HMH Animal Snoops

Which sentence from the selection best states the author’s central idea?

• When the thieves returned to the crime scene to nab the bird, police captured them.

• Spying can be the best or fastest way to find food or a mate, or get early warning of a predator.

• Naturally clever secret agents learn things from snooping that help them survive and pass their genes to the next generation.

• Some creatures, like the rattlesnake, spy on the habits of their prey.

What is the author’s purpose in organizing the selection into sections?

• To compare and contrast ways that animals eavesdrop

• To focus on different reasons for specific animal behaviors

• To explain the sequence of steps animals use to catch prey

• To present an argument that animals that spy are more likely to survive

The word predator comes from the Latin word praedari, which means “to rob.” What does predator mean as it is used in paragraph 6?

• A spy looking for a mate

• A human trying to steal money

• An animal trying to steal another’s food

• An animal that preys on other animals

In paragraph 7, why does the author compare communication between animals to conversations on social media?

• To illustrate that communication is not private and can be heard by friends and foes

• To explain that some types of communication can be far-reaching

• To explain how gopher snakes eavesdrop on kangaroo rats

• To illustrate different methods that animals use to communicate with one another

The key idea of the section “The Hungry Spy: Spying and Prying Predators” is that animals snoop to —

• locate a mate

• find a home

• find food

• avoid predators

The word intercept comes from the Latin word interceptus, which means “to cut off.” What does intercept mean as it is used in paragraph 17?

• Help

• Confuse

• Interrupt

• Send

Read this sentence. Some plants send signals to bees and birds with there colors, patterns, and shapes. Which word corrects the underlined word in the sentence?

• the

• they’re

• their

Read this sentence. A crab spider uses it’s webs to trap honeybees. Which word corrects the underlined word in the sentence?

• their

• its

• there

• correct as is

Which detail supports the key idea in the section “Deep Secrets Overheard”?

• The sounds that whales make do not travel far.

• Whales rarely make sounds before they attack their prey.

• Echolocation is similar to the ultrasonic chirps that bats use.

• Sperm whales eavesdrop to figure out where other whales are hunting.

For which two reasons does the author use anecdotes to organize the selection?

• To describe how animals use spying to survive

• To entertain readers with examples of animals spying

• To question whether animals do indeed spy on each other

• To persuade readers that some animals are better spies than others

• To explain the sequence of steps animals take to spy and survive