Identify the main point of a short passage and find the details that support it.
Honeybees communicate the location of food sources through a behavior known as the "waggle dance." A forager bee returning to the hive performs a series of movements that indicate both the direction and the distance of a flower patch. Other bees observe the dance and then fly directly to the indicated location.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Public libraries in the United States do far more than lend books. Many offer free internet access, job search workshops, and language classes. Some libraries even provide tools like 3D printers, sewing machines, and musical instruments that community members can borrow. These expanded services have helped libraries remain essential community spaces in the digital age.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Sea otters play a key role in maintaining kelp forest ecosystems. By feeding on sea urchins, which graze heavily on kelp, otters prevent urchin populations from growing too large and destroying the kelp. Healthy kelp forests, in turn, provide shelter and food for hundreds of other marine species.
Based on the text, what would most likely happen if sea otters disappeared from a kelp forest ecosystem?
In the 1950s, mathematician Katherine Johnson calculated flight trajectories for some of NASA’s earliest space missions. Her work was so precise that astronaut John Glenn personally requested she verify the computer’s calculations before his orbital flight in 1962. Johnson’s contributions were essential to the success of the early U.S. space program.
Which detail from the text best supports the idea that Johnson’s mathematical skills were exceptional?
The baobab tree, found across much of Africa, can store up to 32,000 gallons of water in its thick trunk. During dry seasons, this stored water helps the tree survive months without rainfall. Local communities have long relied on baobabs as well, harvesting the fruit for food and tapping the trunks for drinking water during droughts.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Carrier pigeons were used to deliver messages for thousands of years, from ancient Persia to World War II. The birds can find their way home over distances of more than 1,000 miles, even when released in unfamiliar territory. Scientists believe pigeons navigate using a combination of Earth’s magnetic field, the position of the sun, and familiar landmarks near their home loft.
According to the text, how do scientists believe carrier pigeons find their way home?