GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Big Cats
1
Wild cats are some of Earth's grandest treasures, and their stories excite the
imaginations of people of all ages. Many of these lords of the wild are endangered. Even
though there are so many different kinds of wild cats around the world, they have many
similar characteristics.
2
However, each faces different challenges for survival. One day, you may be
responsible for making important decisions about the natural world and the many
animals who share it. Consider the cats of the world as one example of animals who play
an important role in the food chain wherever they are found around the Earth.
3
In Africa, they say that a male lion’s roar is asking, “Whose land is this?” He then
answers, “It is mine, mine, mine!” It is hard to listen to this ancient challenge without
edging a little closer to the campfire. What is behind that remarkable call?
Superb Predators
4
Tigers and lions are among nature's grandest predators. A grizzly bear may be larger
than a Siberian tiger, but the tiger is much quicker. A wolf may have a better sense of
smell than a jaguar, but a jaguar can handle large prey alone while wolves hunt in packs.
Cats have excellent night vision, sharp hearing and enormous physical strength. They
sneak up on their prey. The camouflage patterns in their fur and their graceful, quiet
movements make the cats difficult to notice.
PAGE 1
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE
GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
5
There are cats for every job. Each continent except Antarctica has its cat king. Africa
is ruled by the lion. The tiger rules Asia. In South and Central America, the monarch is
certainly the jaguar. North America is the domain of the puma. Australia has no big cats,
but it has many small cats that descend from tame cats. These tame cats have now gone
wild. These cats have become keen predators even if they are much the same as the pet
cats that you have met.
6
The natural order is carefully balanced. There are a few big predators. Under
them are more medium-sized cats that eat medium-sized prey ranging from rabbits to
antelopes and deer. Finally, there are many small cats including loose pet cats. These
smaller cats eat small prey like insects, rodents, lizards, and birds. The secret to cat
success is that each type has a special place in the food chain that helps keep it from
competing with others. A shopping mall with nothing but music stores would see a lot
of fighting over customers. Like a shopping mall, a natural environment keeps order by
having a variety of different plants, prey species, and hunters. The field mice that do not
interest the tiger keep the wild cat happy. The cheetah zooms after a small antelope while
leaving the buffalo for the stronger lions.
Meat on the Menu
7
Cats hunt because they need meat to survive. Animals that eat grass and leaves have
special stomachs in which bacteria breaks down complex plant sugars into the simpler
sugars they can digest. Cats are carnivores who have a very short digestive tract that
quickly breaks down meat and absorbs its energy and building materials. Cats cannot
survive on a diet of grass. They live from the meat they can get from other plant-eating
animals. That is how the food chain works.
Intelligence
8
Cats are one of the most intelligent species
on Earth. Most cats are very curious and can learn
quickly. Large predators need to be extra smart
in order to be successful as hunters. Mother cats
spend one to two years teaching their offspring.
This is a long time for growing cats to learn
survival skills. This time is like their school where
they learn how to deal with the world they live in.
PAGE 2
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE
READING PASSAGE: BIG CATS • GRADE 5
Found Everywhere But Safe Nowhere
9
Cats are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia, but many of these
wonderful creatures face extinction. Many others are critically endangered. Cats are
often hunted for their fur or meat. In Asia, thousands of tigers are killed each year just
for their body parts. They are also killed by people who want to protect the animals the
cats might hunt. Still other people hunt cats for sport. Finally, the environment that cats
need to survive is also in danger from human destruction.
10 Fortunately, more and more people now think of cats as companions to be admired
rather than enemies to be destroyed.
PAGE 3
GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
1. The first two paragraphs in this passage are connected to the rest of the
passage because
A
they tell the reader that the passage is about cats being the lords of
the wild all around the world.
B
they set the stage for the author's plan to discuss cats from all over
the world.
C
they connect the different cats from around the world to the fact
that many of these cats are endangered.
D
they show which types of cats can be found on each of the
continents except Antarctica.
2. What does the word, intelligent, mean in Paragraph 8?
A
B
C
D
smart
curious
fast
sleepy
3. From information in this passage, the reader can conclude that cats
PAGE 4
A
B
C
D
are one of the oldest species to become household pets.
can live alongside humans in all settings and places.
can race faster than all other animals in the food chain.
all over the world face some of the same challenges.
