Bats Our Flying Friends by Martha Gold
Most people are afraid of bats. They are scared of their sharp teeth. They are scared because bats only come out at night. People worry that bats will bite them, but bats do not feed on people. Most bats in North America eat insects that they catch in the air with their teeth. Some bats eat mice, birds, frogs, lizards, and other bats. One kind of bat in Mexico catches fish in the claws of its hind legs. In Asia, large bats called Flying Foxes eat fruit. Other bats with long noses drink sweet juice from flowers.
All bats are mammals. They are the only mammals that fly. Bats live everywhere in the world except Antarctica and the North Pole. Most bats do not drink blood. Only vampire bats drink blood. Vampire bats live in Central and South America. They land on animals and bite them to make a tiny cut. Then they lap up the blood with their tongues. Vampire bats rarely bite people. If they do bite, they do not take much blood. However, bats may carry germs that cause disease.
Bats are not good pets, but they are useful to people. They eat insects, mice and other pests. Some cultures even think bats bring good luck!
1. B: The story lists the things different kinds of bats eat, including mice, blood, fish and insects.
2. B: Bats live everywhere where there are plants. For that reason, the only places you will not find bats are Antarctica and the North Pole, since those areas are too cold for plants.
Please select 2 correct answers
3. I, IV: The ways that they help people are discussed in the last paragraph. Some of the other answer choices are discussed in the story, but are not mentioned as ways that bats help people.
4. D: In the story it is stated that, "They are the only mammals that fly."
5. D: The space in the middle of a Venn diagram lists the components that the two sides of the diagram have in common. Both kinds of bats only come out at night.
6. A: The title is the straight, solid name under the name of the publication. It is specific to the article, whereas "Animal Times" is more general and refers to the title of the publication, not the article.
7. C: In the first paragraph it states that "Most bats in North America eat insects that they catch in the air with their teeth." The story does not say anything about bats that come out in daytime, and the other traits belong to different species of bats.
