Student Name:
Date:
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DIRECTIONS: Read the passage “The Miracle Girl,” and answer the questions.
The Miracle Girl
1 It was Christmas Eve, 1971, when 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke, a high school senior studying in Lima, Peru, and her mother, boarded a Lockheed Electra propeller plane for a flight from Lima, Peru, to Pucallpa which was in the Amazonian rainforest. Her father was waiting there for their return in time for Christmas. Her father, a famous zoologist and her mother, a leading Peruvian ornithologist, ran a research station in the jungle studying wildlife.
2 The airline, LANSA, had already lost two aircraft in previous crashes. "We knew the airline had a bad reputation," Juliane later reported, "but we desperately wanted to be with my father for Christmas, so we figured it would be alright." The flight to Pucallpa was supposed to last for less than an hour and for the first 25 minutes everything was fine, she recalled.
3 "The clouds became darker and darker and the flight became more turbulent. Then we were in the midst of pitch-black clouds and a proper storm with thunder and lightning. It was pitch-black all around us and there was constant lightning. My mother was very nervous. Then to the right we saw a bright flash and the plane went into a nose dive. My mother said, 'This is it!'"
4 Peruvian investigators determined the following sequence of events leading to the accident:
"About forty minutes after take-off, the aircraft entered a zone of strong turbulence and lightning. After flying for twenty minutes in this weather at FL210 lightning struck the aircraft, causing fire on the right wing which separated, along with part of the left wing. The aircraft crashed in flames into mountainous terrain."
5 Inside the plane, Juliane recounted, "We were headed straight down. Christmas presents were flying around the cabin and I could hear people screaming." As the plane broke into pieces in midair, Juliane was thrust out into the open air still strapped to her seat.
6 "Suddenly there was this amazing silence. The plane was gone. I must have been unconscious and then came to in midair. I was flying, spinning through the air and I could see the forest spinning beneath me."
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7 Then Juliane lost consciousness again. She fell more than two miles into the jungle canopy but amazingly survived with only minor injuries. Her collarbone was broken, her right eye swollen shut, she had large gashes on her arms and legs, and she was suffering a concussion.
8 She may have survived because her seat was still attached to a whole row of seats that rotated much like a helicopter which may have slowed her descent. Also, the jungle canopy had very thick plant leaves which might have cushioned the fall.
9 Juliane later reported, "I didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next morning. I know this because my watch was still working. So I must have been unconscious the whole afternoon and the night. When I came to I was alone, just me ... and my row of seats."
10 Her ordeal was far from over. Rescue planes and search crews were unable to locate the crash site, and Juliane was stranded in the jungle alone. Fortunately, she had spent years at the research station with her parents, and her father had taught her how to survive in the rainforest.
11 The first question she faced was whether to attempt to find and save her mother. Was it possible that they both had survived the descent? But she knew that finding her mother, even if she were alive, was a one-in-a-million proposition. Instead, she remembered her father’s instructions about how to find help in the jungle.
12 "He said if you find a creek, follow it because that will lead to a stream and a stream will lead to a bigger river and that's where you'll find help."
13 The day after the crash she found a creek and started to wade downstream, but it was tough going. The only food she had was some candy she had found at the crash site, and her wounds were quickly infested with parasites. Juliane continued through the rainforest, wading through jungle streams full of crocodiles, piranhas and devil rays.
14 "Sometimes I would see a crocodile on the bank and it would start into the water towards me, but I was not afraid. I knew crocodiles don't tend to attack humans."
15 On the tenth day of her ordeal, she finally came across a boat, which at first she thought was a mirage. She managed to crawl up a path next to the boat, and she came across a small hut that was being used by lumbermen.
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16 She went to sleep in the hut, but after deciding the ground was too hard, she went back down to the riverside and lay in the sand. The next day, she woke up to several poisonous dart frogs, which she did not know were poisonous at the time, and she attempted to catch them. Fortunately, she failed to catch any and ceased her chase. Seeking other options, she debated whether or not to take the boat, but ultimately decided not to as she considered it to be stealing. She decided to spend the night in the hut.
