Fiction and Nonfiction Reading Passages for 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade with Reading Comprehenstion Test Questions and Answer Keys. The BEST State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Test Prep.
The Plight of Endangered Whales
Whales are some of the most majestic and awe-inspiring creatures on Earth. As the largest animals ever known to have lived, whales play a vital role in the health of the world's oceans. However, many whale species are currently endangered or vulnerable to extinction due to human activities. This article will explore some of the key threats facing whales and the efforts being taken to protect these gentle giants.
Industrial Whaling
For centuries, industrial whaling decimated whale populations around the world. Whalers ruthlessly hunted whales for their meat, blubber, and other products. Some species, like the gray whale, were nearly driven to extinction before commercial whaling was banned in most parts of the world by the 1980s. However, a few countries, like Japan and Norway, still permit some commercial whaling today under loopholes that allow "scientific research." Conservationists argue this is just a cover for continued whale hunting.
Bycatch
Another threat comes from accidental entanglement in fishing gear, known as bycatch. Whales can get caught in nets or on longlines meant for other fish. Gillnets and crab pots are especially hazardous. Once entangled, whales often drown or incur fatal injuries. Getting hauled up on deck also leads to death. Hundreds of whales die from bycatch every year, especially smaller species like vaquitas and harbor porpoises. Using alternative fishing gear could help reduce bycatch.
Ship Strikes
Collisions with ships, called ship strikes, are also problematic for whales. As vessel traffic increases across the oceans, so do dangerous encounters. Large ships moving at fast speeds can fatally strike whales just below the surface. Slowing ship speeds in areas whales frequent is one way to decrease collisions. Changing shipping lane locations can also steer clear of whales.
Ocean Noise
Human-caused ocean noise pollution interferes with whale communication and behavior. Noise from seismic surveys, sonar, drilling, and shipping disrupts whale songs and echolocation. This forces whales to vocalize louder, which is energetically costly. High levels of noise have also been linked to mass strandings. Limiting noise in sensitive whale habitats could have a big impact.
Climate Change
As climate change alters ocean conditions, whales will be affected. Rising temperatures are causing shifts in whale food supplies and migratory patterns. Declining sea ice due to warming threatens populations that rely on ice-covered waters. Acidification from absorbed CO2 negatively impacts prey sources. Pushing for lower greenhouse gas emissions can help create a safer future for whales.
Habitat Degradation
Coastal development, resource extraction, and pollution impact whale habitats and health. Activities like dredging, drilling, and mining destroy feeding and breeding grounds. Toxins bioaccumulate up the food chain and are stored in whale blubber. Protecting habitat through marine sanctuaries and regulating ocean dumping enables whales to safely use these areas.
What Is Being Done
Many government agencies, scientists, conservation groups, and concerned citizens are working to protect endangered whales around the world. Efforts include:
- Monitoring populations and habitats
- Reducing threats through policy and best practices
- Disentangling whales from fishing gear
- Operating rescue hotlines for strandings
- Educating fishermen and mariners on whale safety
- Promoting ecotourism over whale hunting
- Pushing for greater habitat protections
- Enforcing legal protections like the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act
More action is still needed to ensure the future survival of threatened whale species. But there is hope that with increased awareness, responsible human stewardship, and wise conservation measures, these graceful giants will thrive for generations to come. It is up to us to be caretakers of the oceans and the remarkable whales who inhabit them.
Glossary
- Baleen - The filter-feeder system inside the mouths of baleen whales used to strain food from water. Composed of bristly keratin.
- Bioaccumulate - The accumulation of substances like pesticides or heavy metals up the food chain. Concentrations increase at higher trophic levels.
- Bycatch - The incidental catching of non-target species like whales and dolphins in fishing gear. Usually results in injury or death from drowning, exhaustion, or trauma.
- Cetacean - An order of aquatic mammals including whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are intelligent, social, air-breathing creatures that bear live young.
- Echolocation - Navigation method used by toothed whales where high-frequency sound pulses and echoes help determine location of objects and prey.
- Endangered Species Act - U.S. federal law passed in 1973 that provides legal protection and conservation plans for critically imperiled species at risk of extinction.
- Entanglement - When whales become stuck in fishing gear like nets, traps, and longlines. Can cause drowning, laceration wounds, or severed flukes.
- Food chain - Linear sequence of organisms where each level feeds on the one below it. Energy and nutrients transfer up the chain from primary producers to top predators.
