Name: __________________________ Date: _________________4-2.1 Central Idea

Daddy Longlegs

     Most people think daddy longlegs are spiders. They look alike, but they are not the same. Look closely next time you see daddy longlegs. They have only one body section, but spiders have two. When they walk, daddy longlegs use their second pair of legs to feel their way along. This is the way some insects use their antennae. Spiders do not have antennae. Some spiders have poisonous bites. Daddy longlegs cannot bite. To protect themselves, they give off a bad smell.

1. What is this passage mainly about?

A. Daddy longlegs and spiders are dangerous.B. Daddy longlegs have two body sections.C. Daddy longlegs and spiders are different.D. Spiders have poisonous bites and a bad smell.

2. Daddy longlegs are more like insects than spiders. Which statement best supports this idea?

A. Daddy longlegs use one pair of legs like insects use antennae.B. Daddy longlegs give off a bad smell to protect themselves.C. Daddy longlegs cannot bite enemies to keep themselves safe.D. Daddy longlegs have really long legs and look like a spider.

Lost and Found

     Last Saturday, Troy Driscoll, 15, and best friend Josh Long, 17, were found. The teenagers had spent six days lost at sea. They were seven miles off Cape Fear, North Carolina. It was over 100 miles from their starting point of Sullivans Island, South Carolina.     The boys left in their 14-foot sailboat on April 24. They ignored a warning by the National Weather Service. Right away, they realized they were in trouble. They tried to swim to shore, but the wind and strong currents swept them even farther out to sea.     On the second day, they lost their fishing gear. They were not able to catch any fish. They drank sea water because they were without fresh water. A few times, the boys slipped into the ocean to cool off. They were scared back onto the boat by sharks. At night, the boys shared a single wet-suit. It kept them warm in the cooler temperatures.     The boys had lost hope. Larger boats passed them, unable to see them waving. Last Saturday, they were finally spotted by men on a fishing boat. The teens were taken to a hospital. They were thirsty, hungry, and exhausted. They had bad sunburns, but they would be okay. Luckily, they were in good shape.

3. This passage is mainly about

A. how two boys kept warm by sharing a wetsuit.B. how two kids had to survive at sea for six days.C. how two kids were going to be okay after sailing.D. how two kids caught a lot of fish while sailing.

4. Which statement supports the idea that the boys were hungry?

A. The teens were taken to a hospital.B. They realized they were in trouble.C. Luckily, they were in good shape.D. They were not able to catch any fish.

5. The boys should not have been out on the sailboat because of the weather. Which statement supports this idea?

A. The boys slipped into the ocean to cool off during the day.B. They ignored a warning from the National Weather Service.C. The teenagers were finally spotted by men on a fishing boat.D. They were over 100 miles away from their starting point.

Flu Stopping the Flu Shot Problem

     The next flu season is months away. So why is the government asking that some people get their shots now? This is because there may not be enough shots. Older people are being asked to get their shots now.     Dr. Julie Gerber is a scientist who studies diseases. In May, she spoke to Congress. She said it is hard to tell how much flu medicine we will have this year. The government is trying to stop the problem now. They want to make sure what happened before does not happen again.     In 2004, there were not enough shots for everyone. Many people did not get a shot. Older people, children, and pregnant women got one first. Healthy adults had to wait. People who could not get the shot had a bad flu season.

6. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Only older people have to get shots for the flu.B. Healthy people do not really need to get flu shots.C. Flu shots do not hurt as much as regular shots.D. There may not be enough flu shots for everyone.

7. The government thinks that not everyone will be able to get shots. Which statement best supports this idea?

A. Dr. Julie Gerber is a scientist who studies diseases.B. Older people are being asked to get their shots now.C. Older people, children, and pregnant women got one first.D. People who could not get the shot had a bad flu season.

Hibernation

     Animals have many ways to deal with cold weather. Humans use heaters in the homes and wear jackets. Birds fly south to find warmer winter weather. Some animals dig in and wait for spring. To protect themselves, they go into a kind of sleep. That sleep is called hibernation. It keeps the animals from starving in the winter.     One animal that hibernates is the bear. During the winter, the bear goes into a cave to sleep. While it sleeps, the bear’s breathing and heartbeat slow down. This lets the bear save energy. The bear can go without food for the whole hibernation. The bear does not grow during hibernation. When spring comes, the bear wakes up and goes on with its normal life.

8. Which statement best supports the main idea of the passage?

A. Birds fly south to find warmer winter weather.B. The bear can go without food for the whole hibernation.C. Humans use heaters in their homes and wear jackets.D. One example of an animal that hibernates is the bear.

9. This passage is mostly about

A. why animals need to keep warm in the winter.B. how some animals hibernate during the winter.C. how the weather changes throughout the year.D. why birds fly south to find warmer weather.

Making Burgers Bigger Many Americans love to eat hamburgers. Fast food places have burgers of all sizes.

Burger King has the Whopper. Wendy’s has the Classic Triple. The largest burgers are not just at fast food diners. Restaurants have now joined the challenge to make the

biggest burgers.     Last week, the Bear Barrel Belly Buster burger was made. A restaurant made the

Belly Buster. Before this, the biggest burger weighed about 12 pounds. The Belly Buster weighs 15 pounds! That is more than your backpack weighs!

     What goes into such a big burger? The Belly Buster has 10.5 pounds of ground beef.

It has 25 cheese slices. It uses two onions and three tomatoes. It uses a whole head of lettuce. It also has one and a half cups of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, and

peppers. It takes two hands just to lift the burger. That is without the sauces! Most people need forks, knives, and bibs to eat it. No one has been able to eat the whole

thing. People are still trying to create an even bigger burger!

10. The Belly Buster burger is the biggest burger. Which statement best supports this idea?

A. The Whopper is Burger King's largest hamburger.B. Most Americans really like to eat hamburgers.C. The Belly Buster has 10.5 pounds of ground beef.D. Fast food places have some very big hamburgers.

11. What is this passage mostly about?

A. Fast food places have the biggest hamburgers.B. Restaurants are trying to make bigger hamburgers.C. The Belly Buster burger uses a head of lettuce.D. People eat really big burgers with forks and knives.

12.      Hi! My name is S. K. Worm. I live in the soil, and I can tell you all about my home. When the soil is cool, I'm cool. If the temperature gets too cool, I can dig deeper to find a warm place to slither and sleep. But when the temperature is too hot, I don't feel so good. In fact, if I get too hot, I'll dry up like a piece of old beef jerky. So, on really hot days, I look for a cool spot in the soil and coil myself up to keep cool and stay moist.

What is the main idea of the paragraph above?

A. The soft soil is the best place for worms to be warm.B. The temperature of the soil is important to worms.C. Worms dig into warm soil to stay moist and hot.D. Worms like to move around in the soil all the time.