5.1 Tails with a Purpose

Why does the author use headings in the text?

• To explain the steps in a process many animals use

• To provide answers to common animal questions

• To give facts in the order they were discovered

• To identify the main topic of each section

The author organizes the information in paragraph 5 by —

• comparing how cats mainly use their tails with how birds mainly use their tails

• showing how some animals use their tails to avoid the problem of falling

• describing the steps cats follow when they walk across something narrow

• explaining the reason certain animals move their tails from side to side

The author most likely wrote this text to —

• entertain the reader with amusing stories about animals and their tails

• inform the reader about some animals that make good pets

• explain to the reader how the lives of animals are made easier by their tails

• convince the reader that animals communicate in many ways

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then answer Part B. Part A Based on paragraph 2, the dog in the image most likely feels—

• embarrassed

• happy

• curious

• worried

What sentence from paragraph 2 supports the answer to Part A?

• Animal tails help people understand how animals are feeling.

• If a dog’s tail is high and wags back and forth, it likely means it is happy.

• If the tail is wagging low, it means the dog is worried.

• They observe each other’s tail positions when they meet or play.

How is the image of the cat useful to the reader?

• It shows the most common way a cat uses its tail.

• It explains how to help a cat that feels scared.

• It emphasizes that different animals use their tails in different ways.

• It provides an example of an animal using its body to communicate.

Read this sentence from paragraph 10. The next time you watch an animal, see what tale its tail might tell! Which word best describes the author’s voice in this sentence?

• Serious

• Scientific

• Uncertain

• Humorous

Which of these ideas is suggested by the information in paragraphs 5 and 9?

• A monkey uses its tail in the same way as many other animals.

• A monkey uses its tail more than its hands when it is in a tree.

• A monkey’s tail helps it move safely from tree to tree.

• A monkey’s tail can help it when something blocks its way.