Question
The First Flying Squirrel
Flynn was a curious but lonely young squirrel. Day after day, tail twitching, he would scurry up and down the woodland trees, inspecting each branch in the hopes of encountering new friends. Occasionally, his curiosity paid off and he’d meet some fascinating creature. There was the caterpillar who transformed into a flitting butterfly and the bumble bee that bobbed along. Most of all, though, Flynn enjoyed the birds. He liked watching them, but he loved chasing them more.
At first the birds tolerated Flynn’s shenanigans by hopping from branch to branch, staying just out of his reach as he leaped to and fro. Eventually, though, they’d weary of his pranks and soar to another tree. Flynn would watch the birds as their wings carried them with ease. He felt exhilarated but frustrated. The sight of the birds flying from tree to tree brought him great joy, but he was always left wishing that he, too, could fly.
One day, while Flynn was watching a wasp winging toward its nest, he heard an unusual rustling on the ground below. After a few moments, a crooked old lady appeared from the nearby bushes whistling a mystical tune. She seemed to be gathering herbs and berries in a tiny basket, and as she approached the base of the tree, Flynn scuttled down the trunk. It had been a long time since he had seen humans in the forest!
As he approached, the old lady glanced up. To Flynn’s surprise, she began speaking to him in a language he could understand. This was no ordinary human!
“Would you be willing to do me a favor?” the lady inquired, her voice as enchanting and melodious as a red bird’s song. Flynn was captivated by the charming sound.
“Why, yes,” Flynn replied, wondering what he, a lowly squirrel, could ever do for her. “How may I help?”
“I am making a special soup that requires young acorns,” she said, “but I’m no spring chicken. My bones are brittle, and I am no longer nimble enough to climb trees.”
“You could wait for the acorns to get heavy enough to fall,” suggested Flynn, eager to be helpful.
“I could, that is true,” agreed the lady, “but by then the acorns won’t be fresh anymore.”
“I didn’t think of that,” replied Flynn, ashamed of his ignorance.
“No matter. If you comply,” the woman said, “I will grant you one wish as a reward.”
At that, Flynn did not hesitate and eagerly climbed the tree. He picked several acorns and showered them down around her.
“Now,” the lady said when he had rejoined her on the ground, “what do you wish for a reward?”
Flynn whisked his tail from side to side as he gazed at the tree tops. The butterflies flitted from leaf to leaf as the bees and wasps droned among the blossoms. And, of course, the birds chattered as they swooped this way and that. “I would like to follow the birds from tree to tree!” Flynn announced at last.
“So be it,” said the lady and bustled to her cabin with Flynn close behind. “But your wish will last forever, so you must consider it from all sides.”
Flynn stayed outside while the woman went in to make her special soup. A yellow butterfly drifted by on wings light as air. He could wish for wings like that. But they were so large compared to the butterfly’s body. Large wings would get in his way.
Flynn noticed a bumble bee emerging from the neck of a flower and slowly buzzing to the next. Flying like a bee would never do. He wanted to go faster, not bumble along.
Again, birds glided by, their wings lifting them effortlessly on the wind. Flynn sighed. Bird wings would never work. He was too heavy and would crash to the ground.
Flynn could hear the old lady banging pans and lighting her fire inside. Then he saw his cousin the bat swooping from her chimney, disturbed by the smoke drifting out. “That’s it! That’s what I want!” cried Flynn, observing the web of skin joining the bat’s wings to its body.
“So be it,” the old lady repeated, sticking her head out of her window. A little later, she came outside and handed him a tiny cup of soup. “Drink it down,” she said, “and tomorrow, when you awake, you will have your wish.” Flynn took the cup and downed the entire cup with one big gulp.
“Thank you!” he called, racing away.
The next morning when Flynn awoke, he gingerly stretched his front legs and there was webbing just as he’d wished! Flynn spotted some birds and raced after them hopping from branch to branch. This time, when the birds flew to another tree, he was able to glide after them. At last, he could soar! And that is how flying squirrels came to be.
Question 1
Part A
Read the paragraph from “The First Flying Squirrel.”
At first the birds tolerated Flynn’s shenanigans by hopping from branch to branch, staying just out of his reach as he leaped to and fro. Eventually, though, they’d weary of his pranks and soar to another tree. Flynn would watch the birds as their wings carried them with ease. He felt exhilarated but frustrated. The sight of the birds flying from tree to tree brought him great joy, but he was always left wishing that he, too, could fly.
Based on the context, what is the most likely meaning of soar?
Responses
fly
fly
sneak
sneak
drop
drop
leap
leap
Question 2
Part B
Which evidence from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
Responses
“their wings carried them with ease”
“their wings carried them with ease”
“they’d weary of his pranks”
“they’d weary of his pranks”
“hopping from branch to branch”
“hopping from branch to branch”
“staying just out of his reach”
“staying just out of his reach”
Flynn was a curious but lonely young squirrel. Day after day, tail twitching, he would scurry up and down the woodland trees, inspecting each branch in the hopes of encountering new friends. Occasionally, his curiosity paid off and he’d meet some fascinating creature. There was the caterpillar who transformed into a flitting butterfly and the bumble bee that bobbed along. Most of all, though, Flynn enjoyed the birds. He liked watching them, but he loved chasing them more.
