Reading Standards for Informational Text > Referring to Details and Examples to Explain and Infer (CCSS.RI.4.1) Practice Test

Emperor penguins raise their chicks during the harsh Antarctic winter. After the female lays a single egg, she passes it to the male before heading to the ocean to feed. The egg cannot touch the ice without freezing. To protect it, the male balances the egg on his feet and covers it with a warm fold of skin called a brood pouch. While they wait, hundreds of males huddle together to block the wind and share body heat. Weeks later, the females return with food. Then the parents take turns caring for the chick and traveling long distances across the ice to hunt fish.

Garrett Morgan observed busy city streets in the early 1900s, when cars, horses, and people all tried to cross at the same time. He often saw dangerous crashes at intersections. To solve this problem, Morgan designed a new traffic signal. Unlike earlier signals that only said stop or go, his device added a third position: a pause that stopped traffic in every direction. The pause gave drivers time to clear the intersection before others moved. Morgan patented his design and later sold the rights to a large company. He also created a safety hood that helped firefighters breathe in smoky buildings.