Texas's Special Salamander Benchmark

What is a synonym of the word provides in paragraph 10?

• cleans

• gives

• moves

• wastes

How is the information in paragraphs 4 and 5 organized?

• A cause-and-effect pattern is used.

• A chronological pattern is used.

• A compare-and-contrast pattern is used.

• A description pattern is used.

What is the central idea of the article?

• Salamanders play an important role in their environment.

• 
  Scientists study how different salamanders behave.

• Salamanders need to live in certain temperatures.

• People should visit the salamanders that live in aquifers.

Which sentence from the article supports the answer in Part A?

• Salamanders are generally long and skinny. (paragraph 5)

• This aquifer is a source of drinking water for over 2 million people. (paragraph 10)

• The salamanders are key to keeping the balance of animals the same, which means that the water stays healthy! (paragraph 11)

• The salamanders are key to keeping the balance of animals the same, which means that the water stays healthy! (paragraph 11)

What is the best summary of the section titled "Texas's Special Salamander"?

• Aquifers keep water deep underground.  The Austin Blind Salamander swims in an aquifer.

• The Austin Blind Salamander only lives in the Edwards Aquifer in Texas. It has special features that help it live there.

• The Austin Blind Salamander has red gills.  It is a small creature that can be different colors.

• There is an important aquifer beneath the spring in Barton Springs, Texas. Different types of salamanders live there.

What is the most likely reason the author uses a simile to compare the aquifer to a honeycomb in paragraph 7?

• To explain how deep aquifers are

• To describe the sizes of different aquifers

• To describe how aquifers look

• To explain what aquifers are made from

People rarely see the Austin Blind Salamander, most likely because -

• the salamanders can blend in to the water

• the salamanders are too small to see

• 
  the salamanders like to hide

• the salamanders usually remain underwater

What is the best paraphrase of these sentences?

• Austin Blind Salamanders are necessary because they hunt prey. Without them in the aquifer, there would be too many other animals and the water would be undrinkable.

• Austin Blind Salamanders are the only animals that live in the aquifer. They keep the water safe for humans to drink.

• Without the Austin Blind Salamanders in the aquifer, more animals would hunt there. They would crowd the aquifer and make the water undrinkable.

• Austin Blind Salamanders are hunted in the aquifer. They need to be protected from predators because they help clean the water