Find Text Evidence
Grade 3 Reading Worksheet
Circle the answer, or write your answer on the lines.
Read this first
The Penguin Huddle
Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. In winter, the air can drop below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Strong winds blow across the ice for days. Yet emperor penguins stay there all winter long.
Emperor penguins have a few tools for staying warm. They have thick layers of fat under their skin. Their feathers overlap tightly, like shingles on a roof. These feathers block the wind and hold in heat.
Their most famous trick, though, is the huddle. On the coldest days, hundreds or even thousands of penguins press close together. Their bodies share heat. Scientists have measured the temperature inside a huddle. It can be warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
A huddle is always moving. Penguins on the outside edge feel the icy wind. Penguins in the middle stay warm. Every so often, the penguins shuffle a few steps. Slowly, those on the edge move toward the center. Those in the center move out to the edge. In this way, every penguin gets a turn to warm up.
Male emperor penguins spend the winter caring for eggs. Each father holds one egg on top of his feet. A warm fold of skin covers the egg. For about two months, the fathers huddle and wait. They do not leave the huddle, even to find food. When the chicks hatch, the mothers return from the sea.
How do scientists know a huddle is warm inside?
- They watched the penguins shuffle their feet.
- They counted the penguins in a huddle.
- They felt the icy wind at the edge.
- They measured the temperature inside one.
Which detail tells how a father keeps the egg warm?
- He hands the egg to the mother to hold.
- He tucks the egg under a pile of snow.
- A fold of skin covers the egg on his feet.
- He keeps the egg in a nest of feathers.
Which sentence is the best evidence that winter in Antarctica is harsh?
- In winter, the air can drop below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When the chicks hatch, the mothers return from the sea.
- Their feathers overlap tightly, like shingles on a roof.
- Penguins in the middle stay warm.
Which detail proves that feathers help penguins stay warm?
- A warm fold of skin covers each father's egg.
- Penguins on the outside edge feel the icy wind.
- Penguins press close together on cold days.
- The feathers block the wind and hold in heat.
Which claim is NOT supported by the text?
- A huddle can be warmer than 70 degrees.
- Strong winds can blow across the ice for days.
- Fathers hold the eggs on top of their feet.
- Penguins on the edge stay there all winter.
A reader says every penguin gets a turn in the warm center. Which sentence supports this?
- Slowly, those on the edge move toward the center.
- Penguins on the outside edge feel the icy wind.
- Penguins in the middle stay warm.
- Their bodies share heat.
Every so often, the penguins shuffle a few steps. What does shuffle mean?
- swim fast through the water
- walk with small, sliding steps
- stand still without moving
- jump high up into the air
Which sentence from the text shows that a huddle changes over time?
- Yet emperor penguins stay there all winter long.
- Their bodies share heat.
- A huddle is always moving.
- They have thick layers of fat under their skin.
Look back at question 1. Copy the sentence from the text that proves your answer.
Look back at question 2. Copy the sentence from the text that proves your answer.