Passage and table adapted from "Why Leaves Change Color" on "Northeastern Area," a website by the USDA Forest Service. <https://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/pubs/leaves/leaves.shtm>.

There are two main types of trees: coniferous trees and deciduous trees. Coniferous trees have small, needle-like leaves. They keep these leaves all year. One example of a coniferous tree is a pine tree, which has green needles during all seasons. In contrast, deciduous trees lose their leaves every autumn. Before these leaves drop and blow away, they change from green to colors like red, orange, yellow, and brown.

Have you ever wondered why deciduous leaves change color in the fall? This color change is caused by a chemical process in the cells of tree leaves.

Green leaves are green because they contain a green molecule, chlorophyll. This is a very important molecule in the natural world. Leaves use this molecule to turn carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water into sugar and oxygen in a process called “photosynthesis.” So, chlorophyll lets the plant store energy as sugar, which it can use as food. It also lets the plant provide food for anything that eats it, like a cow, a bird, or even a human! 

So, what does chlorophyll, a green molecule, have to do with autumn leaf colors? Deciduous leaves also contain molecules of other colors, but the chlorophyll in the leaves covers them up in the summer. In the fall, deciduous trees stop making chlorophyll. Eventually there is no more chlorophyll in their leaves. The colors of the other molecules show through. The colors of these other molecules are the colors we see in autumn leaves. The next time you see colorful leaves in the fall, you’ll know more about the chemistry at work!

In which of the following places would you be most likely to see a "tupelo"?

Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903). 
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets. 

One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.

Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?

One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.

My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.

Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.

The author uses the word "business" in the first paragraph. It is underlined in the passage. Which of the following words are closest to the meaning of the underlined word "business"?

Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)

The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at [the Blue Jay’s] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”

Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.

It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.

What does the author mean by the underlined sentence, "The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the blue jay"?

Passage One

Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink. 

Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution. 

Passage Two

My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders.  My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public,  and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world.  I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed.  We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda,  to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a space where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.

In Passage 1, what does the word “Species” most nearly mean?

Passage One

Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink. 

Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution. 

Passage Two

My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders.  My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public,  and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world.  I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed.  We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda,  to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a space where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.

 In passage 1, what does the word “deformed” most nearly mean?

Passage One

Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink. 

Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution. 

Passage Two

My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders.  My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public,  and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world.  I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed.  We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda,  to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a space where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.

 In passage 1, what does the word “habitat" mean?

Passage One

Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink. 

Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution. 

Passage Two

My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders.  My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public,  and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world.  I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed.  We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda,  to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a space where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.

 In passage 2, what does the word “conservation” most closely mean?

Passage One

Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink. 

Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution. 

Passage Two

My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders.  My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public,  and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world.  I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed.  We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda,  to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a space where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.

In passage 2, what does the word “Biologist” mean?

Passage One

Ecuador, in South America, is home to 417 types of frogs and toads. Many of these species, or types of frogs, are at risk of dying out. In the last 50 years, many amphibian species have gone extinct. Salamanders, frogs, and toads are all amphibians. Amphibians are animals that spend part of their life in water and part on land, and have backbones. Amphibians must live near water. Amphibian habitats can be found in forests, woodlots, meadows, springs, wetlands, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Frogs and toads are in trouble because their habitats are being destroyed as trees are being cut down to make room for farms and roads. Wetland spaces where frogs live are being drained and paved over. As these spaces are removed, the places frogs, toads, and salamanders can live shrink. 

Amphibians also absorb pollution easily, because they breathe through their skin. Amphibians are usually the first to disappear when an environment is under threat from pollution. Due to pollution, some frogs are born with deformed, or wrongly shaped, body parts, such as extra legs and eyes. Frogs with deformed body parts are a clue for scientists that an environment is suffering. Between the destruction of their habitats and risks to frogs from pollution, frogs are at risk of endangerment and extinction. Scientists are working to save amphibians. Scientists want the government to pass laws that protect amphibian habitats and limit pollution. 

Passage Two

My name is Maria and I am an amphibian conservation biologist. This means I am a scientist who studies and protects frogs, toads, and salamanders.  My job is to protect amphibians and their natural habitats, share this knowledge with the public,  and research ways to help reintroduce frogs in captivity back into the wild. I have the best job in the world.  I work in a zoo, but I often travel to places like Brazil to observe amphibians in their natural habitats in the wild. Brazil, for example, has 1,022 different types of frogs, toads and salamanders! In my work at the zoo, I specialize in only a small portion of that number. Here in the zoo, we have many amphibians in our care because some or all of their natural habitats, or homes, were destroyed.  We are not alone in our work to protect amphibians. Many people, in many kinds of jobs, are helping protect amphibians and their habitats. I partner with other scientists and lawyers, like my friend Fernanda,  to help create laws that best support the conservation, or protection, of amphibians. Fernanda is an environmental lawyer who works to create laws that protect diverse wildlife. She, in turn, needs to partner with government workers to help get laws passed. Together, our goal is to work together to build a world where these amphibians have safe space to live outside of the zoo, in their natural habitat, protected from pollution or loss of space. We are working with a facility in Brazil to build a safe wild space for amphibians to be released from the zoo and into a space where they can thrive. The new habitat will be a protected wetland for these amphibians.

In passage 2, what does the word “diverse” mean?

The 4th grader spent every afternoon sewing masks to send to the hospital. What a selfless thing to do!

In this sentence, “selfless” means: