The Fever: Malaria and Humankind

Which phrase best describes the primary purpose of paragraph 2?

• To show that malaria also affects animals

• To explain how malaria is similar to a plague

• To question why malaria has evolved differently than other pathogens

• To warn people in Africa about the dangers of mosquito-borne malaria

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read this information about the origin of the word parasite.

parasite n  Greek, from para- “alongside” + sitos “food”

What is the meaning of parasite as it is used in paragraph 2?

• An organism that connects to and eats from another creature

• An illness that spreads when a host consumes contaminated food

• An organism that evolves to consume the same foods as another creature 

• An illness that spreads to and thrives among creatures with a shared diet

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which statement best summarizes the thesis of the article as it is articulated in paragraphs 1–3?

• Malaria is impossible to figure out because of the lack of scientific knowledge about pathogens.

• Scientists cannot understand how malaria has evolved to become increasingly deadly the longer humans live around it. 

• Malaria is a deadly disease that perplexes scientists because it cannot be cured like most diseases.

• While most pathogens become less deadly over time, malaria remains as deadly today as it ever was.

Read this information about the origin of the word entomological.

entomological n Greek, from entomon “denoting an insect” + -logia, -logy “study”

What is the entomological sphere the author mentions in paragraph 8?

• The world of scientists who study insects

• The world of mosquitoes 

• The world of humans living in wild habitats

• The world of algae

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which phrase describes the author’s most likely purpose for writing this selection?

• To explore the evolution of malaria into an uncommonly virulent disease

• To contrast the effects of malaria with the effects of other diseases

• To compare malaria to other incurable diseases

• To report recent advances in malaria research

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

Which sentence from the selection best supports the answer to the previous question about the author's most likely purpose for writing this selection?

• It doesn’t make much sense for a pathogen to rapidly destroy its victim—a dead body just means it’s time to move on. (paragraph 1)

• One simple reason for malaria’s ferocity is that the protozoan creature that causes the disease is, by definition, a cheater at the game of life. (paragraph 4)

• The rest of us do our obscure little part in the drama of life . . . the bees pollinating the flowers, predators culling the herds of the weakest members. (paragraph 4)

• According to science writer Carl Zimmer, one third of all described species practice the parasitic lifestyle. (paragraph 6)

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

The author presents some information in a cause-and-effect format. What causes most pathogens to become less deadly over time?

• Scientists study diseases to gain more knowledge. 

• Populations build immunity to common pathogens.

• Pathogens need a living host to survive.

• People learn to avoid common sources of illness.

  People learn to avoid common sources of illness.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Select the two pieces of evidence from the selection that help explain what caused the malaria pathogen to evolve to its current state.

• Some pathogens evolved to keep their hosts alive.

• Plasmodium has strengthened its ability to photosynthesize.

• A parasite evolved to thrive in the blood of mammals.

• Barnacles called Sacculina carcini fed on larger creatures.

• Algae entered creatures via wounds from mosquito bites.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Who is the most likely intended audience for this text?

• A medical doctor

• An entomologist

• A child interested in science

• The average adult

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

Read the sentence about the selection.

The narrator accurately describe how several diseases evolve over time.

How can this sentence be rewritten to fix any errors in subject-verb agreement? (Note: There is no compound subject in this sentence.)

• The narrator accurately describes how several diseases evolve over time.

• The narrators accurately describe how several disease evolves over time.

• The narrator accurately describes how several disease evolve over time.

• The narrators accurately describe how several diseases evolves over time.

  The narrators accurately describe how several diseases evolves over time.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6