129
Na m e : ___ Date: _
Directions: Read the three paragraphs. Write A, B, or C to tell in which paragraph the answer
to the question is found. Then answer the question.Reading Comprehension • Saddleback Educational Publishing ©2002 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 92618•Phone (888)SDL-BACK•www.sdlback.com
_____ 1. What creature lives only two days as an adult? _______________________________________ 2. What is another way of saying life span? _____________________________________________ 3. Of same-sized mammals and birds, which live longer?_________________________________ 4. How long do mice live in the wild? __________________________________________________ 5. Queen termites may live up to 50 years. Fact or opinion? ______________________________ 6. Which mammal has the longest life span? _______________________________________(A) Every living thing eventually grows old and dies. We
refer to the life span of an animal as its longevity. In
general, longevity is related to the size of the animal
and how fast it grows. Animals in captivity often live
longer than those in the wild. Sometimes, but not
always, it may be that the animal faces harder living
conditions in the wild. Mice, for example, live only a
few months in the wild. Those same mice could
survive two or three years in captivity.(B) Among mammals, humans have the longest life
span. Whales and elephants can live 60 years or
more. But when you compare mammals to birds of
the same size, the birds live longer.(C) As a group, insects have the shortest life spans. At one
extreme is the mayfly, which, once it is an adult, lives
only a day or two at the most. At the other end are
some beetles and termites. It has been speculated that
a queen termite may live up to 50 years.Give your opinion: If you were a mouse, would you rather live a short life in the wild or a longer
one in captivity? Why? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________