Use the paragraph to answer the question.
The platypus is an Australian mammal that is not easily classified. It is one of only two mammals (the other being the echidna) that bears young by laying eggs. In some respects, the platypus resembles a duck; both have webbed feet and bills. The platypus has a tail like a beaver’s and a furry body similar to an otter’s. Its unusual hybrid of body parts makes it well-suited for its largely aquatic life. The platypus uses its webbed feet to paddle through water, and its tail serves as a kind of rudder for steering. While underwater, the platypus uses its bill to scoop up bits of food, such as insects and shellfish, from the water’s bottom. The platypus also scoops up bits of gravel, which grind up the food, as the platypus is toothless. The platypus stores the food and gravel in its cheeks until it reaches the water’s surface. Once the platypus surfaces, it consumes its meal.
Which sentence describes the main idea?
(1 point)
Responses
The platypus is a mammal with many characteristics that make it unique.
The platypus is a mammal with many characteristics that make it unique.
The platypus lives in Australia.
The platypus lives in Australia.
The platypus uses an interesting method to consume its meals.
The platypus uses an interesting method to consume its meals.
The platypus has features similar to an otter and a beaver.
The platypus has features similar to an otter and a beaver.
Which nonfiction genre teaches the reader a process?
(1 point)
Responses
humor
humor
biography
biography
how-to
how-to
history
how-to
Use the paragraph to answer the question.
It happens way too often: oil leaking from wells beneath the ocean or tankers spilling their cargo into the waves. One disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, called the Tyler spill, has been leaking hundreds of barrels of oil per day into the ocean for the past 14 years. While safety has not been made a priority, something can be done to clean up oil spills that does not involve pouring chemical cleanup agents into the already polluted waters. The question is, when will the oil industry embrace this effective, safe method?
Which sentence best summarizes the text?
(1 point)
Responses
The oil industry should focus on the fastest way to clear up oil spills.
The oil industry should focus on the fastest way to clear up oil spills.
The oil industry needs to work more efficiently.
The oil industry needs to work more efficiently.
There is a smart solution to the ongoing problem of oil spills the industry should use.
There is a smart solution to the ongoing problem of oil spills the industry should use.
There is no reason that oil spills occur as often as they do.
There is a smart solution to the ongoing problem of oil spills the industry should use.
Use the sentences to answer the question.
Many people believe a European named Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. However, Gutenberg’s press was actually building on inventions that appeared centuries earlier in China.
What is the connection between the ideas in these sentences?
(1 point)
Responses
contrast
contrast
comparison
comparison
problem and solution
problem and solution
cause and effect
cause and effect
Question 5
comparison
Use the sentences to answer the question.
A Buddhist book called The Diamond Sutra, printed around 868 C.E., is the oldest known printed book. It was printed using page-sized panels of wood blocks. These blocks were carved by hand with Chinese characters shown in reverse.
Which word or phrase describes the relationship between the ideas in the sentences?
(1 point)
Responses
problem and solution
problem and solution
cause and effect
cause and effect
contrast
contrast
description
description
Use the paragraph to answer the question.
All around the world, millions of people watch hundreds of new movies each year. Most people are aware that these movies have actors and actresses, directors, stunt doubles, and camera operators. But have you ever wondered how the crack of a bat in a baseball scene sounds so authentic even though the camera must be dozens of feet away?
Which word means the same as authentic as it is used in the paragraph?
(1 point)
Responses
boring
boring
fast
fast
distant
distant
real