Question 1

According to the article, why do some parrotfishes make a cocoon?

Accepted Answer

to hide themselves from predators

Answer

to attract other fishes to their hiding place

Answer

to show other fishes they are asleep

Answer

to create a safe place for their eggs

Question 2

Why are some diurnal fishes harder to see in the evening than in the daytime?

Accepted Answer

Their skin color changes to blend in.

Answer

The movement on the reef blurs their shapes.

Answer

Their predators can only detect outlines.

Answer

The light casts shadows that hide them.

Question 3

What statement best summarizes the information in lines 1 through 9?

Accepted Answer

Fish have the natural ability to become less visible at night in the coral reef.

Answer

Daytime fish who live in the coral reef generally stop feeding at dusk.

Answer

Predatory fish hide in the coral reef so they can feed on the diurnal fish.

Answer

Fish in the coral reef have remarkably better vision during the day.

Question 4

Which sentence from the article best explains why some fishes may be dangerous to humans?

Accepted Answer

“By thrusting out its lower jaw, its mouth becomes big enough to swallow almost any prey.” (lines 31 and 32)

Answer

“Though twilight predators are not very good at distinguishing colors, they can detect shape, outlines, and movement well.” (lines 25 and 26)

Answer

“Many predators that have been quietly waiting in the background all day become more active at dusk and dawn.” (lines 28 and 29)

Answer

“The crepuscular hunters have ingenious ways of picking off their prey.” (lines 29 and 30)

Question 5

What does the phrase “zero in on” in line 40 mean?

Accepted Answer

to locate

Answer

to look

Answer

to threaten

Answer

to smell

Question 6

The author develops a central idea about how fishes adapt to their environments by focusing mostly on the

Accepted Answer

light in the water

Answer

depth of the reef

Answer

currents in the water

Answer

shape of the reef

Question 7

Which detail is most important to include in a summary of the article?

Accepted Answer

“Many predators that have been quietly waiting in the background all day become more active at dusk and dawn.” (lines 28 and 29)

Answer

“Because fishes don’t have eyelids to close, it’s impossible to tell whether or not most fishes are really sleeping.” (lines 15 and 16)

Answer

“It has been rumored that giant groupers (which may weigh up to 1,000 pounds) have been known to swallow divers whole!” (lines 32 and 33)

Answer

“Many daytime fishes move into deeper water, rise to the surface, or spawn during outgoing tides . . .” (lines 49 and 50)

Question 8

How does the author support the claim that “gracious living had been a long time coming” (line 4)?

Accepted Answer

by tracing the development of various methods for keeping food cool

Answer

by describing the excitement caused by new improvements in refrigerators

Answer

by describing the menus recommended by refrigerator manufacturers

Answer

by explaining the relationship between temperature and food safety

Question 9

Read this sentence about pond ice from lines 20 through 22.

Then it was hauled from home to home on a horse-drawn cart, packed in sawdust, and put in the family’s icehouse, where, she says, it lasted for months.

Based on the information in lines 8 through 10, which was most likely the reason for packing pond ice in sawdust?

Accepted Answer

to prevent the ice from melting

Answer

to keep the ice from chipping

Answer

to keep the ice from becoming slimy

Answer

to prevent the ice from becoming polluted

Question 10

What is the meaning of the word “hoist” in line 26?

Accepted Answer

lift

Answer

sell

Answer

carve

Answer

locate

Question 11

According to the article, what improvements were made to resolve a safety issue in the older refrigerators?

Accepted Answer

changing the type of coolant

Answer

lining the cabinets with zinc

Answer

attaching an overflow pipe

Answer

using sawdust as insulation

Question 12

Which quotation from the article best supports the conclusion that advances in refrigeration improved life for the average person?

Accepted Answer

"All of a sudden, the middle class could have things that seemed high class a few years before." (lines 47 and 48)

Answer

"To stock the box, city people bought ice, and country dwellers harvested it." (line 17)

Answer

"When commercial icehouses opened in the early 1800s, they were considered a business with a future." (lines 26 and 27)

Answer

"Today, while the mechanics have remained much the same, the refrigerator has gotten ever fancier." (lines 51 and 52)

Question 13

How do lines 50 through 53 develop a central idea of the article?

Accepted Answer

by showing that refrigerators gained widespread acceptance over time

Answer

by showing that some people considered refrigerators unnecessary

Answer

by explaining that refrigerators have improved very little over the years

Answer

by comparing refrigerators sold in the past with refrigerators sold today

Question 14

Which detail would be most important to include in a summary of the article?

Accepted Answer

Refrigerators gained popularity after they became small and affordable.

Answer

Refrigeration was essential for making jelled salads.

Answer

“Summer complaint” was another name for food poisoning.

Answer

Modern refrigerators include icemakers and defrost systems.

