NewsELA Article

Which of the following accurately summarizes HOW the scientists who found the fossil of the ancient four-legged whale feel about the condition of the fossil?

• They are concerned that the fossil they found of the four-legged whale might not be authentic.

• They are ecstatic to have found the first complete fossil of a four-legged whale.

• They are incredulous to have found a fossil of a four-legged whale that has no need of a fluke.

• They are pleased that they found the fossil of a four-legged whale that is almost completely intact.

The author uses an objective tone. Which selection from the article BEST reflects that tone?

• An ancient four-legged whale with hooves has been discovered, providing new insights into how the ancestors of the Earth's largest mammals made the transition from land to sea.

• "Whales are this iconic example of evolution," said Travis Park, an ancient whale expert at the Natural History Museum in London, who was not involved in the latest study

• "They went from small hoofed mammals to the blue whale we have today. It's so interesting to see how they conquered the oceans."

• But it must have been an accomplished swimmer to have survived for days or even weeks at sea.

Read the following sentence from the article.

According to Lambert, it is likely that whales would initially have had to return to land for certain activities such as mating and giving birth to young.

What does the word "initially" convey in the sentence?

• (A) that mating was the first activity whales engaged in when they returned to land

• (B) that whales used to have to return to land for certain activities but they no longer do so

• (C) that over time whales started to engage in many different activities on land

• (D) that whales returned to land for the first time after they mated and gave birth to young

Which of the following ideas did the author develop the LEAST in this article about the fossil of Peregocetus pacificus?

• (A) the methods used by the international team of scientists to excavate Peregocetus pacificus

• (B) the anatomical features of Peregocetus pacificus that enabled it to live a semi-aquatic lifestyle

• (C) the ways in which the fossil of Peregocetus pacificus compares with other whale fossils

• the knowledge scientists gained about whales by studying the fossil of Peregocetus pacificus

The mineralized remains of organisms, showing how long-dead organisms lived and how their bodies were structured

• law of superposition

• sedimentary layers

• fossils

• petrification

Which of the following is a fossil?

• a plant that has recently died
• a group of organisms that can reproduce
• a structure or organ that no longer functions
• a trace of an organisms that existed in the past