Question

read the essay
think about the similarities and differences between mice and rats.
mice and rats
people use the words mouse and rat when talking about small, furry animals with big ears, a pointy nose, and a long tail. however, there are many different kinds of rats and mice, such as the norway rat, black rat, house mouse, and deer mouse. the most common rat that people usually see is the norway rat, while the house mouse is the most common mouse that people find in their homes.
if the differences between a rat and mouse confuse you, you are not alone. norway rats and house mice both come from the same relative, which lived millions of years ago. as a result, they have many traits in common. both norway rats and house mice have long tails, whiskers, and round ears. they can also be similar colors, including gray, brown, white, and black.
however, there are many differences between norway rats and house mice. the norway rat is much bigger than the house mouse. a norway rat can weigh over ten times as much as a house mouse and is usually three times as large. also, a norway rat has big feet and small ears compared to the size of its body. but a house mouse has small feet and big ears compared to the size of its body. and its tail is longer than its body, while a norway rats tail is shorter.
now the next time you see something scurrying around the corner, you can tell whether its a rat or a mouse before you yelp and scare it away.
skill practice
read each question. fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.

1. which of these is a similarity between a norway rat and a house mouse?

a both are the same size.
b both have small feet compared to the size of their bodies.
c both have a common relative.
d both have large ears compared to the size of their bodies.

1. house mice and norway rats both have ______.

a whiskers
b small ears
c large feet
d short tails

1. which of these is not a similarity between house mice and norway rats?

a their pointy noses
b the color of their fur
c the shape of their ears
d the size of their bodies

1. one difference between norway rats and house mice is that ______.

a norway rats can be gray
b house mice are more commonly seen
c norway rats have tails that are shorter than their bodies
d house mice can be brown or black

Explanation:

1. El texto dice: "Norway rats and house mice both come from the same relative", lo que significa que comparten un ancestro común.
2. El texto dice: "Both Norway rats and house mice have long tails, whiskers, and round ears".
3. El texto dice: "The Norway rat is much bigger than the house mouse", lo que significa que no comparten el tamaño.
4. El texto dice: "And its tail is longer than its body, while a Norway rat's tail is shorter".

Answer:

1. C. Both have a common relative.
2. A. whiskers
3. D. the size of their bodies
4. C. Norway rats have tails that are shorter than their bodies