exposed.” (paragraph 10)

• B. “Paleontologists soon realized that this was a very rare saber tooth cat skull!” (paragraph 11)

• C. “The hard limestone protected the fossils for millions of years. . . .” (paragraph 12)

• D. “ It took them three days to carefully dig around the fossilized bones . . .!” (paragraph 14)

What does the graphic in “Kylie’s Fossil Find” help the reader understand about the fossil discovery?

• A. important details around the map area

• B. important details about the picnic table

• C. important details that include where the item was found

• D. important details that include what the item looked like

Read the sentence from paragraph 10.

Every time it rained, the butte eroded and more of the fossil was exposed.

What is the meaning of the word eroded as it is used in the sentence?

• A. dug up

• B. grew

• C. protected

• D. washed away

Which sentence explains what happened after the fossil was first found?

• A. The fossil was carefully excavated so that it could later be prepared in the lab.

• B. The fossil was carefully examined so that it could be pictured in the newspaper.

• C. The fossil was surrounded by limestone so it could be protected from the elements.

• D. The fossil was shiny and white because, every time it rained, more of the fossil was exposed.

Which two quotations support the idea that uncovering fossils requires patience?

• A. “While they were exploring the Badlands, Kylie and her mom noticed something on the ground that looked a little unusual.” (paragraph 4)

• B. “Paleontologists checked on the fossil find throughout the summer.” (paragraph 9)

• C. “Every time it rained, the butte eroded and more of the fossil was exposed.” (paragraph 10)

• D. “The hard limestone protected the fossils for millions of years before Kylie found them.” (paragraph 12)

• E. “It took them three days to carefully dig around the fossilized bones and remove them from the butte!” (paragraph 14)

The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A Read the sentence from paragraph 13.

Paleontologists carefully excavated the fossils.

Which word means the same as excavated as it is used in the sentence?

• A. examined

• B. plastered

• C. protected

• D. uncovered

Part B

Which paragraph further explains the fossils being excavated, as the word is defined in Part A?

• A. paragraph 8

• B. paragraph 11

• C. paragraph 14

• D. paragraph 16

Read the sentence from paragraph 11.

Skulls from saber tooth cats are usually broken or fragmented .

Which two words mean the same as fragmented as it is used in the sentence?

• A. cracked

• B. fixed

• C. removed

• D. shattered

• E. whole

Read the following summary. The Badlands National Park had a junior ranger program during the summer. The girl and her mom noticed something and thought it might be a fossil. Over a period of time, paleontologists carefully removed the fossil and studied it.

Which statement should be included in the summary?

• A. Kylie and her family learned about fossils.

• B. The fossil was covered in limestone.

• C. Sometimes the skulls are broken.

• D. Fossils are white and shiny.