17 After some time passed while she was in the hut, she heard voices nearby as three lumbermen come out of the forest. After caring for her for a short time, the lumbermen took her on a seven hour boat ride to a lumber village.
18 Once she arrived at the village, a local pilot volunteered to fly her to a nearby hospital in Pucallpa run by missionaries. It must have taken a great deal of courage to board that plane, but the flight only took about fifteen minutes, and a day after arriving at the hospital, Juliane was reunited with her father.
19 Later, Juliane learned that her mother had survived the crash landing but died in the jungle a short time later. Juliane still suffers from feelings of guilt that she was unable to find and save her mother. She struggles with questions of faith: why would God save Juliane and not her mother? Or why would he not save the other passengers on the plane?
20 But nevertheless Juliane, who was nicknamed “The Miracle Girl” by the press, has made the most of her life. She grew up to work at the Zoological Center in Munich, Germany.
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1. / Which two pieces of evidence best supports the claim that Juliane was a “Miracle Girl?”A. / “She fell more than two miles into the jungle canopy but amazingly survived with only minor injuries.”
B. / “But she knew that finding her mother, even if she were alive, was a one-in-a-million proposition.”
C. / “Juliane learned that her mother survived the crash but died in the jungle a short time later.”
D. / “Juliane… has made the most of her life. She grew up to work at the Zoological Center in Munich, Germany”
E. / “She may have survived because her seat was still attached to a whole row of seats that rotated much like a helicopter…”
2. / What is the definition of the word ornithologist as it is used in paragraph 1?
A. / Someone who fears birds
B. / Someone who hunts birds
C. / Someone who studies birds
D. / Someone who loves birds
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3. / Using Dictionary Reference 1, what is the correct pronunciation of the word parasite as used in paragraph 13?
A. / Pahr-uh-seet
B. / Pur-ah-sight
C. / Pahr-ah-seet
D. / Pair-uh-sight
4. / What is the most likely definition of the word ceased as it is used in paragraph 16?
A. / Kept trying
B. / Gave up
C. / Ran away
D. / Left behind
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5. / What can the reader infer is the author’s purpose for including paragraph 19 in Juliane’s story?A. / To show the lasting impact the experience had on Juliane
B. / To place blame on Juliane for causing her situation
C. / To explain why Juliane was able to survive the crash
D. / To teach others how Juliane was able to survive in the jungle
6. / Which of the following most effectively supports the point made in the quote in paragraph 19 that: “Juliane still suffers from feelings of guilt that she was unable to find and save her mother”?
A. / Juliane’s experiences in the jungle have stayed with her as she grew up.
B. / Juliane should have rescued her mother when they crashed in the jungle.
C. / Juliane regretted that she survived the crash and wishes she had stayed alive.
D. / Juliane was able to overcome her emotional difficulties to live a fulfilling life.
7. / Why does the author most likely include the quote from the plane crash investigation in paragraph 4?
A. / To increase the suspense for the reader around the plane crash
B. / To provide an unbiased explanation of why the plane crashed
C. / To emphasize how fortunate Juliane was to have survived the crash
D. / To explain what happens during a plane crash in the jungle
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8. / How was Juliane able to use what her parents taught her to survive when she was stranded in the jungle? Give two examples from the text.Page 10
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage “Jungle Survival: Safe Drinking Water,” and answer the questions.
Jungle Survival: Safe Drinking Water
1 Surviving in the jungle without modern equipment is a challenge. You’ll need to find sources of food (watch for poisonous plants and animals!), protection from infestations and insect threats (fire ants!), and other environmental dangers. One of your biggest needs, however, is potable drinking water.
2 To maintain good health, the human body needs a minimum of two quarts of water per day. If you're lost in the jungle, chances are you'll be exerting yourself in a hot and humid environment. Both of these factors mean you should drink more than the minimum amount.
