P-NEWSELA article:Chickens go back - way back - to their roots

Read the following sentence from the article.
 This is, in fact, a brilliant feat of genetic engineering.
Which version of this sentence creates the LEAST enthusiastic tone by replacing the word "feat"? 

• This is, in fact, a brilliant ACHIEVEMENT of genetic engineering. 
• This is, in fact, a brilliant ACCOMPLISHMENT of genetic engineering. 
• This is, in fact, a brilliant ACT of genetic engineering. 
• This is, in fact, a brilliant TRIUMPH of genetic engineering. 

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The author develops the main idea of the article in each of the following ways EXCEPT: 

• llustrating how scientists re-enacted dinosaur movement using chickens 
• comparing and contrasting the anatomy of modern-day birds to dinosaurs 
• explaining how scientists successfully produced a genetically altered living chicken 
• describing specific experiments scientists have done to manipulate chicken genes 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Read the following paragraphs.
The same team had previously manipulated chicken genes to create embryos without the perching toe that modern birds have developed, and a group at Yale had modified beak-related genes to produce the kind of reptilian snout we associate with "true" dinosaurs. All of this is possible because of the underlying genetic similarities between birds and their dino ancestors. As scientists get better and better at using the gene editing tool CRISPR, making changes like these - silencing or activating a few genes to bring an animal closer to its ancestors - may become routine.
Which two words from the paragraphs have the SAME meaning? 

• create; associate 
• activating; developed 
• routine; changes 
• manipulated; modified 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

According to the article, scientists believed they could alter genes to recreate dinosaur traits. Which detail from the article caused them to believe this? 

• They noticed that chickens had one short and thin leg bone that was different from their dinosaur ancestors. 
• They noticed that most earlier dinosaurs had tails and walked with wide steps and their weight forward. 
• They noticed a point in the chicken's development where it was possible for their leg bones to grow like dinosaur bones. 
• They noticed that it was impossible to produce living animals from genetically modified embryos. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

Read the following sentence:
For now, none of the experiments have attempted to produce living animals from the tweaked embryos. 
Which of following sentence choices is similar in meaning?

• Scientists have been unable to successfully produce a live chicken after genetically modifying it.
• All chickens that have been genetically modified have died soon after they were born.
• Scientists have been unsuccessful at genetically modifying dinosaur eggs.
• Researchers have had a difficult time finding chicken embryos to experiment on. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Which of the following sentences describes the main idea of the passage?

• Modern birds have leg bones that are a tad different from those we see in their ancient ancestors.  
• A recent study used chickens to better understand how earlier dinosaurs may have strutted around back in the day.  
• But as we now all know, chickens are dinosaurs. 
• All of this is possible because of the underlying genetic similarities between birds and their dino ancestors. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

The chickens-with-legs-from-dinosaurs- that-were-not-chickens were developed by scientists at the University of Chile and are described in a paper published this month in the journal Evolution. 
What is the function of the hyphens in this sentence?

• Thorough explanation 
• Serious Tone
• The author does not know how to use commas.
• Humorous effect

Tags

CCSS.RF.3.3B

CCSS.RF.3.3C

CCSS.RF.3.3D

CCSS.RF.4.3A

CCSS.RF.5.3A

But during embryonic development, there's a period when the fibula seems poised to grow dinolike - so the researchers, led by Joâo Botelho, inhibited a gene to keep the leg from maturing in typical chickenlike fashion. 
Which of the following words could replace the word in the blue without changing the meaning of the sentence?

• reside
• prevented
• held
• kept

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What group of people would be greatly affected by the successful genetic manipulation of chicken embryo?

• Schools
• Science Teachers
• KFC
• Grocery Stores

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.1.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

Which of the following opinions would the author of the passage NOT agree with?

• By themselves, genetically engineered products will not improve health or end hunger. But the process will help society.
• Genetically modified animals will help researchers uncover and understand the past.
• The genetic modification of food is intrinsically dangerous. It involves
  making irreversible changes in a random manner to a complex level of life
  about which little is known.
• If we were to modify the genes of animals, we would be giving Mother Nature a helping hand since she had been modifying animals for thousands of years.