directions: read the passage and answer the …loticonnection.cachefly.net/global_documents/...grade...

GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS

CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE PAGE 1

DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Big Cats1 Wild cats are some of Earth's grandest treasures, and their stories excite the imaginations of people of all ages. Many of these lords of the wild are endangered. Even though there are so many different kinds of wild cats around the world, they have many similar characteristics. 2 However, each faces different challenges for survival. One day, you may be responsible for making important decisions about the natural world and the many animals who share it. Consider the cats of the world as one example of animals who play an important role in the food chain wherever they are found around the Earth.3 In Africa, they say that a male lion’s roar is asking, “Whose land is this?” He then answers, “It is mine, mine, mine!” It is hard to listen to this ancient challenge without edging a little closer to the campfire. What is behind that remarkable call?

Superb Predators4 Tigers and lions are among nature's grandest predators. A grizzly bear may be larger than a Siberian tiger, but the tiger is much quicker. A wolf may have a better sense of smell than a jaguar, but a jaguar can handle large prey alone while wolves hunt in packs. Cats have excellent night vision, sharp hearing and enormous physical strength. They sneak up on their prey. The camouflage patterns in their fur and their graceful, quiet movements make the cats difficult to notice.


PAGE 2 CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE

5 There are cats for every job. Each continent except Antarctica has its cat king. Africa is ruled by the lion. The tiger rules Asia. In South and Central America, the monarch is certainly the jaguar. North America is the domain of the puma. Australia has no big cats, but it has many small cats that descend from tame cats. These tame cats have now gone wild. These cats have become keen predators even if they are much the same as the pet cats that you have met.6 The natural order is carefully balanced. There are a few big predators. Under them are more medium-sized cats that eat medium-sized prey ranging from rabbits to antelopes and deer. Finally, there are many small cats including loose pet cats. These smaller cats eat small prey like insects, rodents, lizards, and birds. The secret to cat success is that each type has a special place in the food chain that helps keep it from competing with others. A shopping mall with nothing but music stores would see a lot of fighting over customers. Like a shopping mall, a natural environment keeps order by having a variety of different plants, prey species, and hunters. The field mice that do not interest the tiger keep the wild cat happy. The cheetah zooms after a small antelope while leaving the buffalo for the stronger lions.

Meat on the Menu7 Cats hunt because they need meat to survive. Animals that eat grass and leaves have special stomachs in which bacteria breaks down complex plant sugars into the simpler sugars they can digest. Cats are carnivores who have a very short digestive tract that quickly breaks down meat and absorbs its energy and building materials. Cats cannot survive on a diet of grass. They live from the meat they can get from other plant-eating animals. That is how the food chain works.

Intelligence8 Cats are one of the most intelligent species on Earth. Most cats are very curious and can learn quickly. Large predators need to be extra smart in order to be successful as hunters. Mother cats spend one to two years teaching their offspring. This is a long time for growing cats to learn survival skills. This time is like their school where they learn how to deal with the world they live in.

READING PASSAGE: BIG CATS • GRADE 5

PAGE 3

Found Everywhere But Safe Nowhere9 Cats are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia, but many of these wonderful creatures face extinction. Many others are critically endangered. Cats are often hunted for their fur or meat. In Asia, thousands of tigers are killed each year just for their body parts. They are also killed by people who want to protect the animals the cats might hunt. Still other people hunt cats for sport. Finally, the environment that cats need to survive is also in danger from human destruction.10 Fortunately, more and more people now think of cats as companions to be admired rather than enemies to be destroyed.



1. The first two paragraphs in this passage are connected to the rest of the passage because

A they tell the reader that the passage is about cats being the lords of the wild all around the world.

B they set the stage for the author's plan to discuss cats from all over the world.

C they connect the different cats from around the world to the fact that many of these cats are endangered.

D they show which types of cats can be found on each of the continents except Antarctica.

2. What does the word, intelligent, mean in Paragraph 8?

A smart

B curious

C fast

D sleepy

3. From information in this passage, the reader can conclude that cats

A are one of the oldest species to become household pets.

