EOG Practice: RL.1 RL.2 [4954576]
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EOG Practice: RL.1 RL.2
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Growing This Fish in Big Tanks Is
a Big Challenge!
by Marcia Wood
Have you ever heard of Florida pompano (pronounced POM-puh-no)? It’s a flat, silvery
fish and it is very delicious! In fact, people who know a lot about fish say that Florida
pompano is one of the best-tasting kinds of fish in the world to eat. Maybe that’s one
reason why it costs so much to buy pompano at the fish market or at a restaurant.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Florida are discovering many new
and important secrets about this tasty fish. It lives in the warm waters off the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts.
Why are the scientists studying pompano?
Because they want fish farmers to be able to grow Florida pompano in big tanks,
somewhat the same way that trout and catfish are grown in big outdoor ponds.
These pompano fish farms would be environmentally friendly. For example, the water
that the fish would live in would be cleaned in filters and reused as many times as
possible, instead of just being dumped into the ocean after it is used only once.
Raising pompano in big tanks inland, hundreds of miles from the sea, could help
everyone be sure that there will always be lots of wild pompano in the sea. People could
buy and eat the pompano from the fish farm instead of mostly only being able to buy
pompano that had been caught from the sea.
Sometimes, if a fish is too popular, a problem called “overfishing” can happen. The fish
could become harder and harder to find in the ocean. The fish might even disappear
completely.
The trouble with pompano is that no one really knows very much about how to grow big,
healthy pompano in big tanks at a fish farm.
That’s why scientists like Chuck Weirich, formerly ARS, are trying to learn as much as
they can about pompano.
In one study, Weirich worked with 50,000 baby pompano. That’s a lot of little fish! He
wanted to find out what these little fish eat so that they could be fed correctly as they
grow in the big tanks.
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In their earliest days of life, baby pompano are almost transparent. That means they are
almost invisible.
So how do you see what kind of things the baby fish can or can’t catch and swallow if
you can’t even see the little fish, even if you squint your eyes very, very hard?
For example, if you put tasty brine shrimp* in the tank for the baby pompano to eat, what
size would be just right for the little pompano to be able to catch and swallow?
At first, Weirich didn’t know what to do to solve this problem. Then, he had an idea. He
used digital cameras to take digital photos of the baby pompano. Then, he used a
computer to analyze the photos. The computer could see what Weirich could not see.
For example, the computer could help him measure the size of the tiny mouths of the
tiny fish. That way, he could figure out what sizes of brine shrimp the baby pompano
were able to eat as they grew and grew in the big tanks.
Weirich is a fish biologist. He worked with a team of ARS scientists who are stationed at
the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Weirich is happy that his idea of using a camera and a computer solved the problem
of not being able to see and measure the baby pompano. He did a lot of thinking to
come up with this solution. If you like thinking hard and not giving up when you have a
tough problem to solve, maybe you’ll want to be a scientist, too.
Now the scientists are trying to discover other things about pompano. Then, they will
share what they know with fish farmers.
Maybe someday soon it will be easy to buy and eat pompano raised at fish farms,
instead of pompano fished from the sea. When that happens, you may remember this
story about these scientists who helped find out how to raise delicious pompano in a
new, Earth-friendly way.
brine shrimp: a tiny aquatic crustacean
*
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/CreatureFeature/Pompano/textonly.htm (03/14/2013).
1.
Based on paragraph 16, what can be inferred about being a scientist?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Scientists
Scientists
Scientists
Scientists
EOG Practice: RL.1 RL.2
must
must
must
must
be very intelligent.
like working with animals.
be able to solve difficult problems.
be able to work with different people.
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2.
Which quote from the text suggests that growing these fish on aquatic
farms would help the environment?
A. “They want fish farmers to be able to grow Florida pompano in big
tanks, somewhat the same way that trout and catfish are grown in
big outdoor ponds.”
B. “The water that the fish would live in would be cleaned in filters and
reused as many times as possible, instead of just being dumped into
the ocean after it is used only once.”
C. “Sometimes, if a fish is too popular, a problem called ‘overfishing’
can happen.”
D. “The fish could become harder and harder to find in the ocean.”
3.
Based on paragraph 2, what can be inferred about the pompano?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The pompano is an endangered species.
Warm ocean water makes pompano taste better.
Scientists have much to learn about the pompano.
