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The Fennec Fox

3rd grade reading

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The Fennec Fox

The fennec fox is the smallest fox in the world. It weighs about as much as a bag of sugar. It lives in the Sahara Desert in North Africa, one of the hottest places on Earth. The first thing most people notice about the fennec fox is its enormous ears. They can be as long as 15 centimetres, which is huge for such a small animal. The ears do two important jobs. First, they let heat escape from the fox's body, helping it to stay cool. Second, they are so sensitive that the fox can hear insects moving under the sand. The fennec fox has other ways to survive in the desert, too. Thick fur on the bottoms of its feet protects it from the burning sand. During the hottest part of the day, it rests in a cool burrow underground. It comes out to hunt at night, when the air is cooler. Water is hard to find in the desert, but the fennec fox can go a long time without drinking. It gets most of the water it needs from the food it eats, such as insects, plants and small animals.

  1. Question 1

    Read "The Fennec Fox". Where does the fennec fox live?

    • A. the Sahara Desert
    • B. the Arctic
    • C. a city park
    • D. a rainforest

  2. Question 2

    Read "The Fennec Fox". What are the TWO jobs of the fox's ears?

    • A. keeping it cool and hearing prey
    • B. digging and swimming
    • C. keeping it warm and smelling food
    • D. scaring enemies and climbing

  3. Question 3

    Read "The Fennec Fox". In paragraph 2, what does "sensitive" mean?

    • A. easily upset
    • B. very large
    • C. very soft
    • D. able to notice very small things

  4. Question 4

    Read "The Fennec Fox". Why does the fennec fox hunt at night?

    • A. It cannot see in daylight.
    • B. The air is cooler then.
    • C. Its prey only comes out in the day.
    • D. It sleeps in trees during the day.

  5. Question 5

    Read "The Fennec Fox". What is the main idea of the whole text?

    • A. The fennec fox has special features that help it survive in the desert.
    • B. The Sahara is very hot.
    • C. The fennec fox is the size of a bag of sugar.
    • D. Foxes eat insects.

  6. Question 6

    Read "The Fennec Fox". How is paragraph 2 mainly organised?

    • A. It compares two kinds of fox.
    • B. It describes a feature and then explains its uses.
    • C. It tells a story in time order.
    • D. It gives instructions.

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Answer key: The Fennec Fox

  1. 1. A. the Sahara Desert

    • The answer is stated directly in the text.
    • Paragraph 1 says it lives in the Sahara Desert in North Africa.
    • So the answer is: the Sahara Desert

  2. 2. A. keeping it cool and hearing prey

    • The answer is stated directly in the text.
    • They let heat escape and hear insects under the sand.
    • So the answer is: keeping it cool and hearing prey

  3. 3. D. able to notice very small things

    • The words around an unfamiliar word help show its meaning.
    • The ears can hear insects moving under the sand, so they pick up tiny sounds.
    • So the answer is: able to notice very small things

  4. 4. B. The air is cooler then.

    • An inference combines clues in the text with what you know.
    • Paragraph 3 says it comes out at night, 'when the air is cooler'.
    • So the answer is: The air is cooler then.

  5. 5. A. The fennec fox has special features that help it survive in the desert.

    • The main idea covers the whole text; details only cover a part.
    • Every paragraph explains a way the fox survives the desert.
    • So the answer is: The fennec fox has special features that help it survive in the desert.

  6. 6. B. It describes a feature and then explains its uses.

    • Text structure is how a writer organises ideas.
    • It introduces the ears, then explains 'First…' and 'Second…' jobs.
    • So the answer is: It describes a feature and then explains its uses.