Grade 5. Practice Test. Invasion of the Pythons

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1 Name Date Grade 5 Invasion of the Pythons

Suddenly, one of the team pounces and grabs the tail of a huge snake. Another researcher lunges and grabs the snake behind its head.

2 Today you will read the following passage. Read this passage carefully to gather information to answer questions and write an essay. Introduction Excerpt from Invasion of the Pythons by Sean McCollum 1 Slogging through ankle-deep water in the Florida Everglades, the scientists approach their target. Suddenly, one of the team pounces and grabs the tail of a huge snake. Another researcher lunges and grabs the snake behind its head. Others quickly join the wrestling match between humans and this 16-foot (4.9 m), 150-pound (68 kg) Burmese python. 2 The python finally tires, and they haul it back to the lab for study. The scientists win this time. A bigger battle is underway, though, because Burmese pythons aren t even supposed to be in Florida. These large snakes are native to the jungles and marshy grasslands of India and other parts of South Asia. What are they doing in Florida? Who Invited That Guy? 3 For millions of years, the movement of animals and plants was limited by natural barriers. Mountain ranges and deserts separated habitats, so species could not spread. Oceans were especially difficult to cross. 4 That changed as transportation improved. By the 1800s, many humans moved to new lands, bringing familiar livestock and plant seeds with them. Sometimes animals rats, lizards, dogs, and cats crawled onto ships and were carried across the sea. Today people move farther and faster than ever before. Whether by human design or by accident, other species move as well. 5 In their native lands, species usually have competition and predators to keep their numbers in check. If their new home lacks these challenges, a new species may multiply and take over, thereby becoming an invasive species. Kudzu vines from Japan, for example, have choked out other plants in the southeastern United States. On the island of Guam, the brown tree snake has wiped out much of the bird population. As other native species lose a familiar source of food or shelter, the entire ecosystem can suffer. 1 of 5

3 6 No one knows for sure how Burmese pythons got into the Everglades ecosystem. The first invaders may have escaped from Florida pet shops, or maybe some pet owners released their pythons when they grew too big to care for. Once the snakes got loose, they thrived in the heat and humidity, hiding in the tangled underbrush and gobbling up other animals. The invasion of the pythons was underway. Threats by the Thousands 7 The first Burmese python was reported in the Everglades in Another sixteen years passed before the next one was found. Since 2000, though, python reports have grown more and more common. When a nest of python eggs was discovered, it confirmed what wildlife biologists feared: Burmese pythons were breeding in the wild. 8 Pythons reproduce rapidly. Females usually lay more than fifty eggs a year, and within three years of hatching, young pythons themselves are ready to breed. The result in the Everglades has been a population explosion as, year after year, more pythons lay eggs and more pythons survive. 2 of 5

4 1. Part A Why shouldn t Burmese pythons be found in Florida? A Burmese pythons cannot live long in the Everglades ecosystem. B Florida is not the Burmese python s native habitat. C Humans are destroying their environment. D Scientists have already captured most of them. Which quotation from the passage supports the correct answer to Part A? A The python finally tires, and they haul it back to the lab for study. B A bigger battle is underway, though, because Burmese pythons aren t even supposed to be in Florida. C These large snakes are native to the jungles and marshy grasslands of India and other parts of South Asia. D What are they doing in Florida? 2. What has made it easier for species to spread to new habitats? 3. Part A What is the meaning of the word habitats as it is used in paragraph 3? A the environments in which animals live B the movements of different animals C the different kinds of animals D the amount of time passed between events Which two phrases from the passage help readers understand the meaning of the word habitats? A changed as transportation improved B movement of animals and plants was limited C for millions of years D crawled onto ships E mountain ranges and deserts separated A changes in ecosystems B deserts separating habitats C competition for food and predators D improvements in human transportation 3 of 5

5 4. Part A According to the passage, which of the following events happens directly after an invasive species moves to a new habitat? A The species replaces other species or becomes a predator to species in the new habitat. B Without predators or competition, the species multiplies quickly. C Native species begin to die because of loss of food or shelter. D The new habitat s ecosystem is damaged. What of the following are the last two events that happen after an invasive species finds a new habitat? A Without predators or competition, the species multiplies quickly. B The new habitat s ecosystem is damaged. C Native species begin to die because of loss of food or shelter. D The species moves to a new habitat. E The species replaces other species or becomes a predator to species in the new habitat. 5. How is the python population in the Everglades like other invasive species? Write a paragraph that answers this question. 4 of 5

6 : Answer Sheet 1. Part A Part A E 4. Part A E 5. Constructed Response 5 of 5

Pythons are at the top of the food chain in the Everglades

Pythons are at the top of the food chain in the Everglades By Miami Herald, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.13.16 Word Count 719 A wildlife biologist and a wildlife technician hold a Burmese python during