In a battle between bugs and trees, bugs sometimes win. This is happening in the Great Smoky Mountains, in the southeastern United States. The bugs are woolly adelgids (uh-DEL-jidz). The trees are eastern hemlocks. In Great Smoky Mountain National Park, these trees can grow more than 150 feet tall. Some are more than 500 years old. The hemlock forests of the park cover tens of thousands of acres. Since 2002, though, the insects have been attacking hemlocks by the hundreds. If these bugs are not stopped, they could kill most of the hemlocks in the park. This would harm other living things. For example, hemlocks provide shade along creeks. This keeps the creeks cool enough for fish to survive.
How, exactly, do the adelgids attack the trees? The adelgids cover themselves with a white "wool" that protects them. They then feed on the trees' sap at the base of their needles. This stops the flow of food to parts of the trees. The hemlocks lose their needles and starve to death.
Park officials are trying different ways to get rid of the insects. One method is releasing beetles that feed on woolly adelgids. In a battle between bugs and bugs, maybe the right bugs will win.
1. Which sentence states the main idea of the passage?
A. Woolly adelgids feed on the white wool that protects them.
B. Woolly adelgids live along the creek in the national park.
C. Woolly adelgids are killing hemlock trees in the national park.
D. Woolly adelgids are becoming extinct.
2. How do park officials plan to help save the hemlock trees?
A. They will plant more hemlock trees along the creek beds.
B. They will release beetles that feed on adelgids into the environment.
C. They will cover the trees with a white woolly substance to protect them.
D. They will use needles to pump more sap into the trees.
3. Losing the hemlocks would harm other living things. What is the most likely reason for this?
A. All kinds of wildlife depend on the hemlock trees for their own existence.
B. Losing the hemlocks could start a battle between different kinds of bugs.
C. Many park officials will lose their jobs if the hemlock trees die.
D. Without hemlock trees, the woolly adelgids will have nothing to eat.
4. What does the author mean by "maybe the right bugs will win"?
A. All of the hemlock trees may die.
B. The woolly adelgids might win over the beetles.
C. The park officials might protect the hemlock trees.
D. The beetles might win over the woolly adelgids.
1. C. Woolly adelgids are killing hemlock trees in the national park.
2. B. They will release beetles that feed on adelgids into the environment.
3. A. All kinds of wildlife depend on the hemlock trees for their own existence.
4. D. The beetles might win over the woolly adelgids.
1. To determine the main idea of the passage, we can analyze the key points mentioned. The first paragraph introduces the issue of bugs (woolly adelgids) attacking hemlock trees in the Great Smoky Mountains. It then highlights the potential consequences if these bugs are not stopped. Based on this information, the main idea of the passage is that woolly adelgids are killing hemlock trees in the national park. Therefore, the correct answer is C. Woolly adelgids are killing hemlock trees in the national park.
2. To find out how park officials plan to save the hemlock trees, we can refer to the information provided in the passage. The passage states that one method the officials are using is releasing beetles that feed on woolly adelgids. This implies that the park officials plan to control the adelgid population by introducing natural predators. Therefore, the correct answer is B. They will release beetles that feed on adelgids into the environment.
3. The passage mentions that losing the hemlocks would harm other living things. To identify the most likely reason for this harm, we can look at the information provided. The passage states that hemlocks provide shade along creeks, which keeps the creeks cool enough for fish to survive. This implies that the shade provided by hemlock trees is crucial for the survival of fish in the creeks. Therefore, the most likely reason why losing the hemlocks would harm other living things is that all kinds of wildlife depend on the hemlock trees for their own existence. Thus, the correct answer is A. All kinds of wildlife depend on the hemlock trees for their own existence.
4. The author concludes the passage by stating, "maybe the right bugs will win." To understand what the author means, we can analyze the context. The preceding sentence mentions the park officials releasing beetles that feed on woolly adelgids. Therefore, the author is suggesting that in the battle between bugs (beetles) and bugs (woolly adelgids), the beetles might win and help protect the hemlock trees. Thus, the correct answer is D. The beetles might win over the woolly adelgids.
1. The main idea of the passage is stated in sentence C: "Woolly adelgids are killing hemlock trees in the national park."
2. Park officials plan to help save the hemlock trees by releasing beetles that feed on adelgids into the environment (option B).
3. The most likely reason why losing the hemlocks would harm other living things is stated in option A: All kinds of wildlife depend on the hemlock trees for their own existence.
4. The author means by "maybe the right bugs will win" that the beetles might win over the woolly adelgids (option D).