Understanding Vocabulary in Context

Like most fish, sharks are largely ectothermic, or cold-blooded. This means their body ____________________ depends on the water around them. To avoid freezing, most sharks remain close to the ocean's surface.

• weight

• temperature

• thermometer

• composition

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

Scalloped hammerheads have long been known to dive thousands of feet into the ocean's cold depths in search of prey. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa have uncovered the shark's long-kept secret. The intelligent fish shut their ______ and "hold their breath" to stay warm.

• eyes

• mouths

• gills

• fins

Tags

CCSS.L.7.4A

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.7.4

For their study, Mark Royer and his team fitted special sensors on the backs of some scalloped hammerhead sharks off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The ____________ allowed the team to observe their internal body temperature and that of the surrounding water. It also tracked how deep the animal was diving.

• devices

• symbol

• ornament

• trinket

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

"It was kind of like attaching a Fitbit to a shark," Royer told NPR. "It allowed me to get ____________ details on what the shark was doing."

• devestating

• approximate

• precise

• wrong

Tags

CCSS.L.7.3A

CCSS.L.7.5C

CCSS.RI.7.4

Computer modeling indicated the hammerhead sharks prevented heat loss from the gills by closing them. The cooling at the surface was likely the result of the sharks opening the gills to resume breathing during the ascent while still in relatively cold water.

According to the text, what does the word "ascent" mean?

• An act of moving downward.

• The degree of an incline.

• A downward slope or incline.

• An act of moving upward or rising.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.4A

CCSS.L.7.4D

CCSS.RI.7.4

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Science on May 11, 2023, say the shark's strategy offers them an evolutionary advantage. But it also makes them vulnerable to human activities like deep-sea mining and large-scale deep-sea fishing.

According to the text, what does "vulnerable" mean?

• Open to temptation.

• Capable of being attacked, hurt, or damaged.

• Open to receiving criticism from others.

• Incapable of being attacked, hurt, or damaged.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.4A

CCSS.L.7.4D

CCSS.RI.7.4

As the name indicates, hammerheads have thick, broad heads that resemble a double-headed hammer. Scalloped hammerheads are named for the notches found along the front edge of their heads. The sharks can be found in coastal warm temperate and tropical seas worldwide.

According to the text, what does the word "temperate" mean?

• Moderate with respect to temperature; not subject to long periods of extreme hot or cold weather.

• Moderate in opinion and self-restraint.

• Moderate in regards to appetite.

• Not excessive in degree, as things, qualities, etc.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.4A

CCSS.L.7.4D

CCSS.RI.7.4

Scalloped hammerhead sharks are critically endangered in parts of the Atlantic. Their population has declined by over 95 percent in the past three decades due to overfishing and nursery habitat loss.

Based on the text, what does the word "declined" indicate?

• The population of scalloped hammerhead sharks has increase in the past three decades.

• The population of scalloped hammerhead sharks is staying consistent over time.

• The population of scalloped hammerhead sharks has gone down significantly in the last 30 years.

• The population of scalloped hammerhead sharks is more than it was 20 years ago.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4