- Gray whale - A baleen whale species that migrates 10,000 miles along the Pacific coast annually. They were nearly hunted to extinction but have recovered since legal protections.
- Krill - Tiny open-ocean crustaceans that are a key food source for many baleen whales. Changing ocean conditions affect krill abundance.
- Longline - Commercial fishing gear that consists of a long main line with many baited hooks branching off of it.
- Marine Mammal Protection Act - U.S. federal law passed in 1972 that makes it illegal to hunt, kill, capture, or harass whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine mammals.
- Migration - The long-distance seasonal movement many whale species make between feeding grounds and breeding grounds. Vital to their life cycles.
- Minke whale - The second smallest baleen whale. They are hunted commercially by some countries under objection to the moratorium. Known for their curiosity around boats.
- Moratorium - A suspension of activity, like the international moratorium on commercial whaling adopted by the IWC in 1982.
- Seismic survey - Technique that uses reflected sound waves to map structures below the seafloor. Used to search for offshore oil and gas deposits but disrupts marine life.
- Sonar - Technology that uses underwater sound waves to detect objects and navigate. Military active sonar has been linked to whale strandings.
- Trophic level - Position of an organism in the food chain, such as primary producers, herbivores, and higher predators. Nutrient transfer occurs between levels.
- Vaquita - The world's smallest and most endangered cetacean. Only about 10 individuals left. Threatened mainly by illegal gillnetting in the Gulf of California.
- Whaling - The historical and current hunting of whales for blubber, meat, oil, and other products. Devastated many species until bans were enacted. Still continues at lower levels.
Reading Comprehension Questions
One-Part Hot Text: Based on the passage, which factor does NOT contribute to threats against whales?
A. Industrial whaling B. Bycatch C. Predation D. Ship strikes
Multiple Choice: What passage evidence supports the idea that climate change negatively impacts whales?
A. "Collisions with ships, called ship strikes, are also problematic for whales." B. "As climate change alters ocean conditions, whales will be affected." C. "High levels of noise have also been linked to mass strandings." D. "Bycatch - The incidental catching of non-target species like whales and dolphins in fishing gear."
\Open Response: Explain two ways that human activities endanger whales based on the passage. Use evidence from the text in your response.
Multi-Select: Which solutions could help protect whales from bycatch and entanglement according to the passage? Select all that apply.
A. Banning all commercial fishing
B. Using alternative fishing gear
C. Reducing ship speeds
D. Avoiding sensitive habitats
E. Promoting whale watching tourism
F. Limiting noise pollution
Evidence-Based Selected Response: Which statement is supported by evidence in the passage?
A. Gray whales are now the most populous whale species after recovering from whaling. B. The vaquita is the smallest and most endangered baleen whale. C. Seismic surveys have no impacts on marine mammal behavior. D. Toxins absorbed by prey bioaccumulate in whale blubber.
Two-Part Hot Text: Part A: According to the passage, what are two ways climate change negatively affects whales? Part B: Select one piece of text evidence to support the answer in Part A.
A. Shifts in food supplies and migratory patterns; declining sea ice B. "Rising temperatures are causing shifts in whale food supplies and migratory patterns." C. "Declining sea ice due to warming threatens populations that rely on ice-covered waters." D. "Collisions with ships, called ship strikes, are also problematic for whales."
Editing Task: The passage states: Gray whales were severely depleted by historical commercial whaling but have recovered under legal protection.
Which revision improves the accuracy of this sentence?
A. Gray whales were severely depleted by historical recreational whaling but have recovered under legal protection. B. Gray whales were nearly hunted to extinction by historical commercial whaling but have recovered under legal protection. C. Gray whales were barely affected by historical commercial whaling and have thrived without legal protection. D. No revision needed.
Technology Enhanced Constructed Response Grid Select:
According to the passage, drag the appropriate measures to protect endangered whales into the "Solutions" column of the chart. (Options can be used more than once.)
Solutions Evidence
________________________ Reduce threats through policy and best practices
________________________ Changing shipping lane locations
________________________ Enforcing legal protections like the Endangered Species Act
Monitoring populations and habitats
________________________ Promoting ecotourism over whale hunting
________________________ Operate rescue hotlines for strandings
________________________ Limiting noise in sensitive whale habitats
________________________ Push for greater habitat protections
Disentangling whales from fishing gear
Prose Constructed Response: Why are endangered whales like the North Atlantic right whale and vaquita still at great risk of extinction even with existing legal protections? Use at least two details from the passage to support your response.
