Penguin Chick Comprehension Check

Look at the chart. Which main idea belongs in the empty box?

• The penguin mother walks or slides on her belly across the ice.

• Emperor penguins work hard to take care of their chicks in Antarctica.

• Most birds build nests for their eggs, but emperor penguins do not.

• Penguin mothers lay only one egg each year in the cold Antarctic.

Why don't penguins in Antarctica build nests?

• There is nothing to build nests with.

• They are only there for a short time.

• Their eggs will never hatch in a nest.

• They are too lazy to make nests.

Soon after she lays an egg, the penguin mother leaves to ____

• find food

• find another mate

• get some exercise

• go someplace warmer

Which of these happens last when a chick hatches?

• The egg cracks open.

• The chick pecks and pecks.

• The chick's feathers get fluffy.

• The chick moves inside the egg.

What happens when the mother returns?

• The father stays by her side.

• The chick travels to open water.

• The mother stays for only a short time.

• The mothers feed and care for the chicks.

What can a junior penguin do?

• Build a nest

• Travel to the ocean

• Get food for its parents

• Stay on its parents' feet

What problem do emperor penguins face during their time in Antarctica?

• They must go for long periods without food.

• They cannot find enough ice for shelter.

• They must live with very hot weather in the summer.

• They get lost when they fly anywhere.

Fluffy down helps keep the new chicks warm in Antarctica.

Which meaning of down best fits the way it is used in this sentence?

• Warm skin

• Feeling sad

• To go lower

• Soft feathers

The penguin father shuffles his feet.

Which meaning of shuffles best fits the way it is used in this sentence?

• Acts in a careless manner

• Mixes a deck of playing cards

• Moves something from place to place

• Walks by dragging the feet

Which is not a problem that emperor penguins face when trying to raise chicks in Antarctica?

• the temperatures are very cold so the father must protect the egg

• there is little food near by so the mother must travel a long distance to get food

• sea lions and whales try to eat the baby penguins

• the down feathers give little protection against the freezing temps