The pompano has many similarities to catfish and trout.
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The Mole Awakes
by S. C. Schmucker
One of the facts discovered by a student of nature is that every part of an animal’s body
is fitted to perform its special task, and to help the animal live in the surroundings where
it finds its home. Notice three ways in which the mole’s bodily equipment is fitted to the
life he leads.
“Dig” is expressed in every line of the mole’s body. Digging is his lifework, and to
this Nature has adapted his every organ. His eyes are of no use in this underground life,
and so they have dwindled away until externally there is little sign of them. Objects he
probably never sees with any distinctness,1 though he still can tell light from darkness.
But he seems to recognize light only to avoid it. In the darkness of his tunnels not only
would his eyes be useless, but dirt would be apt to get into them while he is digging; so
they are gradually leaving him.
The ears, too, or that part of them that projects from the head, would be in the way. So
they have been discarded. The inner and most important part of the ear, however, still
remains, and the mole hears quite well.
His most remarkable difference from ordinary animals is in the arms. These are
very short, and the hands are broad, hard, . . . and have very firm claws. When I catch a
good, vigorous mole, I find I scarcely have force enough in my thumb and forefinger to
hold his front feet together. He can often separate them in spite of all my straining. His
other muscles are comparatively weak. The hands have been altered into great shovels,
and when he tries to walk over smooth, level ground or on a floor he moves with odd,
quick steps, resting on the sides and not on the palms of his hands. He reminds one of
a wind-up toy that is held in the air and allowed to run down. But when he gets under
the sod, the heaving line that forms over him as he digs shows that there he is in his
proper element. Most animals would get dirty leading such a life, but you never see a
cleaner animal than the mole. He comes out of the loose earth and squirms about a
little, and he is clean. His smooth gray fur, shading to a silvery hue2 when it is ruffled, is
very short and close and exceedingly dry. Indeed I know no animal with a more velvety
coat. He would be a delightful pet to handle were it not for his ceaseless wriggling. Then
too he carries a strong musky odor. This latter, indeed, is his only defense and I fear it is
a poor one. Certainly it does not usually deter3 a dog from snapping him up. But
perhaps it is meant for his friends rather than his foes. Friendly moles may scent each
other from afar.
The mole is a reversible machine. He can run forward or backward at will. Probably as a
result of this habit, it is wonderful how alike are the two ends of his body, his nose and
his tail. Each is slender and each is bare; each is very sensitive, and the tail is just
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about as long as the nose. I think he uses whichever happens to precede, as a feeler,
when he is making his way through his tunnel. For once having made a good big
runway, he is very apt to keep on using it through the season. I doubt not he is often
forced to travel backwards through his burrow. Then his tail must serve him as an
effective guide.
1
distinctness: noticing or recognizing a difference between people or things
2
hue: a color
3
deter: discourage
The Silent Readers: Sixth Reader by William D. Lewis, Albert L. Rowland, and Ethel H.
Maltby. Gehres. Project Gutenberg, 2012. www.gutenberg.org/files/40369/40369h/40369-h.htm#Page_117 (07/09/2013).
4.
Based on paragraph 2 of the text, what can be inferred about the mole’s
eyesight?
A. The mole’s vision is weak from the animal living in prolonged
darkness.
B. The mole’s eyes are so small that complete blindness can occur.
C. The mole is attracted to the light that is visible in the tunnel.
D. The mole is able to see better than it is able to hear.
5.
What can be inferred from the last paragraph of the text?
A. More scientific researchers will want to catch pompano from the sea
to study them.
B. The research of scientists may lead to pompano being raised on fish
farms.
C. Pompano will become more expensive for the people who decide to
buy it.
D. Pompano will be remembered as a delicious fish to eat.
6.
Which quote from the text shows that the mole adapts to its
surroundings?
A. “In the darkness of his tunnels not only would his eyes be useless,
but dirt would be apt to get into them.”
B. “He reminds one of a wind-up toy that is held in the air and allowed
to run down.”
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C. “Most animals would get dirty leading such a life, but you never see
a cleaner animal than the mole.”
D. “I think he uses whichever happens to precede, as a feeler, when he
is making his way through his tunnel.”
7.
Which quote from the text suggests that there can be consequences for
wildlife when people like to eat a certain type of fish?
A. “Florida pompano is one of the best-tasting kinds of fish in the
world.”
