Name : ____________________________________________________________________ Period: __
English 10/Research/Hammond
Summarizing, Quoting, and Paraphrasing Practice
Use the encyclopedia article below to practice summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting.
Read the article, and complete the tasks that follow. Notice that the article offers source
information to help you with your in-text citations.
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Flying squirrel
Flying squirrel is a squirrel that can glide through the air. A fold of skin on each side of its body
connects the front and back legs. When a flying squirrel stretches out its legs, the folds of skin
form "wings." It glides from tree to tree, using its broad, flat tail to guide its flight. The squirrel's
path is downward, then straight, and finally upward. Glides of more than 150 feet (46 meters)
have been recorded. Flying squirrels always finish lower than where they started. A high starting
point makes a long glide possible. Flying squirrels live in the forests of Asia, Europe, and North
America. American flying squirrels are 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters)
long, including the tail. Their coat is gray or brownish-red on the upper parts
of the body and white or cream-colored on the underparts. Some Asian flying
squirrels grow 4 feet (1.2 meters) long.
Flying squirrels nest in the hollows of trees. They hunt for food only at night. Other squirrels
hunt by day. Flying squirrels eat berries, birds' eggs, fungi, insects, and nuts. They also eat young
birds, as well as the meat of any carcasses (dead animals) they can find. Female flying squirrels
have from two to three young twice a year. By six weeks of age, the young are "flying" on their
own.
Scientific classification
Flying squirrels make up the subfamily Pteromyinae of the squirrel family, Sciuridae. The
common flying squirrel of the United States is Glaucomys volans. The larger G. sabrinus lives in
Canada and the Northern United States.
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Contributor: Clark E. Adams, Ph.D., Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M
University.
How to cite this article:
To cite this article, World Book recommends the following format:
Adams, Clark E. "Flying Squirrel." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2012. Web. 24 Jan.
2012.
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1. How do you know that the article above is a credible source?
Keep going! 
2. Summarize the information in the “Scientific classification” section as if you were writing a
research paper on flying squirrels of the U.S. only. Cite your source.
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3. Write a sentence containing a direct quote from the first paragraph of the article (be sure to
introduce/explain the quote and cite it properly).
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4. Paraphrase the highlighted information regarding how flying squirrels “fly.” Cite your
source.
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5. Write a sentence containing a direct quote from the second paragraph of the article (be sure
to introduce/explain the quote and cite it properly).
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6.
Imagine that your research assignment is to write an essay on the behavior of flying
squirrels. In 5 sentences (no more, no less), summarize the main ideas in this article that
pertain to your specific topic. Cite your source.
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