B can live alongside humans in all settings and places.

C can race faster than all other animals in the food chain.

D all over the world face some of the same challenges.



4. According to the passage, which characteristics of big cats make them great hunters?

A Big cats have an amazing ability to jump, are found on all continents, and require a range of plant and animal food sources.

B Big cats have excellent night vision, sharp hearing and enormous physical strength.

C Big cats have superior jaw strength, are larger than Grizzly Bears, and blend well into their surroundings.

D Big cats have extremely strong leg muscles, eat small prey, and hunt in packs.

5. In the passage it states, “Like a shopping mall, a natural environment keeps order by having a variety of different plants, prey species, and hunters.” What is the best meaning of this statement?

A Animals like to live in malls because there so many places to eat and places to hide.

B The natural environment has different parts that have to work together in order for all animals to survive.

C Cats and shoppers have much in common because they are both trying to hunt a good deal.

D The cats in the pet store are different species just like the cats in the wild are different species.

6. Which statement below shows a cause and effect relationship specifically mentioned in the passage?

A Zoos breed endangered species to help save them.

B Cats hunt because they need meat to survive.

C Cats have a very short digestive tract to digest their meals.

D People now think of cats as companions to be admired.



7. What does the word, predators, mean in paragraph 5?

A animals that hunt and live off other animals

B animals that chase other animals at night and during the day

C really fast animals that are good at hunting

D animals that are becoming extinct

8. According to the passage, cats are intelligent. Which of the following is used to support that statement?

A Tigers and lions are among nature's grandest predators.

B Mother cats spend one to two years teaching their offspring.

C Their graceful, quiet movements make the cats difficult to notice.

D Cats are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia.

9. The author organizes the passage by

A showing how people have made it easier for cats to survive by saving their environment.

B making the connection between how cats are trained by their mothers to hunt and how their need for plants and small animals helps them to survive.

C showing how different cats from around the world have faced challenges and how their skills and strengths help them survive.

D encouraging readers of the article to see big cats as companions to be placed in zoos rather than to be destroyed in the wild.



10. According to the passage, tigers and lions are among nature's grandest predators. Which of the following is used to support that statement?

A Under big cats are more medium-sized cats that eat medium-sized prey.

B A grizzly bear may be larger than a Siberian tiger, but the tiger is much quicker.

C Each continent except Antarctica has its cat king.

D They live from the meat they can get from other plant-eating animals.

11. Review the graphic organizer showing ideas from this passage to the right. Which detail belongs in the blank box?

A Soft Fur

B Plant Eater

C Very Intelligent

D Extremely Lucky

12. In Paragraph 7, the author uses the word, carnivores. Below is the dictionary entry for this term.

carnivores plural of car·ni·vore (Noun) 1. An animal that feeds on flesh. 2. A mammal of the order Carnivora.

How does this word impact the meaning of the paragraph?

A It provides the scientific word for animals who eat meat.

B It forces the reader to use the dictionary.

C It shows that cats are considered smart and easy to tame.

D It explains how food webs work in the wild.

Factors that Make Big Cats Superior Predators

Sharp Hearing

Excellent Speed



13. The passage encourages the reader to consider how humans may be responsible for making important decisions about the natural world and the many animals who share it. What is the most likely reason the author included this sentence?

A The author was expecting the reader to adopt a cat from an animal shelter.

B The author was hoping to convince the reader to care about cats around the world.

C The author believes that cats are an example of an animal that should live only in a zoo.

D The author believes that cats should be allowed to hunt small animals once in awhile to protect the food chain.

14. What does it mean when the passage states that, “The natural order is carefully balanced?”

A Each species of cat fills a specific role in the food web where the larger cats eat the larger prey and the smaller cats eat the smaller prey.

B Cats have really good balance and can always land on their feet if they fall or jump from heights.

C Each continent has specific species of cats that live only on that continent to keep the cats from killing each other.

D The number of cats on each continent is equal to the number of plants and animals that serve as the primary diet for these large creatures.

directions: read the passage and answer the …loticonnection.cachefly.net/global_documents/...grade...

Documents