Most human beings are awake during the day and sleep all night. Owls live the opposite way. Owls are nocturnal. This means that they sleep all day and stay awake at night. Because owls are nocturnal, this means they must eat at night. But finding food in the dark is difficult. To help them, they have special eyes and ears.
Owls have very large eyes. These eyes absorb more light than normal. Since there is little light during the night, it is helpful to be able to absorb more of it. This helps owls find food in the dark.
Owls also have very good hearing. Even when owls are in the trees, they can hear small animals moving in the grass below. This helps owls catch their prey even when it is very dark.
Like owls, mice are also nocturnal animals. Mice have an excellent sense of smell. This helps them find food in the dark.
Being nocturnal helps mice to hide from the many different animals that want to eat them. Most of the birds, snakes, and lizards that like to eat mice sleep at night—except, of course, owls!
Questions
1) In paragraph 1, we learn that "Owls are nocturnal." The word diurnal is the opposite of the word nocturnal. Using information in the passage as a guide, we can understand that an animal that is diurnal
A. sleeps at night and is awake during the day
B. hunts during the day and is awake at night
C. sleeps every other night and is awake during the day
D. hunts during the day and night
2) Based on information in paragraph 2, it can be understood that an animal with small eyes
A. must be diurnal
B. has trouble seeing in the dark
C. can see very well at night
D. is likely to be eaten by an owl
3) According to the passage, owls can find food in the dark using their sense of
I. sight
II. sound
III. smell
A. l only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
4) In paragraph 3 the author writes, "This helps owls catch their prey even when it is very dark."
Based on its use in the passage, we can understand that prey is
A. a noise that an animal makes during the night
B. a small animal such as a pet dog or cat
C. an animal that is hunted by other animals
D. an animals that hunts other animals
5) Based on information in the final paragraph, it can be understood that mice sleep during the day in order to
A. find food that other animals can not
B. keep themselves safe
C. store energy for night time activities
D. release stress
6) Based on information in the final paragraph, it can be understood that
A. owls hunt mice
B. mice can hide from owls
C. mice and owls both hide from birds, snakes, and lizards
D. birds and snakes often hunt lizards
7) If added to the end of this passage, which of the following conclusions would fit best?
A. The owl is a nocturnal animal. This means it is active at night. The owl's excellent sense of sight and sound enable it to find food in the dark.
B. Mice are nocturnal animals. This means they are active at night. Similar to the owl, mice use their excellent sense of smell to find food in the dark.
C. Both mice and owls are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. Because these animals are active at night, they must sleep during the day. This makes them especially vulnerable to attack from diurnal animals.
D. Some animals are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. The owl and the mouse are good examples of nocturnal animals that use their senses to find food in the dark.