B. “These pompano fish farms would be environmentally friendly.”
C. “Sometimes, if a fish is too popular, a problem called ‘overfishing’
can happen.”
D. “No one really knows very much about how to grow big, healthy
pompano in big tanks at a fish farm.”
8.
Based on paragraph 4, what can be inferred about the mole’s
movements?
A. The mole protects the soft, tender part of its feet by walking on the
sides.
B. The mole’s feet look similar to and appear to function like human
hands.
C. The mole protects itself by making fast, unpredictable movements.
D. The mole’s feet are designed for propelling its body through soil.
Calling the Violet
by Lucy Larcom
Dear little Violet,
Don’t be afraid!
Lift your blue eyes
From the rock’s mossy shade!
All the birds call for you
Out of the sky:
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May is here, waiting,
And here, too, am I.
Why do you shiver so,
Violet sweet?
Soft is the meadow grass
Under my feet.
Wrapped in your hood of green,
Violet, why
Peep from your earth door
So silent and shy?
Trickle the little brooks
Close to your bed;
Softest of fleecy clouds
Float overhead;
“Ready and waiting!”
The slender reeds sigh:
“Ready and waiting!”
We sing—May and I.
Come, pretty Violet,
Winter’s away:
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Come, for without you
May isn’t May.
Down through the sunshine
Wings flutter and fly—
Quick, little Violet,
Open your eye!
Hear the rain whisper,
“Dear Violet, come!”
How can you stay
In your underground home?
Up in the pine boughs
For you the winds sigh.
Homesick to see you
Are we—May and I.
Ha! though you care not
For call or for shout.
Yon* troop of sunbeams
Are winning you out.
Now all is beautiful
Under the sky:
May’s here—and violets!
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Winter, good-bye!
*
yon: those
The Heath Readers: Fourth Reader by D. C. Heath.
www.archive.org/stream/heathreader04heath#page/244/mode/2up (06/24/2013).
9.
Which quote shows the speaker appreciates the violet?
A.
B.
C.
D.
“Lift your blue eyes / From the rock’s mossy shade!”
“Why do you shiver so, / Violet sweet?”
“How can you stay / In your underground home?”
“Homesick to see you / Are we—May and I.”
10. Which statement from the text suggests a mole has strength?
A. “ ‘Dig’ is expressed in every line of the mole’s body.”
B. “His most remarkable difference from ordinary animals is in the
arms.”
C. “When I catch a good, vigorous mole, I find I scarcely have force
enough in my thumb and forefinger to hold his front feet together.”
D. “But when he gets under the sod, the heaving line that forms over
him as he digs shows that there he is in his proper element.”
11. Which lines suggest the violets are gaining victory over the cold?
A.
B.
C.
D.
“Peep from your earth door / So silent and shy?”
“Quick, little Violet, / Open your eye!”
“Homesick to see you / Are we—May and I.”
“May’s here—and violets! / Winter, good-bye!”
12. Which quote from the text describes a distinguishing feature of the
mole?
A. “ ‘Dig’ is expressed in every line of the mole’s body.”
B. “The ears, too, or that part of them that projects from the head,
would be in the way.”
C. “His most remarkable difference from ordinary animals is in the
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arms.”
D. “The mole is a reversible machine.”
13. What can be inferred about the speaker in lines 25–32?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The
The
The
The
speaker
speaker
speaker
speaker
despises winter weather.
wants the violet to face its fears.
is afraid the violet will never bloom.
believes the violet is an important part of spring.
14. According to paragraph 2, what can be inferred about the mole’s
adaptations to its living conditions?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
A
A
A
mole
mole
mole
mole
has damaged eyes due to the dirt it often digs.
has small eyes because it lives underground.
can see objects distinctly in the darkness.
avoids light because it is active at night.
15. What can be inferred about the violets from lines 3 and 4?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They
They
They
They
need
need
need
need
EOG Practice: RL.1 RL.2
to
to
to
to
stay contained underground for protection.
remain in the ground until ready to bloom.
bloom because spring has arrived.
grow taller to be in the sunshine.
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Excerpt from The Sign of the
Four: “The Statement of the Case”
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
“A very unique case,” remarked Holmes.
