Paired Passage Assignment: Elephants

1 You can tell that “Elephant Trouble” is a narrative poem because it —

• A uses rhyme

• B has line breaks

• C tells a story

• D gives directions

2 “Besides, he’d squash it flat” in line 15 appeals mostly to the reader’s sense of —

• F sight

• G taste

• H smell

• J touch

3 What is the most likely reason the author wrote this article?

• A To describe what wild elephants look like

• B To compare different kinds of elephants

• C To inform the reader about animals in the Sahara Desert

• D To explain how people can protect wild elephants

4 The author most likely believes that elephants in the circus —

• F learn important tricks

• G are lucky to be there

• H do not belong there

• J entertain many people

5 The word small in the poem is the opposite of which word from the article?

• A huge

• B powerful

• C long

• D safe

6 One idea in both the poem and the article is —

• F zoo animals are tame

• G elephants are very big

• H people need to help wild elephants

• J zoos are a good place for elephants

7 Both the speaker of the poem and the author of the article —

• A are afraid of elephants

• B like elephants

• C think elephants belong in the zoo

• D have no feelings about elephants

8 Read the diagram and use it to answer the question. Elephant Trouble Wild Elephants Forever Anyone can use peanuts to bring an escaped elephant back to the zoo. Both talk about rescuing elephants. Which of these ideas belongs on the blank lines?

• F Any pick-up truck can be used to rescue an escaped elephant.

• G Using elephant food is a good way to move an elephant.

• H Big cages are the best way to hold an escaped elephant.

• J Only experts should try to rescue an escaped elephant.

In the last stanza, why does the poet most likely use the phrase "move it quick"?

• A) To show the elephant is sleepy

• B) To emphasize the urgency of the situation

• C) To describe how slowly elephants move

• D) To explain the taste of peanuts