Reading Comprehension 1
Mongooses
Directions: Read
the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text
to check your answers when appropriate.
If you plan on
going to Hawaii, don't bring any pets. Hawaiians are wary of letting in
foreign animals. Your beloved Rex or Fi-fi could spend up to 120 days in
quarantine. They have strict rules for importing animals. They carefully
screen all incoming pets. Who could blame them? They've had problems with new
animals in the past.
The black rat
was introduced to Hawaii in the 1780s. These ugly suckers originated in Asia, but they migrated
to Europe in the 1st century. Since then they've snuck on European ships and
voyaged the world with them. These rats carry many diseases including the
plague. They are also good at surviving and tend to displace native species.
That means that after they infest an area, there will be fewer birds and more
black rats. Most people prefer living around birds.
Since their
arrival in Hawaii, black rats have been pests. They've feasted on sea turtle
eggs. They've eaten tree saplings, preventing trees from being reforested.
And they've been a leading cause in the extinction of more than 70
species of Hawaiian birds. They love to climb trees to eat bird eggs. They
also compete with forest birds for food, such as snails, insects, and seeds.
Perhaps more
troubling, black rats threaten humans. They spread germs and incubate
disease. They are a vector for more than 40 deadly illnesses. Some think that
rat-borne diseases have killed more people than war in the last 1,000 years.
Rats also eat our food. They eat more than 20% of the world's farmed food.
And that's why the mongoose was brought to Hawaii.
|
During the mid
1800s, the Hawaiian sugar industry was thriving. Americans were just
realizing that they loved sugar. Hawaii was pretty much the only place in
America where one could grow sugarcane. But those filthy vermin were tearing
up the fields. Black rats were destroying entire crops. What's a plantation
owner to do? The answer is simple. Import an animal known to kill rats. What
could go wrong with that? In 1883 plantation owners imported 72 mongooses and
began breeding them.
People revere
the mongoose in its homeland of India. They are often kept tame in Indian
households. Mongooses feed on snakes, rats, and lizards, creatures that most
people dislike. They are also cute and furry. And they kill deadly cobras.
What's not to love? Sadly, India is a much different place than Hawaii.
When the
mongooses got to Hawaii, they did not wipe out the rats as plantation owners
hoped. Instead, they joined them in ravaging the birds, lizards, and small
plants that were native to Hawaii. It's not that the mongooses became friends
with the rats. They still ate a bunch of them. But mongooses are not too
different from most other animals: they go for the easy meal. In Hawaii they
had a choice. Pursue the elusive black rat or munch on turtle eggs while
tanning on the beach. Most took the easy route.
|
1. Based on the text, which best
explains how black rats were introduced to Hawaii?
a. The native Hawaiians imported
them to solve a problem with their crops.
b. The Asians brought them to
Hawaii when they first arrived.
c. The Europeans brought them on
their ships.
d. The rats were able to swim to
Hawaii from Asia.
2. Which best defines the word originate
as it was used in the second paragraph?
a. To come from a place b.
To go to a place
c. To become independent d. To
wander the world
3. Which event happened first?
a. The mongoose was introduced to
Hawaii
b. The black rat was introduced to
Hawaii
c. The black rat migrated to
Europe
d. Plantation owners bred
mongooses
4. Which statement would the
author most likely disagree with?
a. Black rats threaten many
creatures native to Hawaii.
b. Mongooses threaten many
creatures native to Hawaii.
c. Mongooses were brought to
Hawaii intentionally.
d. The only reason people dislike
rats is because they are ugly.
5. Which best express the author's
main purpose in writing this text?
a. To persuade readers to protect
the endangered mongoose
b. To describe the habits and
hazards of the black rat
c. To inform readers about species
that have invaded Hawaii
d. To entertain readers with tales
of a mongoose's adventures
6. Which best expresses the main
idea of the sixth paragraph?
a. This paragraph is about Indian
culture and wildlife.
b. This paragraph is about the
mongoose's role in Indian society.
c. This paragraph is about the
lifecycle of the mongoose.
d. This paragraph is about how
mongooses migrated to India.
7. Which statement is false
according to information in the text?
a. Rats eat lots of vegetation and
crops.
b. Mongooses eat sea turtle eggs.
c. Rats climb trees and eat bird
eggs.
d. Mongooses have spread more than
40 diseases.
8. Which best explains why
plantation owners imported mongooses to Hawaii?
a. Mongooses eat rats. b. Mongooses are fuzzy and adorable.
c. Mongooses make great household
pets. d. Mongooses kill
deadly cobras.
9. Which best defines the word revere
as it is used in the sixth paragraph?
a. To dislike someone or something b. To respect someone
or something
c. To hunt someone or something d. To get rid of
someone or something
10. Which title best expresses the
main idea of this text?
a. Travel Procedures: Getting
in and out of Hawaii with Pets
b. Unwanted: The Journey of the
Black Rat to Hawaii
c. Uncovered: What the Real
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is Like
d. Backfired: Solving Problems
with Problems in Hawaii
Long Response
1. The mongoose is praised in
Indian culture and hated in Hawaiian culture. Why is this animal perceived
differently in these environments? Cite information from the text to support
your response. Explain your evidence thoroughly.
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What lesson can readers learn
from this text? Cite several examples of text to support your argument. Explain
your support clearly.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why did the mongoose fail to remove the black rat population from Hawaii? Use evidence from the text to support your argument. Explain your evidence and how it connects to your argument.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Comments
Post a Comment