Read this passage. Then, answer the following question(s).

(1) The kea is a large green parrot that lives in mountainous regions of New Zealand. The Maori, the native people of New Zealand, gave the parrot its name, which is an imitation of its long, loud greeting call: keeeeeee-ahhh.

(2) People who see keas for the first time often mistake them for hawks or other predatory birds because of the kea’s round, hefty body and long, hooked beak. However, the kea is definitely a parrot. Like other parrots, the kea has an extremely large forebrain, which gives it great learning powers and problem-solving skills. The pesky kea definitely uses its problem-solving skills and its big feet to grasp items, and, in the process, gets into a lot of trouble!

(3) What kind of trouble? Imagine that you and your family are on a camping trip in the mountains. You park your car in a safe place and make sure that the car and the bikes on the bike rack are locked. Then, you pitch your tent and go off on a scenic hike. Enter a couple of curious keas. Searching for food at your campsite, they tear your tent to shreds. Then, they use their agile feet and strong beaks to pick up stones to throw at the windows of your car. A window cracks, and the keas peck at it until it breaks. Then, they hop into the car and tear the seats apart. Still dissatisfied with the meager amount of food you’ve left behind, they fly onto the bike rack and chew apart the bungee cords holding the bikes in place. As a final blow, they eat the bicycle seats!



Part A Which answer most accurately states the central idea of the passage?


The kea was named after the bird’s greeting call by the people of New Zealand.
The kea was named after the bird’s greeting call by the people of New Zealand.

The kea is a curious, hungry bird that can survive by eating almost anything.
The kea is a curious, hungry bird that can survive by eating almost anything.

The kea, a type of parrot, is a curious, intelligent, and often destructive bird.
The kea, a type of parrot, is a curious, intelligent, and often destructive bird.

The kea’s physical appearance leads many people to mistake it for a hawk.
The kea’s physical appearance leads many people to mistake it for a hawk.



Part B Which sentence from the passage provides the best evidence for the answer to Part A?


The pesky kea definitely uses its problem-solving skills and its big feet to grasp items, and, in the process, gets into a lot of trouble!
The pesky kea definitely uses its problem-solving skills and its big feet to grasp items, and, in the process, gets into a lot of trouble!

Like other parrots, the kea has an extremely large forebrain, which gives it great learning powers and problem-solving skills.
Like other parrots, the kea has an extremely large forebrain, which gives it great learning powers and problem-solving skills.

You park your car in a safe place and make sure that the car and the bikes on the bike rack are locked.
You park your car in a safe place and make sure that the car and the bikes on the bike rack are locked.

The Maori, the native people of New Zealand, gave the parrot its name, which is an imitation of its long, loud greeting call: keeeeeee-ahhh.
The Maori, the native people of New Zealand, gave the parrot its name, which is an imitation of its long, loud greeting call: keeeeeee-ahhh.
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