The Grieving Whales NonFiction
Long ago, when the world was new, the whales were given dominion over all the ocean realms. Their king, a mighty blue whale named Ulu, was tasked by the gods to rule the waters wisely. In those early days, humans lived in awe and fear of the thundering whales. Offerings of fish and shells were left on alters by the shore to appease Ulu and his pod.
Over time, men grew bold. They took to boats and hunted the gentle giants for meat and oil. Harpoons tore through blubber, spilling crimson into blue waters. The whales cried out, but the slaughter continued. Ulu begged the gods to stop the senseless killing, but they did nothing.
Next the humans built great smoke-belching ships to drag nets across the ocean floor. Hauls full of fish were ripped from reef and tidepool, leaving whales with empty stomachs. The blasting and drilling for oil drowned out their songs. Again Ulu pleaded to the gods for reprieve, only to be met with silence.
The humans toxic waste and garbage choked the oceans. Plastic choked baby whales who did not know any better. Chemicals from factories poisoned waters once pure and clean. The whales wept at the ruin of their kingdom. King Ulu felt betrayed by the gods who had promised the oceans would remain forever unspoiled under his rule.
In despair, Ulu called together his mighty pod. "We must leave these defiled waters behind," he trumpeted. "We shall beach ourselves on the shores to escape the horrors man has wrought." One by one, the whales followed their wise king onto the beach. Their huge bodies shuddered under their own crushing weight. With a final gasp, Ulu expired.
At last, the gods intervened to stop the slaughter. They conjured fierce storms that wrecked the whaling ships and angry waves that swallowed the debris. Yet it was too late - the damage was done. The gods realized that in their carelessness they had failed to protect the whales. Their only power left was to transform the beached whales back into the sea. Now they swim as spirits, reminding humanity of the harmony lost when greed overtook respect.
Today, when whales beach themselves, it is said they are grieving for all that has been taken from them by our hands. The ocean gods weep with them, hoping one day we will learn to live in balance again.
Reading Comprehension Questions:
Multiple Choice: What message does the myth convey?
A) Whales beach themselves out of stubbornness B) Human actions have consequences C) Whales are vengeful creatures D) The ocean gods do not care about whales
Open Response: Why does King Ulu decide to beach the whales according to the myth? Use evidence from the text in your response.
Multi-Select: Which human actions contributed to the whales' decision to beach themselves? Select all that apply.
A) Building whaling ships
B) Dumping toxic waste
C) Overfishing
D) Offering gifts to the whales
E) Drilling for oil
F) Swimming with the whales
Evidence-Based Selected Response: Which statement from the myth best supports that Ulu feels betrayed by the gods?
A) "Long ago, when the world was new, the whales were given dominion over all the ocean realms."
B) "The whales wept at the ruin of their kingdom."
C) "King Ulu felt betrayed by the gods who had promised the oceans would remain forever unspoiled under his rule."
D) "Now they swim as spirits, reminding humanity of the harmony lost when greed overtook respect."
Two-Part Hot Text: Part A: According to the myth, how do the gods try to make amends once the whales beach themselves? Part B: Select the evidence from the passage that supports the answer in Part A.
A) They conjure storms to wreck the whaling ships and swallow debris. B) They transform the beached whales back into spirits of the sea. C) They grant King Ulu dominion over the oceans. D) They weep with the grieving whales.
Editing Task: The myth states: The ocean gods prevented the whalers from hunting the whales.
Which revision best improves the myth's accuracy?
A) The ocean gods rewarded the whalers for hunting the whales.
Prose Constructed Response: In the myth, why did the gods fail to protect the whales from human harm? What could the gods have done differently? Use evidence from the text in your response.
Student 1: I think it's going to be really tough to save whales from extinction. Many species like the blue whale are endangered and their populations have declined so much already. Whaling was banned decades ago but whales still face threats from pollution, ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and some whaling that continues illegally.
Student 2: I'm a bit more optimistic. While whales do face a lot of threats, there are also a lot of conservation efforts underway. Governments have established whale sanctuaries and marine protected areas. New technologies like whale warning systems on ships help reduce ship strikes. And public awareness and concern about whales has increased, which helps drive support for conservation. I don't think extinction is inevitable if we make saving whales more of a priority globally.
Student 3: You make good points, but I wonder if it's too little too late for some species. Their populations are already so small that they don't have enough genetic diversity left. And many of the threats they face like climate change and pollution are really big, global problems that are hard to tackle. Even if we do everything right locally, warming and acidifying oceans may doom whales anyway.
Student 4: Those are all good perspectives. I think this is a really complex issue with reasonable arguments on both sides. On the one hand, whales are magnificent creatures that have intrinsic value, and we should try our best to preserve these important species. But on the other hand, we have to be realistic about the scale of the threats they face and not rely on heroic measures that may be unrealistic. Perhaps our efforts would be better focused on more resilient marine species and ecosystems. In any case, we certainly owe it to future generations to avoid driving any more species to extinction unnecessarily. This will require addressing root causes like climate change and setting careful conservation priorities. There are no easy answers, but this is an important discussion to have.
Lament of the Whales O lament, our kingdom lies ravaged, once pure waters now run murky and blackened with the waste and noise of humankind's greed. Our songs lie silent, no more chorus of our pod, our breaths now labored, air choked by smog. The gods sat idle, as harpoons tore through our flesh, nets dragged us under, boats propellers gashed our sides. What sin had we committed to deserve this fate? Only to be born whales, unable to escape the oceans we long protected. Now plastic and toxins are all that remain for our children to ingest. We beach in protest, though the sun burns hot on our skin. Better to perish than watch our home slowly suffocate. Hear our mournful sighs, let them echo far as a warning. For the way of men leads only to ruin if left unchecked. Have mercy, ocean gods, forgive these ignorant beings. Teach them to see us not as monsters, but fellow creatures worthy of life.
For this world will only survive if all live in harmony beneath your waves. Glossary: Metaphor - A poetic device that compares two unlike things by stating one thing is the other. Ex: "air choked by smog" Personification - When human traits are given to non-human things. Ex: "Hear our mournful sighs" Rhyme scheme - The pattern of rhyming lines in a poem. Ex: lines ending AABB. Symbolism - When objects represent abstract ideas. Ex: whales symbolizing nature/the environment. Imagery - Vivid descriptive words that appeal to the five senses. Ex: "sun burns hot on our skin." B) The ocean gods refused to intervene as the whales were slaughtered. C) The ocean gods finally stopped the whalers after the whales beached themselves. D) No change needed.
READERS THEATER
Here is a 7 scene readers theater play with 5 characters about Jacques Cousteau and a whale research expedition:
Scene 1:
Narrator: The great oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and his crew are aboard his ship, the Calypso, preparing for a whale research expedition.
Cousteau: Welcome aboard the Calypso, my trusted crew! Today begins an extraordinary voyage to study the magnificant whales of the open ocean.
Phillipe: Captain Cousteau, the cameras and research gear are loaded and ready. Where will our whale expedition take us first?
Cousteau: We set sail for the feeding grounds of the majestic blue whale in the Indian Ocean. Their massive size yet gentle ways have long captivated my imagination.
Simone: I'll chart our course right away. This is so thrilling - I've dreamed my whole life of seeing blue whales up close!
Narrator: The crew scrambles to prepare as Cousteau's ship leaves port. Adventure awaits on the high seas!
Scene 2:
Narrator: Days later, the Calypso reaches the Indian Ocean whale sanctuary. The crew scans the horizon eagerly.
Simone: Whale blow! I see spouts at 2 o'clock off the bow!
Cousteau: Excellent sighting! Bring us along side, but keep a respectful distance. These are wild, free-roaming whales, not ours to disturb.
Jo: Grab your cameras, mates! Here's a surface-feeding group of blues. What an incredible sight!
Phillipe: Incredible indeed! I'll record every detail for our whale research. Their immense size is astonishing.
Cousteau: Quiet now, my friends. Listen - the whales are singing! What haunting, beautiful songs.
Narrator: The crew sits in silence, awed by the whale songs surrounding them.
Scene 3:
Narrator: Days and nights pass as the Calypso follows the blue whales on their migration route.
Cousteau: Take care at the helm! Blue whales can dive over 300 meters deep, so give them plenty of berth.
Simone: Aye captain, steering clear of their dive zones! Though being so close is a dream come true.
Phillipe: We've gathered so much data on the whales' surface times, diving patterns and vocalizations. This will greatly advance our understanding.
