Reading
Exploding Ants
Hormigas que explotan
by Joanne Settel, Ph.D.
Overview
| Genre | Expository Nonfiction |
| Vocabulary Strategy | Context Clues |
| Comprehension Skill | Graphic Sources |
| Comprehension Strategy | Monitor and Fix Up |
Vocabulary
| critical (adj.) | being important to the outcome of a situation |
| enables (v.) | gives ability, power, or means to; makes able |
| mucus (n.) | a slimy substance produced in the nose and throat to moisten and protect them |
| scarce (adj.) | hard to get; rare |
| specialize (v.) | to develop in a special way |
| sterile (adj.) | free from germs |
More Words to Know
| aborigines (n.) | the earliest known inhabitants of Australia |
| nauseating (adj.) | sickening; causing nausea |
| predator (n.) | animal or person that lives by killing and eating other animals |
Summary (English)
Animals do things that seem gross. They eat things that people would not eat. They live in all kinds of places, even inside other animals. They use their bodies in strange ways.
Honey ants swell up and keep honey in their bodies. They feed other ants with it. Some soldier ants explode if they are attacked. They spray chemicals that kill the attacker.
Owls eat small animals whole. Later, they spit out pellets of bones and fur. Snakes also eat their food whole. Their mouths can expand. A snake can eat something bigger than its own head.
Summary (Spanish)
Algunos animales hacen cosas que parecen repugnantes. Comen cosas que las personas no comerían. Viven en todo tipo de lugares, hasta dentro de otros animales. Otros usan sus cuerpos de maneras muy extrañas.
Las hormigas de miel se hinchan y mantienen miel en sus cuerpos. Con esta miel alimentan a otras hormigas. Algunas hormigas soldado explotan si son atacadas. Ellas lanzan químicos que matan al atacante.
Los búhos se comen enteros a los pequeños animales. Después arrojan bolas con los huesos y la piel. Las serpientes también se comen los animales enteros. Su boca se puede expandir. Una serpiente puede comerse algo más grande que su propia cabeza.