This passage is all about penguins. It tells about how penguins survive in the wild.
Waddle, Dive, and Swim
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
1A flock of penguins waddles across the ice and snow. They walk upright,heads held high. As they step, step, step with their wide, three-toed feet and short, stubby legs, they rock from side to side like chubby wind-up toys.
2Penguins can’t fly, but they are birds. Like all birds, penguins have feathers and wings. The feathers are a beautiful, shiny, black and white. A penguin’s wings are small and flat. While climbing up slippery slopes, or hopping from rock to rock, penguins hold their wings out to the side for balance. To go downhill, they flop on their bellies and slide. They use their wings to steer.
3 Penguins live mostly in the ocean. But for a few weeks or months each year, they come ashore to nest and hatch their eggs. Once their chicks are grown, penguins hurry back to the sea. They gather at the edge of the ice and peer into the cold water. Their thick coat of waterproof feathers can protect them from the cold, but not from enemies! They watch for lurking sharks, leopard seals, or killer whales.
4 When all’s clear, they plunge into the water, one after the other. Penguins look just like Olympic divers. Penguins look silly while waddling on land. They are gracefulswimmers in water. They use their feet to paddle along like ducks. But their strong, flipper-like wings penguins can “fly” through the sea.
5When penguins are hungry, they dive down deep to hunt for food. Most birds have light, hollow bones to help them rise up in the air. Penguins have heavy bones and sleek, streamlined bodies. That helps them dive deeper and swim faster than any other type of bird.
6 Penguins can spend months at sea without ever touching land. But like all birds they must breathe air. Penguins breathe by leaping out of the water like porpoises while swimming fast. They glide over the water for a second or two, gulp a breath of air, then dive back in. Porpoising, leaping out of the water, is also a good way to confuse enemies. A stalking shark or seal loses sight of a penguin when it’s out of the water.
7If porpoising doesn’t work, a penguin can escape an enemy by quickly changing direction. It does this by using its webbed feet and pointy tail.It is amazing how they zigzag this way and that. If an iceberg is floating nearby, the penguin can rocket straight out of the water and land on the ice, out of the enemy’s reach. They know all the moves to stay safe and have fun — both on land and in the sea. These sea birds are very interesting animals.
1. Which of the following sentences from paragraph 7 is fact?
(R3.B.3.1.)
A. / It is amazing how they zigzag this way and that.B. / These sea birds are such interesting animals.
C. / They know all the moves to stay safe and have fun.
D. / It does this by using its webbed feet and pointy tail.
2. Which of the following sentences from paragraph 4 is a fact? (R3.B.3.1.)
A. / Penguins look just like Olympic divers.B. / They use their feet to paddle along like ducks.
C. / They are graceful swimmers in water.
D. / Penguins look silly while waddling on land.
3. Which of the following sentences from paragraph 2 is an opinion?
(R3.B.3.1.)
A. / To go downhill, they flop on their bellies and slide.B. / Penguins can't fly, but they are birds.
C. / The feathers are a beautiful, shiny, black and white.
D. / A penguin's wings are small and flat.
4. Which of these headings would best describe paragraph two? (RI.3.7)
A. / Penguins Cannot FlyB. / Slippery Birds
C. / Expert Swimmers
D. / Waterproof Feather
5. What would be another good title for "Waddle, Dive, and Swim?" (RI.3.2)
A. / The Amazing World of PenguinsB. / Penguins' Feathers are Thick
C. / Friends of the Happy Porpoise
D. / Using Sense of Direction Wisely
6. Why are penguins good swimmers? (RI.3.2)
A. / They have short, stubby legs.B. / They can breathe underwater.
C. / They can see in the cold water.
D. / They have sleek, streamlined bodies.
7. Read the sentence.
"While climbing up slippery slopes, or hopping from rock to rock, penguins hold their wings out to the side for balance."
Which of the following is an antonym of the underlined word? (L.3.5.c)
A. / slickB. / rough
C. / high
D. / steep
8. Read the sentence.
"When penguins are hungry, they dive down deep to hunt for food."
Which of the following is an antonym of the underlined word? (L.3.5.c)
A. / starvedB. / grown
C. / full
D. / angry
9. Which paragraph tells about how penguins defend themselves from enemies? (RI.3.7)
A. / Paragraph 1B. / Paragraph 4
C. / Paragraph 5
D. / Paragraph 7
10. In the passage, "Waddle, Dive, and Swim," you read that penguins have many adaptations that help them survive in their environment. Identify at least two (2) adaptations and explain how each adaptation helps the penguins survive in their environment. (RI.3.2)
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