Science Tornadoes

What is a tornado?

• a sensor that measures wind speed, temperature, pressure, and direction
• a first-room floor room without windows in the middle of a house
• a person who studies winds and shares his or her findings with others
• spinning wind that forms a funnel and can cause a lot of damage

What sequence of events is described in the passage?

• the steps scientists take to get measurements from tornado probes
• the steps involved in the formation of a tornado
• the steps people take to build tornado probes
• the steps people should take if their house is destroyed by a tornado

Tornadoes are dangerous.
What evidence from the passage supports this statement?

• Some scientists use special equipment and instruments to measure what is happening in and around a tornado
• As tornadoes move across the land, they can easily pick up cars, trucks, and even houses and throw them very far
• If scientists do not guess correctly where a tornado will go, then they pick up their tornado probe and try another spot
• Tornado probes are about six inches tall and look like short, orange construction cones

What can information about one tornado tell scientists?

• how old a tornado probe is
• where another tornado may happen
• how many people took shelter from it in their basement
• whether closets or bathrooms are better for taking shelter in

What is this passage mainly about?

• wind speed, temperature, pressure, and direction
• cars, trucks, and houses that have been picked up tornadoes
• tornadoes and people who study them
• the formation of a tornado's funnel

"Inside the tornado probe, there are sensors to measure wind speed, temperature, pressure, and direction. Some probes even have cameras, so the scientists can see and understand what it's like to be in a tornado."
What does the word "probe" mean?

• something that gathers information
• a strong wind that spins in a funnel
• a place where people go for shelter
• a prediction about where something will happen

Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
Most people take shelter during a tornado; ________, some scientists try to get close to tornadoes.

• moreover
• in particular
• in contrast
• therefore