Dinosaurs and Extinction Quiz

What is the MOST LIKELY reason the author begins the article with a dramatic scene?

• to create suspense

• to write a fiction story

• to create a calm feeling

• to give readers instructions

How do scientists know dinosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago?

• All dinosaur bones are 66 million years old.

• Records from 66 million years ago say so.

• They studied animals that have lived in the past 66 million years.

• They found no dinosaur fossils in layers of rock formed after a disaster that happened 66 million years ago.

In the sentence “It was well known that animals could become extinct,” the word extinct describes _______.

• animals that are growing in size

• animals that no longer exist

• animals that are part of a group

• animals moving to another area

Which line from the text best supports the correct answer to question 3?

• “. . . dinosaurs had walked the earth for more than 150 million years.”

• “They started out small and lightweight.”

• “T. rex and other dinosaurs ruled over the land . . .”

• “Some scientists thought that dinosaurs had died out because the planet had gotten too cold.”

The sentence “. . . he was known for thinking outside the box,” tells you that Luis Alvarez explored ideas _______.

• in great detail

• by following the rules

• in new and different ways

• others had already studied

What two things did Walter Alvarez find in the layer of clay that formed at the time dinosaurs disappeared? Choose TWO.

• iridium

• dinosaur bones

• seeds and plants

• tiny balls of glass

Why did mammals have the chance to take over the world?

• Some birds survived.

• The dinosaurs were gone.

• T. rex ate other kinds of animals.

• Fish and turtles lived underground.

Which sentence would be BEST to include in a summary of the article?

• Bones, eggs, claws, and teeth can become fossils.

• Early dinosaurs were small, about the size of dogs.

• Walter Alvarez discovered that an asteroid killed the dinosaurs.

• A T. rex had more than 50 razor-sharp teeth as long as bananas.