“I have not yet described to you the most amazing part. About six years ago—to be
exact, upon the 4th of May, 1882—an advertisement appeared in The Times asking for
the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come
forward. There was no name or address. I had at that time just entered the family of
Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. By her advice I published my address
in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small
cardboard box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and beautiful
pearl. No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date
there has always appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue as
to the sender. They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of
considerable value. You can see for yourselves that they are very pretty.” She opened a
flat box as she spoke, and showed me six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen.
“Your statement is most interesting,” said Sherlock Holmes. “Has anything else
occurred to you?”
“Yes. That is why I have come to you. This morning I received this letter, which you will
perhaps read for yourself.”
“Thank you,” said Holmes. “The envelope too, please. Postmark, London, S.W. Date,
July 7. Hum! Man’s thumbmark on corner,— probably postman. Best quality paper.
Envelopes at sixpence a packet. Particular man in his stationery. No address. ‘Be at the
third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre tonight at seven o’clock. If you are
distrustful, bring two friends. You are a wronged woman, and shall have justice. Do not
bring police. If you do, all will be in vain. Your unknown friend.’ Well, really, this is a very
pretty little mystery. What do you intend to do, Miss Morstan?”
“That is exactly what I want to ask you.
“Then we shall most certainly go. You and I and—yes, why, Dr. Watson is the very man.
Your correspondent says two friends. He and I have worked together before.
“We shall look out for you, then, at six. Pray allow me to keep the papers. I may look
into the matter before then. It is only half-past three. Au revoir, then.”
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“Au revoir,” said our visitor, and, with a bright, kindly glance from one to the other of us,
she replaced her pearl box in her bosom and hurried away. Standing at the window, I
watched her walking briskly down the street, until the gray turban and white feather
were but a speck in the somber* crowd.
“What a very attractive woman!” I exclaimed, turning to my companion.
*somber: grave or gloomy in character
Excerpt from The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. Project Gutenberg, 2000.
www.gutenberg.org/files/2097 (09/25/2013).
16. In the letter, why did the writer advise, “If you are distrustful, bring two
friends”?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Miss
Miss
Miss
Miss
Morstan
Morstan
Morstan
Morstan
is not dependable.
is an unreliable person.
needed to feel comfortable.
wanted to accompany the sender.
17. Which quote from the text emphasizes the mystery of Miss Morstan’s
story?
A. “I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in
the capacity of governess.”
B. “By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column.”
C. “Since then every year upon the same date there has always
appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue
as to the sender.”
D. “They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety
and of considerable value.”
18. What was Sherlock Holmes able to determine by looking at the
envelope?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the
the
the
the
quality of the stationery
address of the sender
name of the postman
motive of the sender
19. What can be inferred from the sentence below?
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“Do not bring police. If you do, all will be in vain.”
A. Miss Morstan was afraid for her safety.
B. The letter’s writer is afraid of the police.
C. Miss Morstan had stolen the pearls in the box.
D. The efforts of the letter’s writer will be for nothing.
20. Why did Miss Mary Morstan decide to contact Sherlock Holmes?
A.
B.
C.
D.
She
She
She
She
wanted
wanted
wanted
wanted
his advice and help.
to meet Dr. Watson.
him to write a letter.
him to find the pearls.
21. What can be inferred from the statement below?
“You are a wronged woman, and shall have justice.”
A.
B.
C.
D.
The
The
The
The
writer
writer
writer
writer
EOG Practice: RL.1 RL.2
of
of
of
of
the
the
the
the
letter
letter
letter
letter
is
is
is
is
someone she does not know.
sending her pearls.
going to help her.
Mrs. Cecil.
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Excerpt from “How Do We Know
the Climate Is Changing?”
So what if Earth gets a tiny bit warmer?
The sky is still blue. Trees are still green. Wind still blows. Clouds are still white and
fluffy. Rain still pours from the sky. Snow falls and it still gets really cold sometimes in
some places. Earth is still beautiful. So what is the problem? What is the fuss about
climate change and global warming?
Well, after observing and making lots of measurements, using lots of NASA*
satellites and special instruments, scientists see some alarming changes. These
changes are happening fast—much faster than these kinds of changes have happened
in Earth’s long past.
Global air temperatures near Earth′s surface rose almost one and one-half degrees
Fahrenheit in the last century. Eleven of the last twelve years have been the warmest
on record. Earth has warmed twice as fast in the last fifty years as in the fifty years
before that.
