Two Ways to Survive: the Humpback Whale and the Sea Otter: Grade 7 Reading Comprehension

Deep and salty places are hard to live in, yet both the humpback whale and the sea otter manage it. They solve the same problem in different ways.

The humpback whale lives in oceans all around the world. It is up to 16 meters long. It has baleen plates instead of teeth, which strain tiny animals out of huge gulps of seawater. It is a carnivore and eats krill and small fish.

The sea otter, on the other hand, lives in cold coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean. It is about 1.2 meters long. It has the thickest fur of any animal, which keeps it warm, since it has no blubber. It is a carnivore and eats sea urchins, crabs and clams.

Both animals show that there is more than one way to survive in a deep and salty place.

Questions

Compare and contrast What do the two animals have in common?
Both have baleen plates instead of teeth. Both live in the same country. Both live in places that are deep and salty. Both are exactly the same size.
Compare and contrast Which detail is true of the humpback whale but not the sea otter?
It has the thickest fur of any animal. It is about 1.2 meters long. It has baleen plates instead of teeth. It lives in cold coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean.
Details How does the sea otter use the thickest fur of any animal?
They let it run fast and leap high to escape predators. They let it chew through tree trunks. It keeps it warm, since it has no blubber. They keep it warm and hidden against the snow.
Compare and contrast Which animal is larger?
The passage does not give their sizes. They are the same size. the humpback whale the sea otter
Main idea Which sentence best states the main idea?
Weather changes every season. The sea otter and the humpback whale live together in one group. Two animals survive the same kind of place in different ways. Animals cannot live in hard places.
Text structure How is this passage organized?
It tells a made-up story with characters. It gives steps to follow. It lists events in the order they happened. It describes one animal, then the other, then sums up what they share.

See all your scores

All passages Next: Two Ways to Survive: the Honeybee and the Giraffe

Explore this topic

Topics: Living things and life cycles · Weather and seasons

Earth and Sky at Home hands-on lessons
Winter Science at Home hands-on lessons
Plants and Seeds: What Does a Seed Need? hands-on lessons

Practice math too

Hundreds of math skills by grade, with new questions every time.

Math practice Hands-on lessons