The Spider King

It must be nice being a bird. Who hasn't dreamed of being able to soar high in the sky? Some birds have it 

better than others. Would you believe that one type of bird, the maleo, even owns a private tropical beach?

Maleos most likely live in

• barred cages in the zoo.

• very tall trees near the clouds.

• a cold and snowy forest.

• a warm and wet environment.

Maleos are unique in the way they lay their eggs. They don't build their nests in trees like most birds. 

Instead, maleos lay their eggs in holes in the ground. And while most other female birds sit on their eggs to keep them warm, maleos do not need to sit on their eggs. The warm sand of Sulawesi keeps the eggs at the right temperature.

In what way are maleos different than other birds?

• They don’t sit on their eggs.

• The male maleos lay the eggs.

• They build their nests in trees.

• They live in holes in the sand.

When the eggs hatch, the newborn maleos dig themselves out of the sand. Unlike almost all other birds, maleos can fly as soon as they are born. They ______ into the forest of Sulawesi, where they spend the rest of their lives avoiding predators that love to gorge on the tasty birds.

Choose the word that best fills in the blank.

• jubilation

• severe

• soar

• preserve

In 2009, the United States Wildlife Conservation Society bought the beach on Sulawesi where the maleos 

live. The Conservation Society works to preserve animals that are in danger of dying out. The maleos are in trouble because of humans. Their eggs, which are five times as large as chicken eggs, are eaten by the people of Sulawesi. By giving the birds a private beach, the Conservation Society hopes to stop people from eating the eggs. This will help the maleo population grow, saving these fascinating birds for generations to come.

Which of the following best describes the Conservation Society?

• They operate a zoo to make money.

• They work to protect and save wildlife.

• They are a hotel with a private beach.

• They keep animals and sell their eggs.

The thief _______ the wires on the alarm system before he broke into the museum.

• severed

• preserved

• soared

• intercepted

I wonder if people who live in a _______ climate ever get tired of the hot weather?

• gorge

• occasional

• jubilant

• tropical

My dad does an annoying _______ dance whenever he beats me at basketball.

• tropical

• jubilation

• talons

• illuminated

The cowboy marveled at the high cliffs as he passed through the _______.

• talons

• intercept

• gorge

• tropical

One way to _______ fruit is to dry it out; it lasts much longer that way.

• illuminate

• sever

• preserve

• intercept

Which of the following is an example of the word intercept?

• a teacher taking a note away before you can pass it to your friend

• student jumping for joy when he learns he passed a class

• a hungry person stuffing his mouth full of food

• a technician connecting electrical wires