Question

All morning, dark clouds were gathering overhead, threatening to let a downpour of rain cover the forest floor. The animals were moving frantically, trying to prepare their forest homes for the worst. Near each other, a bird and a squirrel were trying desperately to build their own shelters from the storm. Bird was trying to gather as many leaves and twigs as he could to form a nest that would keep him dry during the rain. Nearby, Squirrel was tunneling her way into a hollow tree trunk to make a spot that wouldn’t fill with water as soon as the rain started.


Neither animal was having much luck and the rain was due at any moment. Feeling frustrated by her slow pace, Squirrel tossed a pawful of leaves behind her, not realizing that she’d aimed it right at Bird’s nest. To Bird’s horror, the leaves hit the nest and knocked it right out of the tree and onto the ground far below. As soon as the nest hit the ground, it broke into tiny pieces.


Bird turned to Squirrel with a hard, angry look on his face. He took one look at her hard work and started to fill the hole with even more leaves and sticks. Squirrel had just been about to apologize when she saw the mess that Bird was furiously creating. The two animals found themselves locked in a vicious fight over the hollow tree trunk. The space wasn’t nearly big enough for the both of them so they stayed locked in the nasty fight.


With a booming clap of thunder, the sky opened up and rain began to fall in heavy sheets. Both Squirrel and Bird were immediately soaked to the bone. Forgetting about their fight, the two immediately set about finding a safe place to wait out the rain.


They had to shout to hear each other over the wind and the water, but they finally decided to leave the tree behind. Bird pulled Squirrel onto his back and flew them both down to the ground. Squirrel hopped off and bounced ahead, looking for a new place that could house them both during the rest of the horrible storm. She had to squint to see through the pouring rain, but soon she came across a fallen log that was filled with holes. An idea popped into her head and she quickly started to gather up as many wet leaves as her little paws could hold. She shouted over her shoulder at Bird to join her, and immediately he filled his beak with all the leaves he could carry. Together, the pair started to plug up the holes in the log with the soggy leaves. The rainwater acted as a sort of glue, keeping the holes filled. The animals worked as quickly as they could and together managed to do what they weren’t able to do alone.


Once that was taken care of, they needed to find something to act as a door to keep the log from filling up with water. Bird pointed out strips of tree bark that they could use. The two animals carried the bits of tree bark and leaned them up against the opening of the hollowed-out log. As soon as they managed to block the openings, they hopped inside and pulled their makeshift door closed. Inside the log it was dry and warm, and the two animals collapsed in exhaustion.


Bird smiled at Squirrel, impressed by her quick thinking when it came to plugging the holes in the log. Squirrel smiled back at Bird, pleased at how fast he’d been able to drag the pieces of bark over. Their fight long forgotten, the two new friends spent the rest of the storm chatting away about all the things they wanted to do together once the world was safe and dry again.


Questions
What does the following detail show about Bird and Squirrel?

“The two animals found themselves locked in a vicious fight over the hollow tree trunk.”


Birds and squirrels have always been enemies and always will be.


They each desperately need shelter from the storm.


Both animals are very hungry.


They each want to live in a nest.
Which phrase is an example of figurative language?


“the pair started to plug up the holes in the log with the soggy leaves”


“the two immediately set about finding a safe place to wait out the rain”


“the space wasn’t nearly big enough for the both of them”


“dark clouds were gathering overhead, threatening to let a downpour of rain cover the forest floor”
How do the interactions between Bird and Squirrel show their similarities?


Their fighting shows that both animals are fierce and warlike.


Their argument shows that a bird and a squirrel could never be friends.


Their reaction to the rain shows that they both love water.


Their search for a home shows that they have the same basic need for shelter.
Which of these words is a clue to what Bird is thinking?

“To Bird’s horror, the leaves hit the nest and knocked it right out of the tree and onto the ground far below.”


Nest


Horror


Knocked


Ground

Answer 1

1) They each desperately need shelter from the storm.
- The fight over the hollow trunk shows both want the same dry place.

2) “dark clouds were gathering overhead, threatening to let a downpour of rain cover the forest floor”
- “Threatening” personifies the clouds, so this is figurative language.

3) Their search for a home shows that they have the same basic need for shelter.
- Both are seeking a dry place to stay safe from the rain.

4) Horror
- “Horror” reveals Bird’s emotional reaction and what he’s thinking (fear/ distress).