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Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903).
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets.
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.
Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?
One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.
My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.
Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)
The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at \[the Blue Jay’s\] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”
Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.
It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.
Based on the passages, we can tell for sure that __________ has/have had firsthand experience interacting with a real live blue jay.
To answer this question, we need to figure out which of the passages' authors have certainly had experience interacting with a real live blue jay.
The author of Passage 1 has certainly interacted with a real live blue jay. We can tell this from sentences found in the passage like "One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie" and "Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy." In addition, throughout Passage 1, the author provides detailed observations of some of her pet blue jay's behaviors. This helps convey to the reader that she has worked with a live blue jay herself.
In contrast, the author of Passage 2 never claims to have interacted with a live blue jay. In the first paragraph, he gets information about blue jays from what a friend has written to him. All of his other claims about blue jays are general and do not rely on him actually having interacted with one firsthand.
Given these conclusions, the best answer choice is "the author of Passage 1."
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903).
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets.
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.
Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?
One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.
My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.
Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)
The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at \[the Blue Jay’s\] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”
Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.
It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.
Both passages provide examples of ways in which blue jays interact with other birds. What do these interactions have in common?
Before we can answer this question, we need to figure out where each passage describes an interaction between wild blue jays and other birds. In Passage 1, the fourth paragraph describes how Jakie would stir up a commotion and scare the other birds in the bird room by flying around the room making a lot of noise when there wasn't anything to be scared of. "One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic," the author writes. Later, she adds, "This gave him great pleasure." In the fifth paragraph, the author adds, "Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors." She then goes on to describe how a friend told her about how wild blue jays behave in a similar way, "playing this kind of a joke" on a flock of other birds.
In Passage 2, the last paragraph states, "It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief."
Now we can answer this question. What do all of these behaviors have in common? Jakie scaring the other birds in the bird room over nothing, the wild blue jays scaring a flock of other birds when there's no danger, and blue jays imitating the calls of other birds can all be summarized by this sentence from Passage 2: "They delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors . . . apparently out of pure mischief." We can't correctly claim that these interactions all involve food, nests, or helping birds get away from predators; however, we can state that "All the interactions involve the blue jays playing tricks on other birds." This is the correct answer.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903).
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets.
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.
Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?
One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.
My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.
Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)
The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at \[the Blue Jay’s\] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”
Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.
It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.
Both passages characterize blue jays as __________.
Both passages characterize blue jays as "mischievous." They do this directly. In the last paragraph of Passage 1, the author refers to wild blue jays as "the mischievous blue rogues." Also, the second paragraph states, "Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief . . . But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?" This is more evidence that whether or not Jakie is doing it on purpose, he is acting in a mischievous way.
Passage 2 also characterizes blue jays as mischievous. In its second paragraph, it states that blue jays "are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief." "Full of mischief" means "mischievous." The correct answer is "mischievous."
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
What is the topic of passage 1 and passage 2?
Passage 1 and passage 2 share a common topic: amphibians.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
Both passage 1 and passage 2 tell the reader about amphibians. How are the two passages different from each other?
Passage 1 tells the reader about some of the risks to amphibians, and passage 2 tells the reader about work being done to protect and save frogs and amphibians.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
How might you explain what you learned about pollution and frogs after reading this text?
This is the choice that best uses the information in the article.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
How do the problems in passage 1 and passage 2 compare?
This is the most accurate comparison of passage 1 and passage 2.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Rowen loves to read fables. When he reads a story, he knows it is a fable because:
Fables are stories that have animals that talk and act like people, and oftentimes have a moral.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
After reading both passages, the reader can tell for sure that the author of __________ has had firsthand experience with studying amphibians up close:
The author of passage 2 works in a zoo as a conservation biologist, where she works directly with animals. Based on this, we know and can see for certain that she has had firsthand experience with amphibians.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
Passage 1 and Passage 2 both describe amphibian habitats that are:
Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 directly describe “wetlands” as being an amphibian habitat.
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Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 describe ways that humans affect amphibians’ lives. What statement could you make about how this effect is described in both passages?
Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 discuss how humans are harming amphibians through construction and pollution, and both passages discuss how humans are working to help protect amphibians. Therefore, the best choice is “humans can either help or hurt amphibians with their actions”.
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A common chart used to compare and contrast two passages is a:
A Venn Diagram is a chart made of two overlapping circles. This kind of chart is used to compare and contrast by allowing a reader to clearly sort similarities and differences in a visual representation.
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Passage One
Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink.
Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution.
Passage Two
My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders. My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public, and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world. I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads, and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed. We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda, to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have a safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a place where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.
If you were going to write an essay contrasting these two passages, what sentence might you use in your writing?
If you were writing a contrasting essay, you would be writing about the differences between passage 1 and passage 2. This is the best choice because it correctly references the topics discussed in both passages.
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Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn, a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it, the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go, and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now, you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
How are the ants in the first story and Mouse in the second story similar to each other?
The ants have an opportunity to assist the Grasshopper, who is without food, and the Mouse saves the Lion from the hunter’s trap. They are both smaller creatures who help others.
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Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn, a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it, the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go, and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now, you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
How do the ants and Mouse react differently from each other when given a chance to help someone in need?
The ants decide that they will not help the Grasshopper because he has wasted his time instead of collecting food, whereas Mouse is repaying a favor to Lion and saves him. The creatures behave differently when faced with the opportunity of helping someone else.
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Adapted from Aesop’s Belling the Cat (620-560 BCE)
The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.
Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought good enough. At last, a very young Mouse got up and said: "I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful.
All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."
All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said:
"I will say that the plan of young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?"
Adapted from Aesop’s The Crow and the Pitcher (620-560 BCE)
In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.
Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble, the water rose a little higher until at last, it was near enough so he could drink.
How are these two passages similar?
Both of these stories are fables that are meant to teach a lesson or moral. The main characters in both stories have a problem that they must solve, and they plan first. This is characteristic of many fables.
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Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn, a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it, the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go, and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now, you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
How does the author's purpose compare in these works?
The purpose of these works is to share a lesson or moral that can be learned. These texts are meant to teach the reader a lesson that can be applied to their own lives in a meaningful way.
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Adapted from Aesop’s Belling the Cat (620-560 BCE)
The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.
Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought good enough. At last, a very young Mouse got up and said: "I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful.
All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing, we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."
All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said:
"I will say that the plan of young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?"
Adapted from Aesop’s The Crow and the Pitcher (620-560 BCE)
In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.
Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble, the water rose a little higher until at last, it was near enough so he could drink.
The themes of these passages are different but the author chose a similar genre to tell the story.
Why would an author choose a fable to explore this theme instead of a different genre?
Fables often use animals with human-like characteristics as the main characters to depict situations raiders can learn something from. Fables were passed down from generation to generation and retold to teach life lessons, so they are a genre frequently used to express a theme.
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