3 Your body is about two-thirds water and uses it to help circulate blood, process food, and assist other internal processes. If you use more water than you take in, you'll begin to suffer from dehydration. With severe dehydration, your cells shrink and circulation stops, causing a lack of oxygen flow to your muscles. Dehydration can start as soon as six hours of not having water, and more than a full day without water is cause for serious concern. The human body can only live about three days without it.
4 If you are in a jungle or rainforest, collecting rainwater is probably the easiest part of survival. If you have a plastic poncho, tie it to a tree on a slant to allow the rain to collect and drain. The rainforest floor usually has large leaves to collect the limited amount of sunlight that filters through the overhead canopy. You can tilt leaves into a container and let them sit over night to collect dew and rainwater. If the water tastes a little funny, it's because rainwater lacks certain minerals found in groundwater or streams.
5 A better source is running water like a stream. Lush green vegetation is a sign that water is nearby. Swarming insects may be a problem, but they also signal that a water source isn't far away. Bird flight paths in the morning or evening can point you in the right direction. Stay on the move until you find a water source. When you pause to rest, use your ears -- rivers can be heard in the quiet woods from great distances. Remember that water always flows downhill, so low-lying areas and valleys are a good place to find it. If you find a stream, don't just start drinking; it could contain parasites that can make you seriously ill.
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Method 1: Filter Water
You can filter water to take out visible particles by using a container and filling it with layers of rocks, sand, and charcoal.
· Find a large can, hollow log or plastic bag. Hollow bamboo will also work.
· Punch 5-10 small holes around the base of your container and suspend it from the ground.
· Fill it with alternating layers of rock, sand, and cloth.
· Use both fine and coarse layers, the more the better.
· Pour your collected water into the filter and catch it in another container below.
The water should come through fairly clear; if not you can pour it through again. Add charcoal from your fire to remove odor -- just make sure you filter the charcoal out with some cloth. This method removes large sediment and improves the taste.
You should always purify the water, which may have parasites, by boiling water over a fire --10 minutes is a good rule of thumb. Boiling water means you need fire and a container of some kind. Plastic bottles also work for boiling water if they are filled to the brim and capped and dropped into hot coals. The lack of air in the bottle should keep it from melting.
Method 2: Water From Condensation
You can make a condensation still to draw water from plants.
Materials:
· green leafy vegetation
· plastic bag
· straw (like a reed)
· rock
Location:
· sunny slope
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Process:
· Open the bag and put air into it
· Fill the bag three-fourths with leafy vegetation (do not use poisonous plants!)
· Put a small rock in the bag to anchor the bag
· Insert a straw into the mouth of the bag and close it off close to the end of the bag for maximum air space in the bag
· Plug the end of the tube so that no air escapes
· Put the bag with the mouth downhill on the sunny slope.
· Position the mouth of the bag slightly higher than the low point of the bag
· Make sure the rock is in the lowest part of the bag.
Results:
The sun light evaporates the water from the vegetation which then condenses and falls to the lowest point around the rock.
To get the water out, tip the bag so that the water that has collected around the rock can flow out of the tubing.
You may need to make several condensation stills to meet your daily water needs.
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9a. / Part AThe main idea in “Jungle Survival: Safe Drinking Water” is which of the following?
A. / Being aware of the dangers of the jungle is extremely important.
B. / Gathering water in the jungle is a difficult, but important process.
C. / Constructing water gathering machines can filter out parasites.
D. / Knowing how to gather safe, fresh water can save your life.
9b. / Part B
Which two pieces of evidence from the passage best support your answer to Part A.
A. / “… don’t just start drinking; it could contain parasites that can make you seriously ill.”
B. / “You’ll need to find sources of food…protection from infestations and insect threats….”
C. / The human body can only live about three days without [water].”
D. / “This method removes large sediment and improves the taste.”
E. / “The sun light evaporates the water from the vegetation.”
10. / The author uses the word potable in paragraph 1. Which word has a similar meaning?
A. / Eatable
B. / Livable
C. / Suitable
D. / Drinkable
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