The Great Mantis Rescue

11. What does the phrase "lost cause" in paragraph 2 suggest about Donald?

• Donald wishes that he could find the missing eggs.

• Donald worries that there is little hope for the eggs to hatch.

• Donald thinks that the eggs may contain something other than mantises.

• Donald wonders if it is his fault that nothing has happened to the eggs.

12. Part A: Which choice best describes Donald at the beginning of the passage?

• He is angry that no one in his class likes insects.

• He is hopeful that he will be liked by his teacher.

• He is unsure how to make friends with other students.

• He is eager to be the center of attention.

13. Part B: Which quotation from paragraph 2 best supports the correct answer in Part A?

• "Donald attempted to explain that the egg case of a praying mantis was not meant to be exciting, that the exciting part was when the eggs hatched."

• "Donald thought back to the day he found the egg case in his backyard and brought it into school."

• "He could barely believe it when Mrs. Beecher agreed to make the soon-to-be baby mantises their class project."

• "If the class pet were an insect, maybe Donald would finally have something to talk about with the other kids."

14. What does paragraph 8 show about Becky?

• Becky knows that some insects are loud.

• Becky catches insects in her backyard.

• Becky has read many books about insects.

• Becky is startled by seeing the insects.

15. Read the sentence from paragraph 19.

"Soon the classroom was buzzing like a nest of carpenter bees."

What does the author mean by this sentence?

• The students are busy and working together.

• The students are building homes for the mantises.

• The students decide to study bees as well as mantises.

• The students make insect sounds as they work.

16. What is the meaning of the word astounding in paragraph 31?

• amusing

• clever

• strange

• surprising

17. Read the sentence below.

"Donald stepped carefully to a cabinet on the far side of the room and pulled out a handful of cotton balls..."

What is the correct way to divide the word carefully into syllables?

• c/are/ful/ly

• care/fully

• careful/ly

• care/ful/ly