Quiz - The Snake That's Eating Florida

Which is a central idea of “The Snake That’s Eating Florida”?

• Herpetologists don’t think that pythons are a major threat in the Everglades

• The Everglades is a popular tourist destination.

• Pythons might one day inhabit one third of the U.S.

• Pythons pose a major threat to the ecosystem of the Everglades.

What is the main purpose of the section “Carried by Winds”?

• to explain how pythons hunt

• to provide theories about how Burmese pythons arrived in the Everglades

• to explain what an invasive species is

• to explain why the Burmese pythons in the Everglades are difficult to count

In which section would the information in the caption “Snake Hunters” on page 10 best fit?

• “The Arrival”

• “Carried by Winds”

• “What Can Be Done?”

• “Invasive Species”

According to the article, what is one reason someone might abandon a pet python?

• The python turns out to be a boring pet.

• The python becomes a danger to its owner.

• It’s against the law to keep a python as a pet.

• The python grows too big.

In “Sheepdogs to the Rescue” Austin Ramzy writes, “When the plight of Middle Island’s little penguins became news . . . ” What does plight refer to in this sentence?

• the problem of little penguins being nearly wiped out by foxes

• the smell of the little penguins

• he fact that little penguins are cute

• the solution to the fox problem

Which detail should definitely be included in a summary of “Sheepdogs to the Rescue”?

• Penguins smell like dead fish.

• Oddball is now 14 and lives under Swampy Marsh’s house.

• Since the first sheepdog was put to work guarding the penguins, not a single penguin has been killed by a fox.

• Swampy Marsh used to stay up at night guarding his chickens.

"The officials worried that these gigantic beasts could have a profoundly negative impact on the fragile environment of the Everglades." Fragile means

• large

• small

• strong

• easily damaged

"Their exact numbers are difficult to know because trying to count these elusive creatures would be nearly impossible." Elusive means

• difficult to see through

• easy to see through

• difficult to find

• easy to find

"Burmese pythons are an invasive species." An estimated 4,300 invasive species live in the U.S., with more reported each year." An invasive species is

• An animal or plant that is native to the area.

• A new animal or plant in an area that thrives without negative consequences.

• A new animal or plant in an area that damages those that were originally there.

• A plant that has thorns

"Some experts speculate that adding to the problem is the fact that some local wildlife may not even fear pythons." Another word for speculate is

• hypothesize

• doubt

• ignore

• leap