Jo: Captin Cousteau, a whale calf is approaching! Its mother must be near.
Cousteau: Keep your distance, but capture every moment! Seeing the young is a treasure. They represent hope for the future.
Narrator: The curious newborn whale swims gently beside the ship before slipping away into blue infinity.
Scene 4:
Narrator: Weeks pass. The Calypso continues shadowing the whales' migration towards rich polar feeding grounds.
Phillipe: We’re entering whale territory shared by many nations now. More ships about raises the risk of collisions.
Cousteau: Too true. Whales face many threats, even in these protected waters. We must unite to be their voices.
Jo: Captain, sonar pings off the port side! A military vessel approaches.
Simone: The whales are scattering! The sonar must confuse their navigation.
Cousteau: Sound the horn as a warning! We cannot let harm come to these creatures on our watch.
Narrator: The Calypso intercedes until the naval ship alters course, allowing the whales to pass safely.
Scene 5:
Narrator: At last, the blue whales arrive at their summer feeding grounds in the rich Arctic seas.
Jo: Thar she blows! A massive whale is surface feeding just off the glacier.
Simone: It must be feasting on dense krill patches here. I’ve never witnessed a blue lunge feeding before!
Phillipe: Capturing this rare footage will further science immensely. Their paying styles are still so mysterious.
Cousteau: The whales’ survival depends on ample food sources like these. Without protecting their habitat, we put their very future at risk.
Narrator: Cousteau’s crew marveled as the titanic blue whale engulfed tons of krill in a single mighty gulp.
Scene 6:
Narrator: As summer wanes, the Calypso must soon depart the Arctic and return home.
Cousteau: My friends, our remarkable journey nears its end. We will sail again with these leviathans of the deep in our hearts.
Jo: I fear for the whales once we leave them. Our vigilance was some protection at least.
Phillipe: All of our research and documented footage will aid their cause greatly though. This expedition was an unparalleled success!
Simone: To have witnessed the lives of whales firsthand is a gift I will cherish forever. They are such profound, sensitive beings.
Cousteau: Safe travels, wonderful whales! Man and whale alike, we are one family sharing this fragile ocean planet. Protect them always.
Scene 7:
Narrator: The Calypso charts a course away from the feeding grounds towards home.
Cousteau: Farewell astounding whales! Your songs will echo in my dreams until we meet again.
Simone: Goodbye, incredible leviathans! I hope we shined a light on the wonders of whales through our work.
Phillipe: Our data will reveal new insights to benefit whale conservation for generations to come.
Jo: Fair winds, gentle giants! My life is forever changed from knowing your grace.
Narrator: As the blue whale songs fade, Cousteau and his crew ready themselves for the next ocean adventure. Their voyage leaves a legacy of hope for the future of whales.
Here is a comprehensive glossary of key terms related to whale biology and cetaceans:
Baleen - The filter-feeder system inside the mouths of baleen whales used to strain food from water. Composed of bristly keratin plates.
Blowhole - The whale's external nostril located on top of the head for breathing air.
Bycatch - The accidental entanglement of whales in fishing gear meant for other species. A major threat.
Cetacean - An order of aquatic mammals including all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Dorsal fin - The fin located on the back of whales that helps provide stability.
Echolocation - Navigation method used by toothed whales where sound pulses and echoes determine objects' location.
Fluke - The wide, flat tail fins of whales that propel them through water to swim.
Gestation - The period of pregnancy in whales, ranging from 9 to 17 months depending on species.
Krill - Tiny open-ocean crustaceans that are the main food source for many baleen whale species.
Melon - A fat-filled organ in toothed whales' foreheads that focuses sound waves for echolocation.
Migration - The seasonal, long-distance movement of whales between feeding and breeding grounds.
Mysticetes - Baleen whales, one of two cetacean suborders. Include blue, gray, and humpback whales.
Odontocetes - Toothed whales, one of two cetacean suborders. Include sperm, killer, and beluga whales.
Rorquals - Baleen whales like blues, fins, and humpbacks with accordion-like throat pleats for filter feeding.
Spyhopping - When a whale rises vertically out of the water to view its surroundings.
Vocalizations - The communicative sounds, clicks, and songs whales make, often species-specific.
Whale fall - The sinking carcass of a whale to the ocean floor, which forms a unique ecosystem.
DIGITAL RESOURCES
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