Question 15

Read these sentences from lines 13 and 14.

“It has everything you need.” And except for the tools, rocks, plants, fish, accessories, electrical power to the site, and the hole itself, it did.

Why does the author most likely include this description of the pond-building kit?

Accepted Answer

to maintain a humorous tone

Answer

to introduce the main conflict

Answer

to express the narrator’s disappointment

Answer

to demonstrate the parents’ support of their son

Question 16

Read this sentence from line 38.

I approached the task like a starving man at a banquet.

What is the main purpose of the comparison in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

to emphasize the depth of the narrator’s enthusiasm

Answer

to describe the narrator’s lack of attention to detail

Answer

to show that the narrator feels weak from excitement

Answer

to show that the narrator is overcome by the job at hand

Question 17

Read line 46.

At this rate, I figured, I’ll be basking in tranquillity in no time at all.

What meaning does the phrase “basking in tranquillity” convey to the reader?

Accepted Answer

The narrator believes the vision of peaceful relaxation shown in the video.

Answer

The narrator expects positive recognition around town for his efforts.

Answer

The narrator is unaccustomed to such difficult work and will soon need a rest.

Answer

The narrator is comparing himself to a groundhog that is sitting in the sunshine.

Question 18

Which lines best reveal an overall theme of the story?

Accepted Answer

lines 47 and 48

Answer

lines 25 through 28

Answer

lines 38 through 40

Answer

lines 63 and 64

Question 19

In lines 63 through 73, how does the narrator’s description of the location and history of Melville, Kansas, contribute to the plot?

Accepted Answer

It emphasizes the importance of the new pond to the narrator.

Answer

It demonstrates that the new pond is better than other ponds.

Answer

It reveals the foolishness of the narrator’s attempt to create a new pond.

Answer

It explains the town’s need for a new pond.

Question 20

Which lines from the story reveal a change in the narrator’s point of view?

Accepted Answer

lines 74 through 77

Answer

lines 49 through 53

Answer

lines 54 through 57

Answer

lines 59 through 62

Question 21

How does the narrator’s reaction to his pond first filling with water differ from his outlook at the end of the story?

Accepted Answer

He is excited at first but then becomes disappointed.

Answer

He is worried at first but then feels satisfied.

Answer

He is scared at first and later becomes angry

Answer

He is happy at first and later feels proud.

Question 22

Which words from lines 1 through 8 best help the reader understand the meaning of “suppressing” (line 5)?

Accepted Answer

“have not been allowed to burn”

Answer

“now understand the importance of fire”

Answer

“a lightning fire poses no danger”

Answer

“carefully planned burns”

Question 23

Read this sentence from lines 6 and 7.

The best answer to these problems appears to be to fight fire with fire.

Which evidence from the article best supports this claim?

Accepted Answer

“A prescribed fire should burn away heavy undergrowth of brush to remove potential fuel for wildfire.” (lines 17 and 18)

Answer

“But prescribed burning is more likely to be planned for less extreme conditions so the fires can be better controlled.” (lines 10 and 11)

Answer

“When the brush and deadwood on the forest floor burn, they release nutrients that can nourish the trees, grasses, and other forest plants.” (lines 22 and 23)

Answer

“In recent years, more and more people have moved into the countryside, often right on the borders of National Forest lands.” (lines 33 and 34)

Question 24

How do fires benefit wildlife?

Accepted Answer

Fires help create conditions that cause more food to become available.

Answer

Fires help remove older trees that crowd forests.

Answer

The possibility of fire limits where cattle are allowed to graze.

Answer

The possibility of fire limits how close people can live to forests.

Question 25

What is the meaning of “prone” (line 44) as used in the article?

Accepted Answer

likely

Answer

useful

Answer

starting

Answer

existing

Question 26

What have managers of public lands learned from Native Americans?

Accepted Answer

how fire helps maintain grassland areas

Answer

the importance of protecting natural habitats

Answer

how planned fires can be used to prevent large fires

Answer

the role of cattle management in protecting grassland areas

Question 27

Which sentence best expresses the central idea of the article?

Accepted Answer

“Managers of some public lands now understand the importance of fire in the cycles of nature.” (lines 1 and 2)

Answer

“How do land managers decide where to burn?” (line 32)

Answer

“Unfortunately, many of the forests have gone so long without fire that even prescribed burning would be dangerous.” (lines 47 and 48)

Answer

“Not everyone is happy with prescribed burning.” (line 5

Question 28

How do lines 59 through 69 contribute to the discussion of prescribed burns?

Accepted Answer

by showing that the benefits outweigh the costs

Answer

by describing how attitudes have changed with time

Answer

by proving that conflicting opinions are wrong

Answer

by exposing the self-interest of opponents

Related quizzes

Related quizzes