Main Idea Quick Check

Orcas are sometimes called the "wolves of the sea." They are predators; they prey on other animals for food. Like wolves, they work together in groups. If you're a porpoise or a big fish, you should watch out for an orca. If you're an orca, then you hope that the porpoise or big fish doesn't get away. If it does, then you have to go hungry.

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

• Orcas are predators.

• Orcas are harmless.

• Orcas chase big fish.

• Orcas live in groups.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

(1)     For centuries, little was known about Antarctica. It was thought of as a distant, dangerous, frozen wasteland. It was the last continent to be discovered. No one sighted it until the early 1800s. Before that time, many explorers had sailed south in an attempt to visit the ice-covered land. In those days, their trips were as famous as those of the first astronauts.
(2)     Even before the land was discovered, stories were told about it. The ancient Greeks thought there was a land at the bottom of the world. Over the years, some of the world's greatest sailors tried to find it. In 1772, the famous Captain James Cook made the trip.
(3)     Captain Cook was the first sailor to make it all the way to the ice cap. The ice surrounds Antarctica in the winter. Cook sailed all the way around the continent but was blocked from getting too close by the ice. Captain Cook went farther south than anyone had ever gone. His record stood for 50 years.
(4)     In the 1820s, a different type of sailor was setting sail toward Antarctica. Seal hunters and whale hunters made the journey. A young American named Nathaniel Palmer was probably the first person to see Antarctica. He and other adventurers were sailing through uncharted ocean in search of seals. In doing so, they became explorers as well as hunters.

What is paragraph 3 mostly about?

• Cook's attempt to see Antarctica

• Antarctica's dangerous ice cap

• Hunters breaking Cook's record

• Stories being told about Antarctica

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

It is very easy to grow seedlings. First, fill seed pots with finely sifted potting mix. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep, one seed to a pot. Keep the pots in a warm, bright place to avoid tall, spindly seedlings, which don't transplant well. Keep the soil moist but not soaked. Spraying the top of the soil with a spray bottle works well. In three or four days, seedlings will sprout. When these seedlings have several leaves, they are ready to be planted outdoors.

What is the passage mostly about?

• how to water plants

• how to fill pots with soil

• how to pick good pots

• how to grow seedlings

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2