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Beavers Come Home

10th grade reading

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Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 1

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

    • A. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.
    • B. Farmers are always opposed to wildlife.
    • C. Beavers only live in Scotland.
    • D. Beavers should be removed from Britain again.

  2. Question 2

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which detail best supports the idea that beaver dams may reduce flooding?

    • A. less water flowed downstream during heavy rain below the dams than above them
    • B. beavers were hunted to extinction
    • C. farmers report felled trees
    • D. wetlands attract visitors

  3. Question 3

    Read "Beavers Come Home". How does the writer treat the farmers' concerns in paragraph 3?

    • A. dismisses them as silly
    • B. says beavers should be banned
    • C. ignores them
    • D. acknowledges them as real and describes measures to address them

  4. Question 4

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to prove that beavers are harmful
    • B. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive
    • C. to introduce a new animal
    • D. to praise the farmers

  5. Question 5

    Read "Beavers Come Home". In paragraph 2, why are beavers called 'ecosystem engineers'?

    • A. because they reshape their environment in ways that affect many other species
    • B. because they build roads
    • C. because they are trained by engineers
    • D. because they destroy ecosystems

  6. Question 6

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Which verb best describes what researchers do in paragraph 4?

    • A. refute
    • B. caution
    • C. celebrate
    • D. exaggerate

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Answer key: Beavers Come Home

  1. 1. A. Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

    • The main idea covers the whole text; details only cover a part.
    • The text balances benefits, concerns and uncertainty.
    • So the answer is: Reintroduced beavers bring environmental benefits but also costs, and the full picture is still being studied.

  2. 2. A. less water flowed downstream during heavy rain below the dams than above them

    • The best evidence directly supports the claim.
    • Paragraph 2 gives the Devon study's measurements.
    • So the answer is: less water flowed downstream during heavy rain below the dams than above them

  3. 3. D. acknowledges them as real and describes measures to address them

    • Arguments have a claim supported by reasons and evidence.
    • 'Their concerns are real' and compensation schemes are described.
    • So the answer is: acknowledges them as real and describes measures to address them

  4. 4. B. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

    • The writer's choices show their purpose.
    • It qualifies the supporters' claims, adding scientific caution.
    • So the answer is: to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  5. 5. A. because they reshape their environment in ways that affect many other species

    • The words around an unfamiliar word help show its meaning.
    • Their dams create wetlands that become homes for other wildlife.
    • So the answer is: because they reshape their environment in ways that affect many other species

  6. 6. B. caution

    • Arguments have a claim supported by reasons and evidence.
    • They warn that results vary and data are limited.
    • So the answer is: caution