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE
GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
4. According to the passage, which characteristics of big cats make them great
hunters?
A
Big cats have an amazing ability to jump, are found on all
continents, and require a range of plant and animal food sources.
B
Big cats have excellent night vision, sharp hearing and enormous
physical strength.
C
Big cats have superior jaw strength, are larger than Grizzly Bears,
and blend well into their surroundings.
D
Big cats have extremely strong leg muscles, eat small prey, and hunt
in packs.
5. In the passage it states, “Like a shopping mall, a natural environment keeps
order by having a variety of different plants, prey species, and hunters.” What
is the best meaning of this statement?
A
Animals like to live in malls because there so many places to eat and
places to hide.
B
The natural environment has different parts that have to work
together in order for all animals to survive.
C
Cats and shoppers have much in common because they are both
trying to hunt a good deal.
D
The cats in the pet store are different species just like the cats in the
wild are different species.
6. Which statement below shows a cause and effect relationship specifically
mentioned in the passage?
PAGE 5
A
B
C
D
Zoos breed endangered species to help save them.
Cats hunt because they need meat to survive.
Cats have a very short digestive tract to digest their meals.
People now think of cats as companions to be admired.
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE
GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
7. What does the word, predators, mean in paragraph 5?
A
B
C
D
animals that hunt and live off other animals
animals that chase other animals at night and during the day
really fast animals that are good at hunting
animals that are becoming extinct
8. According to the passage, cats are intelligent. Which of the following is used
to support that statement?
A
B
C
D
Tigers and lions are among nature's grandest predators.
Mother cats spend one to two years teaching their offspring.
Their graceful, quiet movements make the cats difficult to notice.
Cats are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia.
9. The author organizes the passage by
A
showing how people have made it easier for cats to survive by
saving their environment.
B
making the connection between how cats are trained by their
mothers to hunt and how their need for plants and small animals
helps them to survive.
C
showing how different cats from around the world have faced
challenges and how their skills and strengths help them survive.
D
encouraging readers of the article to see big cats as companions to
be placed in zoos rather than to be destroyed in the wild.
PAGE 6
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE
GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
10. According to the passage, tigers and lions are among nature's grandest
predators. Which of the following is used to support that statement?
A
Under big cats are more medium-sized cats that eat medium-sized
prey.
B
A grizzly bear may be larger than a Siberian tiger, but the tiger is
much quicker.
C
D
Each continent except Antarctica has its cat king.
They live from the meat they can get from other plant-eating
animals.
11. Review the graphic organizer showing ideas
from this passage to the right. Which detail
belongs in the blank box?
A
B
C
D
Factors that Make Big
Cats Superior Predators
Sharp Hearing
Soft Fur
Plant Eater
Excellent Speed
Very Intelligent
Extremely Lucky
12. In Paragraph 7, the author uses the word, carnivores. Below is the dictionary
entry for this term.
carnivores plural of car·ni·vore (Noun)
1. An animal that feeds on flesh.
2. A mammal of the order Carnivora.
How does this word impact the meaning of the paragraph?
PAGE 7
A
B
C
D
It provides the scientific word for animals who eat meat.
It forces the reader to use the dictionary.
It shows that cats are considered smart and easy to tame.
It explains how food webs work in the wild.
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE
GRADE 5 READING • BIG CATS
13. The passage encourages the reader to consider how humans may be
responsible for making important decisions about the natural world and the
many animals who share it. What is the most likely reason the author included
this sentence?
A
The author was expecting the reader to adopt a cat from an animal
shelter.
B
The author was hoping to convince the reader to care about cats
around the world.
C
The author believes that cats are an example of an animal that
should live only in a zoo.
D
The author believes that cats should be allowed to hunt small
animals once in awhile to protect the food chain.
14. What does it mean when the passage states that, “The natural order is
carefully balanced?”
A
Each species of cat fills a specific role in the food web where the
larger cats eat the larger prey and the smaller cats eat the smaller
prey.
B
Cats have really good balance and can always land on their feet if
they fall or jump from heights.
C
Each continent has specific species of cats that live only on that
continent to keep the cats from killing each other.
D
The number of cats on each continent is equal to the number of
plants and animals that serve as the primary diet for these large
creatures.
PAGE 8
CHECKPOINT 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE