Part One: Reading (score: 12)

Read the passage below about the Bombardier beetle and how it behaves, then answer the questions
that follow.

One Smelly Bug

1. Bombardier (bom-buhr-DEER) beetles are colorful but are best left alone. These beetles get
their name from the way they keep themselves safe. When a bombardier beetle is threatened,
it “bombards” its enemy by spraying a boiling hot, smelly liquid from its body. Frogs, birds,
and other animals looking for a meal get a nasty surprise instead.

2. The bombardier beetle has special body parts that hold two liquids. Muscles push these
liquids together, where they mix into a smelly, hot spray. The beetle can aim the liquid in
many directions. This allows it to protect itself from the front, side, or back. When the beetle
sprays, it also makes a loud pop and a gas that looks like smoke. It’s quite a surprise to see a
popping, smoking bug!

3. The beetle isn’t the only animal that can protect itself by stinking. Skunks, stink bugs, and
musk ox are a few other animals that also use a nasty smell to keep others away. But they
don’t pop and smoke like the bombardier beetle does. So watch out for this “explosive”
insect!

Questions:

A. Answer questions 1 to 3 in complete sentences using your own words.

1. Based on paragraph 1, why do frogs, birds, and other animals looking for a meal get a
nasty surprise from the bombardier beetles? (score: 01)
2. According to paragraph 3, how are skunks and bombardier beetles alike? (score:01)
3. What would you do if you see a bombardier beetle? Why? (score:01)
4. Refer to the text, select the correct choice that completes the sentence: (score: 01)
The beetle can aim the liquid in many directions to
 make many different popping noises.
 walk backwards.
 protect itself from all sides.
 produce liquids inside its body.

B. Based on the selection, what do the following underlined pronouns refer to?(score: 01)

1. Their (paragraph 1) 2. They (paragraph 2)

3. Itself (paragraph 2) 4. They (paragraph 3)
C. . Read the chart carefully then answer the following question: (score: 01)

Organism name Chemical Defense

Bombardier Beetle sprays a boiling hot, smelly liquid from its body

Poison dart frog has poison glands scattered all over its body

Fire salamander makes a nerve poison, which it can squirt from

glands on its back

Which two animals have similar ways of chemical defense? How did you know?

D. Use contextual clues to figure out the meaning of each word in the box below. Then fill in
the blanks with the correct words to complete the following sentence. (score: 02)

nasty ( paragraph 1) - threatened (paragraph 1) - protect (paragraph 2) -

explosive (paragraph 3)

1. Tom wanted to ____________ the innocent.

2. Is hydrogen more ___________ than natural gas?
3. When you are ____________, you feel as if someone is trying to harm you.
4. The medicine left a _____________ taste in my mouth.

E. Complete the following sentences. Use among or between. (score:02)

1. Our school is _____________ the post office and the movie theater.
2. I have to choose _____________ Arts and Sports.
3. We shared the cake _____________ the four of us.
4. I can't decide ____________ the blue and the red dress.

F. Identify the part of speech of the underlined words in each sentence. (score: 02)

Noun – adverb- verb – pronoun – preposition – adjective – conjunction - interjection

1. It makes a loud pop and a gas that looks like smoke. ______________
2. Bombardier beetles are colorful but are best left alone. ____________
3. Watch out for this “explosive” insect! ____________
4. These beetles get their name from the way they keep themselves safe.
Part Two: Writing (score: 08)

Choose one of the following prompts:

Prompt A: “There are many kinds of animals. They are distinguished by their special
characteristics in addition to their way of defense.” Fill in the chart with the correct
information, then describe an animal of your choice in a well organized paragraph of 100
words. Don’t forget to write a title.

Physical Living habitat Way of defense

appearance

Prompt B: Animals have different ways of defending themselves against predators.

Complete the following venn diagram to compare and contrast between two animals and
their way of defense in a well organized paragraph of 80 words. Don’t forget to write a title.

Your paragraph will be evaluated based on:

Title and chart (2)
Ideas (2.5)
Language (2.5)
Tidiness and handwriting (1)
Fruitful work!