NAME: ELEMENTARY 2 – UNIT 2 – READING WORKSHEET
DATE:
RETURN OF THE GRAY WOLF
Part A: Comprehension Questions (Short Answer)
1. Which national park is the story about?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What kinds of animals can visitors see in Yellowstone?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Which animal was missing from the park for many years?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. How do wolves communicate with each other?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Why did people hunt gray wolves in the 1800s?
______________________________________________________________________________
6. When was the last wolf in Yellowstone killed?
______________________________________________________________________________
7. How many wolves were brought from Canada to Yellowstone in 1995?
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Why were some people angry about the wolf program?
______________________________________________________________________________
9. How do wolves help the park’s ecology?
______________________________________________________________________________
[Link] how many gray wolves live around Yellowstone today?
______________________________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY
Part B: Match each word with the correct meaning. Write the letter of the
correct definition.
1. Predator:
2. Prey:
3. Ecosystem:
4. Illegal:
5. Extinct:
6. Communicate:
7. Ecology:
8. Population:
9. Ranch owner:
[Link]:
Definitions:
a) A person who owns a big farm with animals like cows or sheep.
b) To share information using words, sounds, or signals.
c) An animal that hunts and eats other animals.
d) No longer existing.
e) Against the law; not allowed.
f) An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.
g) The long, loud cry of a wolf.
h) The total number of animals or people in one place.
i) A natural community of animals, plants, and environment.
j) The study of how living things interact with each other and the environment.
Vocabulary List
Predator – an animal that hunts and eats other animals.
Prey – an animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.
Ecosystem – a community of animals, plants, and their environment working together.
Illegal – something that is against the law, not allowed.
Extinct – when a kind of animal or plant disappears completely.
Communicate – to share information or feelings, often by speaking, sounds, or signals.
Ecology – the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.
Population – the total number of people, animals, or plants living in one place.
Ranch owner – a person who owns a large farm with animals like cows or sheep.
Howl – the long, loud cry that a wolf makes.
Sharp teeth – teeth that are pointed and can cut or tear food.
Willow tree – a kind of tree with long, thin branches that often grow near water.
Bison – a large wild animal, similar to a buffalo, that lives in North America.
Hunt – to chase and kill animals for food or sport.
Species – a group of animals or plants that are similar and can reproduce.
Part C: Multiple Choice Questions. Choose the best answer.
1. Wolves are compared to which
animal in the way they live in 6. Why do ranch owners dislike wolves?
families? a) They scare tourists
a) Lions b) They howl too loudly
b) Dogs c) They kill farm animals
c) Tigers d) They eat crops
d) Bears
7. What happens if there are no wolves
2. What do wolves use to kill their prey? in Yellowstone?
a) Claws a) Too many elks
b) Sharp teeth b) Too many trees
c) Strong tails c) Too many birds
d) Speed d) Too many rivers
3. In what year was it made illegal to 8. What do wolves leave behind when
kill wolves? they kill an elk?
a) 1926 a) Nothing
b) 1976 b) Bones only
c) 1995 c) A lot of meat for other animals
d) 1800 d) Fur for birds
4. How many wolves were brought to 9. Which animals benefit from wolves
Yellowstone from Canada? leaving food?
a) 13 a) Eagles and bears
b) 21 b) Fish and frogs
c) 31 c) Coyotes and foxes
d) 41 d) Snakes and turtles
5. What did wolves kill in the first few [Link], how many gray wolves live
years after being brought back? around Yellowstone?
a) Horses and chickens a) About 100
b) Sheep and cows b) About 500
c) Bears and bison c) More than 1,000
d) Deer and rabbits d) About 50