Short Comprehension Reading

A Problem at the Zoo

Mr. Gonzalez's class was worried. The polar bears at the zoo were acting nervous. The oldest bear was swimming all the time. He never rested!

The zookeeper told the kids the problem was noise. The bear reserve was near the highway. The bears heard cars go by. Drivers blew their horns. What could be done?

The class wrote letters to the mayor. The mayor suggested lowering the speed limit for the cars. She also said she could post signs that said, “NO HONKING! It disturbs the bears.” The signs went up and the speed limit was lowered.

The class noticed right away that the bears were napping more. They felt they had made a change using their government.

How did the class solve the polar bears’ problem?

• They used the government to solve it.

• They made phone calls to solve it.

• They ignored the problem.

• They wrote the signs.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What is the primary reason polar bears at the zoo were acting nervous according to the comprehension?

• Noise from the highway

• Lack of food

• Too many visitors

• Cold weather

How did the class contribute to solving the polar bears' problem?

• By writing letters to the mayor

• By feeding the bears

• By moving the bears to a new location

• By building a new enclosure

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

What action did the mayor take to help the polar bears?

• Lowered the speed limit and posted signs

• Built a new zoo

• Moved the highway

• Increased the number of zookeepers

What was the effect of the actions taken to reduce noise on the polar bears?

• The bears napped more

• The bears became more aggressive

• The bears stopped eating

• The bears moved to another area

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What scientific concept can be related to the bears' sensitivity to noise?

• Sound waves and their impact on animals

• Photosynthesis

• Magnetic fields

• Chemical reactions

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-8

NGSS.MS-PS4-1

Which of the following is a real-world application of using government to solve environmental issues?

• Implementing noise control measures

• Developing new animal species

• Creating artificial habitats

• Increasing zoo ticket prices

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

What type of data interpretation is demonstrated by the class noticing the bears napping more?

• Observational data analysis

• Statistical data analysis

• Experimental data analysis

• Theoretical data analysis

Which scientific experiment could be conducted to further study the bears' behavior?

• Measuring noise levels and observing bear activity

• Testing different diets for the bears

• Changing the temperature of the enclosure

• Introducing new animals to the enclosure

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

What is a possible hypothesis for the bears' nervous behavior?

• Noise pollution affects animal behavior

• Bears prefer warmer climates

• Bears need more food

• Bears are nocturnal animals

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4