At first the birds tolerated Flynn’s shenanigans by hopping from branch to branch, staying just out of his reach as he leaped to and fro. Eventually, though, they’d weary of his pranks and soar to another tree. Flynn would watch the birds as their wings carried them with ease. He felt exhilarated but frustrated. The sight of the birds flying from tree to tree brought him great joy, but he was always left wishing that he, too, could fly.
One day, while Flynn was watching a wasp winging toward its nest, he heard an unusual rustling on the ground below. After a few moments, a crooked old lady appeared from the nearby bushes whistling a mystical tune. She seemed to be gathering herbs and berries in a tiny basket, and as she approached the base of the tree, Flynn scuttled down the trunk. It had been a long time since he had seen humans in the forest!
As he approached, the old lady glanced up. To Flynn’s surprise, she began speaking to him in a language he could understand. This was no ordinary human!
“Would you be willing to do me a favor?” the lady inquired, her voice as enchanting and melodious as a red bird’s song. Flynn was captivated by the charming sound.
“Why, yes,” Flynn replied, wondering what he, a lowly squirrel, could ever do for her. “How may I help?”
“I am making a special soup that requires young acorns,” she said, “but I’m no spring chicken. My bones are brittle, and I am no longer nimble enough to climb trees.”
“You could wait for the acorns to get heavy enough to fall,” suggested Flynn, eager to be helpful.
“I could, that is true,” agreed the lady, “but by then the acorns won’t be fresh anymore.”
“I didn’t think of that,” replied Flynn, ashamed of his ignorance.
“No matter. If you comply,” the woman said, “I will grant you one wish as a reward.”
At that, Flynn did not hesitate and eagerly climbed the tree. He picked several acorns and showered them down around her.
“Now,” the lady said when he had rejoined her on the ground, “what do you wish for a reward?”
Flynn whisked his tail from side to side as he gazed at the tree tops. The butterflies flitted from leaf to leaf as the bees and wasps droned among the blossoms. And, of course, the birds chattered as they swooped this way and that. “I would like to follow the birds from tree to tree!” Flynn announced at last.
“So be it,” said the lady and bustled to her cabin with Flynn close behind. “But your wish will last forever, so you must consider it from all sides.”
Flynn stayed outside while the woman went in to make her special soup. A yellow butterfly drifted by on wings light as air. He could wish for wings like that. But they were so large compared to the butterfly’s body. Large wings would get in his way.
Flynn noticed a bumble bee emerging from the neck of a flower and slowly buzzing to the next. Flying like a bee would never do. He wanted to go faster, not bumble along.
Again, birds glided by, their wings lifting them effortlessly on the wind. Flynn sighed. Bird wings would never work. He was too heavy and would crash to the ground.
Flynn could hear the old lady banging pans and lighting her fire inside. Then he saw his cousin the bat swooping from her chimney, disturbed by the smoke drifting out. “That’s it! That’s what I want!” cried Flynn, observing the web of skin joining the bat’s wings to its body.
“So be it,” the old lady repeated, sticking her head out of her window. A little later, she came outside and handed him a tiny cup of soup. “Drink it down,” she said, “and tomorrow, when you awake, you will have your wish.” Flynn took the cup and downed the entire cup with one big gulp.
“Thank you!” he called, racing away.
The next morning when Flynn awoke, he gingerly stretched his front legs and there was webbing just as he’d wished! Flynn spotted some birds and raced after them hopping from branch to branch. This time, when the birds flew to another tree, he was able to glide after them. At last, he could soar! And that is how flying squirrels came to be.
Question 1
Part A
Read the paragraph from “The First Flying Squirrel.”
At first the birds tolerated Flynn’s shenanigans by hopping from branch to branch, staying just out of his reach as he leaped to and fro. Eventually, though, they’d weary of his pranks and soar to another tree. Flynn would watch the birds as their wings carried them with ease. He felt exhilarated but frustrated. The sight of the birds flying from tree to tree brought him great joy, but he was always left wishing that he, too, could fly.
Based on the context, what is the most likely meaning of soar?
Responses
fly
fly
sneak
sneak
drop
drop
leap
leap
Question 2
Part B
Which evidence from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
Responses
“their wings carried them with ease”
“their wings carried them with ease”
“they’d weary of his pranks”
“they’d weary of his pranks”
“hopping from branch to branch”
“hopping from branch to branch”
“staying just out of his reach”
“staying just out of his reach”
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**Question 1**
**Part A**
Based on the context, the most likely meaning of "soar" is:
- **fly**
---
**Question 2**
**Part B**
The evidence from the text that best supports the answer to Part A is:
- **“their wings carried them with ease”**
This phrase indicates the effortless flying capacity of the birds, which aligns with the definition of "soar."
**Part A**
Based on the context, the most likely meaning of "soar" is:
- **fly**
---
**Question 2**
**Part B**
The evidence from the text that best supports the answer to Part A is:
- **“their wings carried them with ease”**
This phrase indicates the effortless flying capacity of the birds, which aligns with the definition of "soar."