Study Island Copyright 2014 Edmentum - All rights reserved. Generation Date: 04/01/2014 Generated By: Cheryl Shelton Title: GRADE 2 Science in the content areas This Giant Panda, Moo, is a gift from China to the state of South Carolina. 1. Based on the picture, where is Moo from? A. China B. South Carolina C. Australia D. Africa
Ducks by Tirzah Tyler (1) Ducks are a kind of bird. Ducks were made to live near water. Duck feathers have a special oil that helps ducks float. Ducks' beaks are called bills. When some ducks eat, they dip their bills underwater. Their bills let the water pour out of their mouths b ut leave food inside their mouths. This way of eating is called dabbling. (2) There are different types of ducks around the world. Wood ducks live in North America. Pink-eared ducks, which are also called zebra ducks, live in Australia. Mandarin ducks live in Asia and Europe. Mallard ducks make their homes all over the world. 2. What is the main idea of the first paragraph? A. Ducks have special beaks that are called bills. B. Many kinds of ducks are made for living near water. C. A special oil helps ducks to float in the water. D. Ducks dabble when they dip their bills underwater. The Ocean The ocean is a wonderful place. It is a world that is fully under water. There are many things living in this watery world. Animals Many animals live in the ocean. Some are small, like fish. Some are big, like whales. Many ocean animals stay under the water most of the time. People do not usually see them. Other animals, like dolphins, come up for air. People see them from the shore. Turtles and crabs can crawl right up onto dry land. What Else Is in the Ocean? The ocean has shells, rocks, seaweed, and caves. It also has things that do not belong there, like bottles. People must be careful not to throw things in the ocean. Trash can hurt the animals living there. 3. Which of these is a main idea in the selection? A. The ocean has a lot of shells, rocks, and caves. B. Many different things can be found in the ocean. C. Turtles and crabs do not like living in the ocean. D. The ocean is filled with fish, whales, and crabs.
The Magpie's Nest The magpie builds the best nests. All the birds asked her how she did it. She began to show them. First, she took some mud and made a round cake with it. "That's how it's done!" said the thrush, and it flew away. That's how thrushes build their nests. Then, the magpie took twigs and set them in the mud. "Now I know how!" said the blackbird, and off it flew. That's how blackbirds make their nests. Then, the magpie put another layer of mud over the twigs. "Of course!" said the owl, and away it flew. That's how owls make their nests. Every bird listened a little. None waited to the end. Finally, the magpie looked up and saw only the turtle-dove. She got angry and flew away. She said she would never tell them how to build nests again. That is why birds all make their nests differently. adapted from The Magpie's Nest by Joseph Jacobs 4. What detail from the story best supports the idea that the birds did not all learn to make the same nest? A. The magpie showed the birds how to make the same nest. B. The birds asked the magpie to make their nests for them. C. The thrush flew away from the magpie before the owl did. D. The magpie did not want to give away her nest secrets. Bananas Where They Come From Bananas grow on plants that look like trees. These plants grow best in warm places. About 107 countries grow bananas. India, Brazil, and China are some of these countries. Kinds of Bananas There are hundreds of different kinds of bananas. There are baby bananas, red bananas, and even apple bananas. Banana Foods Bananas can be eaten all sorts of ways. People eat them fresh. They also grill, fry, or bake them. Banana splits and banana chips are well-liked banana foods. Yummy and Good for You Bananas taste good and are good for you. They are sweet. But they are good for your bones. They are also good for your heart.
5. Which of the following is a paragraph heading in the passage? A. Grill, Fry, and Bake B. Kinds of Bananas C. India, Brazil, and China D. Sweet Bananas The Largest Penguin There are different types of penguins on our planet. Emperor penguins are the largest. They can weigh up to 90 pounds. These penguins grow to be almost four feet tall. The head, chin, throat, and back of an Emperor penguin is black. This makes it look like it is wearing a black dinner jacket! One way to know if a penguin is an Emperor is by the orange area on the side of its head. 6. Read the passage above. Why is "The Largest Penguin" in boldface type? A. It is a new vocabulary word. B. It is the name of a penguin. C. It is an important sentence. D. It is the title of the passage. 7. The life span of a beetle is about a year. Most of that time is spent in the ground as an egg, a larva, and a pupa. Adult beetles come out of their homes in the ground on summer days. Then they begin their very short lives. After only about a month they die. adapted from "A Child's First Library of Learning: Insect World," by Virginia Alexandria Why are the words "larva" and "pupa" in boldface type? A. They are not important. B. They are new words to learn. C. They tell about the summer. D. They are short words. 8. The flu is caused by a virus. A virus is a very small germ. It can make you feel sick. There are things you can do to protect yourself from the flu. You should wash your hands a lot. That way you can kill the virus. You should try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Those are places that the virus can enter your body.
adapted from http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/kids/html/flu.htm Why is the word "virus" in boldface type? A. You can protect yourself. B. It is a vocabulary word. C. So that you wash your hands D. It is a funny word. 9. Lizards Lizards are a type of animal. Some live outdoors, some live in zoos, and some are kept as pets. To keep a lizard as a pet, you must know what it eats. Most lizards eat insects, like grasshoppers, crickets, and flies. They snap them up with their tongues, which are long and sticky. Some lizards are hunters. They eat birds and other reptiles. Others lizards do not eat meat. They like fruit, flowers, and leaves. Which of these is a main idea in the selection? A. People can go to the zoo to see lizards up close. B. Different lizards will eat different types of food. C. Lizards have tongues that are long and sticky. D. Most lizards like to eat grasshoppers and flies. 10. Raccoons Raccoons are wild animals. Many people think raccoons are only found out in the country. This is not true. Raccoons can be found almost anywhere. They live in fallen logs and inside trees. They will find a way to crawl inside of a house. They are even found in busy cities. Raccoons will happily live any place where they can find food and stay safe. Which of these is a main idea in the selection? A. Raccoons enjoy living in the country. B. Raccoons live inside people's houses. C. Raccoons live in many different places. D. Raccoons can be found living in logs.
11. How Earthworms Help Farmers Earthworms are interesting worms that eat soil. There are many dead leaves and tiny animals in soil. These get mixed with the soil that earthworms eat. The soil passes through their bodies. Then the soil goes back into the earth. This makes the ground better for farmers' crops. Earthworms also put air into the soil. That also makes it rich. Farmers like earthworms because of this. adapted from "A Child's First Library of Learning: Insect World," by Virginia Alexandria Why is "How Earthworms Help Farmers" in boldface type? A. It is a sentence. B. Earthworms are like farmers. C. The text is about vegetables. D. It is the title. 12. Butterflies fly from one flower to another. But some butterflies go a lot farther. Like birds they migrate. This means fly south when the weather is cold. They spend the winter in warm places. When spring comes they fly home. adapted from "A Child's First Library of Learning: Insect World," by Virginia Alexandria Why is the word "migrate" in boldface type? A. The writer wants the reader to fly the same way that birds fly. B. It is the title of a paragraph about birds and butterflies. C. The writer wants the reader to notice an important word. D. The writer wants the reader to know that butterflies are insects. 13. Vampire bats are bats that drink blood. They live in caves, mines, and trees. They fly out during the night to look for food. The author most likely wrote this paragraph A. to get readers to stay away from bats. B. to help readers solve problems with bats. C. to entertain readers with a story on bats. D. to inform readers about vampire bats.
14. A Day in the Life of an Elephant Elephants are known as the largest animals on land. They have trunks that act like fingers. Their trunks can pick up things as small as a blade of grass or things as large as a tree branch. Elephants also have very thick skin. Having thick skin can protect them from other animals. Because elephants have thick skin, it is hard for them to stay cool. Their ears can help in cooling them down. Why is "A Day in the Life of an Elephant" in boldface type? A. It is the title of the passage. B. It shows how big an elephant is. C. It is an important sentence. D. It shows what is said to someone. 15. Tulips Tulips are a kind of flower. They come in many beautiful colors. You can find them in red, white, orange, or pink. They even come in purple. Sometimes, the petals are more than one color. You might find tulips with red petals and a yellow center. Tulips can make any garden bright and fun. Which of these is a main idea in the selection? A. Tulips have purple petals. B. Tulips are a type of flower. C. Tulips are red and yellow. D. Tulips come in many colors. Beautiful Feathers Peacocks are large birds with colorful tail feathers. When the feathers open, they are very wide. It looks like there are eyes on their tail feathers. Finding Food Peacocks eat bugs, small animals, and plants off the ground. Do not be surprised if you see them eating worms, mice, or small snakes. Big Birds
A peacock's opened tail feathers are called a train. It can become as long as five feet. Peacocks weigh up to 13 pounds. Around the World Blue peacocks are from the India. Green peacocks are from Java and Burma. 16. Which of the following is a paragraph heading in the passage above? A. Finding Food B. The Train C. Colorful Tails D. Feather Eyes 17. You are looking at the above website about ocean life and want to learn more about a tadpoles. Which icon should you click on? A. B. C. D. Mountain gorillas live in Africa. They like to live in groups. A male is the head of a group. He is called the silverback. He is very important. He makes sure everyone is safe. If an animal puts his group in danger, he will charge at it. He takes care of his gorillas. 18. What is the main idea of the passage? A. The silverback leads a group of mountain gorillas. B. The silverback gorilla charges at dangerous animals. C. Mountain gorillas are animals that live in Africa. D. The silverback gorilla decides everything for the group.
White-sided dolphins are fun to watch. They can jump high over the water. They can tumble in the air. They are very quick learners. They can learn new tricks easily. You can see them do tricks at places like Sea World. They are often the stars of the show. They like to show off for people. 19. What is the main idea of this passage? A. White-sided dolphins are fun to watch. B. White-sided dolphins learn tricks quickly. C. White-sided dolphins can jump into the air. D. White-sided dolphins show off for people. Growing a garden takes a lot of care. Most flowers must be planted where it is sunny. Also, they need the right amount of water. They cannot be too wet or too dry. Sometimes, gardeners must put plant food in the soil. Gardeners must keep an eye on their flowers every day. A garden is a lot of hard work, but it is worth it. 20. Why was this passage most likely written? A. to teach the reader how to water a garden B. to teach the reader how to grow a garden C. to make the reader want to grow a garden D. to entertain the reader a story about a garden