SKIMMING GAME

SKIM THE PARAGRAPH. WHICH WORD COMES BEFORE THE WORD "PREY"?

Many animals have strengths that rival even the toughest superheroes. While some members of the animal kingdom use their immense size and force to capture prey or fend off foes, other creatures have enormous power despite their small frames. Let's take a closer look at some of the world's strongest animals—their superpowers might surprise you!

• OR

• CAPTURE

• SUPERHEROES

• FEND

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH. HOW MANY MILES PER HOUR CAN A HIPPO RUN?

The average hippo not only weighs about 3,500 pounds (almost 1,590 kilograms), but it's also a real bigmouth. With a jaw that opens at a 150-degree angle, the hippo outranks all other land mammals in mouth size. The hippo's diet consists mostly of plants, but that doesn't mean other creatures are safe from this animal's wrath. When provoked, a hippo charges with the power of every muscle in its body…at top speed. While it may not look like a sprinter, this heavyweight can run up to 30 miles (about 48 kilometers) per hour. The hippo is also remarkably adept at moving its massive body through water at a fast clip.

• 3500

• 150

• 48

• 30

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SKIM FOR THE WORD "DINOSAUR". WHAT TYPE OF DINOSAUR IS GIVEN AS AN EXAMPLE?

The crocodile has huge jaw muscles that enable it to exert what could be the strongest bite of any animal on the planet. While a human can bite down with about 100 pounds (about 45 kilograms) of pressure per square inch, a crocodile can snap its jaw with up to 5,000 pounds (nearly 2,270 kilograms) of pressure per square inch. Experts compare this biting power to that of the Tyrannosaurus rex. And that was a dinosaur! The crocodile's jaw snaps at lightning-fast speed, too. Able to launch a stealthy attack in water or from riverbanks, this startling savage is a real force of nature.

• TYRANNOSAURUS REX

• PTERANODON

• TRICERATOPS

• APATOSAURUS

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH. WHICH WORD COMES AFTER "HABITATS"?

The eagle is an apex predator, which means it's at the top of the food chain with no predators of its own. This fierce flyer is capable of gliding for hours without rest before tracking its prey and swooping in to capture it. With astonishing brawn, the eagle can carry animals four times its body weight during flight. In fact, some eagle species are known to snatch deer, monkeys, and wildcats from their habitats, flying off with their meaty catch until it's time to eat.

• THEIR

• EAGLE

• FLYING

• HOME

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH. HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU READ THE WORD "DUNG"?

The dung beetle certainly lives up to its name. Some dung beetles shape pieces of animal dung into balls and roll them away from the pile, while other dung beetles tunnel under the poop balls and bury them. Well, what's so great about…poop? Simply put, dung beetles can't get enough of the stinky stuff! It's filled with bits of undigested food. Dung beetles eat dung, nest in dung, and even lay eggs in dung…talk about tough.

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• 5

• 7

• 9

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH. WHAT DO CHIMPANZEE CHILDREN PLAY WITH?

Chimps are very intelligent and our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Like us, they have emotions, their children play with toys, and they create and use tools when they need them. So scientists say it makes sense that chimps would learn to heal themselves, too.

• TOYS

• TOOLS

• CHIMPS

• RELATIVES

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH. WHAT WORD IS USED TO DESCRIBE "CREATURES".

The largest octopus on record is about the size of a school bus, while the smallest is smaller than a paper clip. But small or large, all octopuses have big brain power—so much brain power that scientists say they're among the smartest animals on the planet. These ingenious creatures can use tools, build fortresses from shells to hide from predators, navigate mazes, solve puzzles, open jars, and even remember human faces.

• SMARTEST

• INGENIOUS

• LARGEST

• SMALLEST

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH FOR THE WORD "MILLION". HOW MANY MILLION SHARKS DO HUMANS KILL EVERY YEAR?

However, all that fame has not helped the world's sharks. Humans still kill at least 100 million sharks every year, and several species are now on the brink of extinction. Some people may count this as a victory against a threat to their lives and livelihoods, but scientists argue otherwise. Predators at the top of a food chain, known as apex predators, are critical, scientists say. Losing them is a step toward ecological and economic disaster.

• 1 MILLION

• 10 MILLION

• 100 MILLION

• 100 BILLION

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH CAREFULLY. WHAT WORD COMES BEFORE THE WORD "READING"?

Dogs are also fantastic listeners—maybe because they can't talk! So some libraries have programs that let kids read to dogs. The dogs' job is just to sit next to each kid as the kid reads a book—and not only to keep the kids company (although that's awfully nice). Many times, kids simply feel more comfortable reading to a dog than to a person.

• PRACTICE

• LET

• KID

• COMFORTABLE

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SKIM THE PARAGRAPH FOR THE WORD "MONTHS". FOR HOW MANY MONTHS DID THE SCIENTISTS ANAYLZE THE COWS?

Cows make mooing sounds in two ways. When the cows are close together, they keep their mouths closed and make quiet sounds through their noses. When they're communicating with cows that are farther away, they open their mouths to moo loudly. And not all moos are alike. Scientists recorded and analyzed hundreds of these cow sounds for five months using a specially made microphone. Then, they learned how to speak "moo."

• HUNDREDS

• FIVE

• TWO

• ONE

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