One and one-half degrees may not seem like much. But when we are talking about
the average over the whole Earth, lots of things start to change.
Why is Earth getting warmer?
Here′s one clue: as the temperature goes up, the amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, in
the air goes up. And as the carbon dioxide goes up, the temperature goes up even
more.
*****
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. That means it traps heat from Earth′s surface
and holds the heat in the atmosphere. Scientists have learned that, throughout Earth’s
history, temperature and CO2 levels in the air are closely tied.
How do we know what Earth was like long ago?
A big part of the answer is ice cores. In Antarctica, scientists have drilled down two
miles below the surface and brought up samples of the ice. These samples are called
ice cores. It′s like what you get if you plunge a drinking straw into a slushy drink and pull
it out with your finger over the end of the straw. What you will have inside the straw is
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an ice core—although a very slushy one.
The layers in an Arctic ice core are frozen solid. They give clues about every year of
Earth′s history back to the time the deepest layer was formed. The ice contains bubbles
of the air from each year. Scientists analyze the bubbles in each layer to see how much
CO2 they contain. Scientists can also learn about the temperatures for each year by
measuring relative amounts of different types of oxygen atoms in the water.
(Remember, water is H2O: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen.)
Other scientists study cores of sediment from the bottom of the ocean or lakes. Or
they study tree rings and layers of rocks to give them clues about climate change
throughout history. They compare all their findings to see whether they agree. If they do,
then their findings are accepted as most likely true. If they don’t agree, they go back and
figure out what is wrong with their methods. In the case of Earth′s climate history, the
facts agree from a lot of different kinds of studies.
How can so little warming cause so much melting?
Water can soak up a lot of heat. When the oceans get warmer, sea ice begins to melt in
the Arctic and around Greenland. NASA′s Earth satellites show us that every summer
some Arctic ice melts and shrinks, getting smallest by September. Then, when winter
comes, the ice grows again. But, since 1979, the September ice has been getting
smaller and smaller and thinner and thinner.
Glaciers are another form of melting, shrinking ice. Glaciers are frozen rivers. They flow
like rivers, only much slower. Lately, they have been speeding up. Many of them flow
toward the ocean, then break off in chunks—sometimes huge chunks. In places such as
Glacier National Park, the glaciers are melting and disappearing. The air is getting
warmer, and less snow is falling during winter to renew the melted parts of the glaciers.
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
*
Courtesy of NASA. www.climatekids.nasa.gov/climate-change-evidence/ (07/17/2013).
22. What can be inferred about ice cores, based on paragraph 8?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ice cores are important when scientists look for historical trends.
Scientists are unaware of how to analyze ice cores correctly.
Scientists rely too heavily on ice cores for information.
Ice cores offer little information for scientists to study.
23. Which quote from the text suggests ocean temperatures are rising?
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A. “Global air temperatures near Earth′s surface rose almost one and
one-half degrees Fahrenheit in the last century.”
B. “In Antarctica, scientists have drilled down two miles below the
surface and brought up samples of the ice.”
C. “Scientists can also learn about the temperatures for each year by
measuring relative amounts of different types of oxygen atoms in
the water.”
D. “But, since 1979, the September ice has been getting smaller and
smaller and thinner and thinner.”
24. What can be inferred about the research on global warming, based on
paragraph 9?
A. Scientists have difficulty with the idea of climate change because the
findings from studies fail to agree.
B. Findings from studies of ocean waters offer the strongest clues about
what is happening to Earth’s climate.
C. Findings from various studies can provide evidence of changes in
Earth’s climate.
D. Scientists base their findings primarily on studies done with trees
and rocks.
25. What can be inferred from the section “Why is Earth getting warmer?”
A. Scientists are still studying the warming of Earth.
B. Carbon dioxide is closely related to the warming of Earth.
C. Carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere increase steadily
throughout the year.
D. Higher levels of greenhouse gases are required for maintaining
Earth’s surface temperatures.
26. Which quote from the text suggests that global warming is affecting the
planet?
A. “Scientists have learned that, throughout Earth’s history,
temperature and CO2 levels in the air are closely tied.”
B. “In Antarctica, scientists have drilled down two miles below the
surface and brought up samples of the ice.”
C. “They study tree rings and layers of rocks to give them clues about
climate change throughout history.”
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D. “In places such as Glacier National Park, the glaciers are melting and
disappearing.”
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