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Bats Wake Up at Night

Use clues in the text to figure out new words.

Answer Key

Read the article

Read the article about bats. Look for clues that help you understand new words.

Bats Wake Up at Night

1Bats are mammals that can fly. Most bats are nocturnal. They sleep through the day and wake up after dark. When the sun sets, they leave their resting places and go to search for food.

2Finding food in the dark is not easy, so many bats use echolocation. A bat makes a high squeak that people usually cannot hear. The sound travels through the air and bounces off a nearby object, such as a moth. The echo comes back to the bat's ears. From the echo, the bat can tell how far away the moth is and which way it is moving.

3During the day, a bat rests in a safe place called a roost. A roost might be a cave, a hollow tree, or a space under an old bridge. Many bats hang upside down while they rest.

4Some bats live alone, but others live in a colony. Thousands of bats may sleep side by side in one cave. Bats in a colony often huddle close, which helps keep them warm.

5Bats are helpful animals. Many bats devour insects. One small bat can eat a huge number of moths and mosquitoes in a single night. That is good news for farmers, because many insects harm crops.

Words in context

Use the article to answer each question.

1.
In paragraph 1, what does the word nocturnal mean?
  • A. good at flying high
  • B. able to hang upside down
  • C. awake and busy at night
  • D. living inside a cave
2.
In paragraph 2, what is echolocation?
  • A. finding things with echoes
  • B. smelling food from far away
  • C. hanging upside down to rest
  • D. flying in a big group
3.
Use the word bank to finish each sentence. Write one word in each blank.
Word bank: echo · roost · nocturnal

Because bats are nocturnal, they hunt for food after dark. A bat finds a moth by listening for the echo of its own squeak. In the daytime, the bat rests in its roost.

4.
In paragraph 4, what is a colony?
  • A. a single bat that sleeps alone
  • B. a cave opening where light enters
  • C. a young bat learning to fly
  • D. a big group that lives together

Phrases and clues

Look closely at the words around each new word or phrase.

5.
Match each phrase from the article to its meaning.
  1. after darkB
  2. bounces offD
  3. side by sideA
  4. a huge number ofC
  1. A. next to each other
  2. B. when it is night
  3. C. very many
  4. D. hits something and comes back
6.
In paragraph 5, what does the word devour mean?
  • A. chase away from a place
  • B. eat a large amount of
  • C. hide from in the dark
  • D. count one by one
7.
Read paragraph 5 again. Underline the sentence that is the best clue to the meaning of devour.

Bats are helpful animals.Many bats devour insects.One small bat can eat a huge number of moths and mosquitoes in a single night.That is good news for farmers, because many insects harm crops.

8.
Which clues in paragraph 1 helped you figure out what nocturnal means? Use words from the article.

The article says bats sleep through the day and wake up after dark, so nocturnal must mean active at night.