IXL | Read along about science and nature

Listen and read along with the passage about the Mars rovers.

People cannot travel to Mars yet. It is very far away, and the planet could be dangerous for astronauts. So, scientists have sent robots there instead. These robots are called rovers. The rovers drive around Mars taking pictures and doing tests. The information they gather is sent back to Earth.

In February 2021, a rover called Perseverance landed on Mars. This rover was sent to study the planet's past. When Perseverance arrived, it began searching for signs of tiny living things that might have lived on Mars long ago.

Perseverance was built with a special arm for digging up samples of rocks and dirt. Even better, scientists gave the rover a way to hold these bits of rock and dirt until they can be tested back on Earth.

The Mars rovers help scientists learn what it is like on Mars. Information from the rovers may even help them make plans for people to visit Mars in the future.

What are rovers used for on Mars?

They get information and send it back to Earth.

They help astronauts travel around the planet.

They dig holes in the ground to plant trees.

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question

Listen and read along with the passage about beaver dams.

Beavers are small animals that can make big changes in the places where they live. One way they do this is by piling tree branches, sticks, and mud across a stream. This makes a dam.

The dam blocks the stream's flow. The water in the stream backs up behind the dam, forming a beaver pond. Beaver ponds are home to many plants and animals. Fish, frogs, turtles, and birds live in and around the water. Larger animals such as moose and raccoons visit the pond to find food.

After a while, the beavers stop taking care of the dam, and it starts to leak. Sometimes a beaver dam breaks, letting all the water pour out. But usually water just seeps out through small holes in the dam. Little by little, the water drips out of the pond and back into the stream.

Over time, the bottom of the old pond dries out. It becomes a beaver meadow. The colorful wildflowers growing in the meadow bring in butterflies and bees. And all this happens because the beavers built a dam.

What is one way beavers change the places where they live?

They tear up grass.

They make streams.

They build dams.

solution

The passage says beavers make big changes in the places where they live. One way they do this is by using branches, sticks, and mud to make a dam. This tells you a way that beavers change the places where they live. They build dams.

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