English Reading Comprehension For Grade 5 Children

• Passage-1: My Nephew
• Passage-2: Bu-cola
• Passage-3: Yusri and Yusra
• Passage-4: Mother
• Passage-5: Pangolins
• Passage-6: Earthquakes
• Passage-7: When Your Time Comes
• Passage-8: Collecting Fossils
• Passage-9: The Bicycle
• Passage-10: The Egg and the Bottle
• Passage-11: Sasha’s Night Alone
• Passage-12: About The Cat
• Passage-13: Isle Of Jormuguar
• Passage-14: Shoes: Taking One Step at A Time

Passage 8 - Collecting Fossils

Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions.

What are fossils? Fossils are the remains of plants and animals that lived a long time ago. Some fossils have been around for thousands, even millions, of years. Perhaps the most famous fossils are the bones of dinosaurs. Other types of fossils include shells, bones and teeth of humans and other animals. Parts of trees such as leaves, seeds, flowers, pollen, resin, and tree trunks can also be found in fossilized forms. Even the tracks, markings, burrows, and droppings left by animals can become fossilized. These are called trace fossils. They only offer evidence of the animal. They are not the animal itself.

Fossils provide scientists with important information about living things. They show how a plant or animal has changed or evolved over time. Fossils can also show how Earth’s climactic conditions and landscapes have changed. So, collecting fossils is a useful hobby.

You could become a fossil collector and discover a plant or an animal that lived millions of years ago. It is a cheap and interesting hobby. All you need is a sturdy bag, a map, a notebook, a pen, a fossil reference book, some small and medium plastic bags, newspapers and a small trowel or knife. It is important not to use hitting or chipping tools, such as a hammer or chisel, because flying chips of stone may injure you and you could also damage your search site. Another tip is to wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear in case you have to search in mud.

To find out where and how to find fossils, you will need to do some research. There are many places to find information. You could visit a museum to check out what kind of fossils have been found in your area and where they were found. You could check your local library or bookstore for books about the subject and maps of where fossils have been found. You could use the Internet to locate a geology club you could join. All of these methods will also give you information about when the fossils started to form – that is, their geological time.

The best places to look for fossils are old quarries or beaches where there are cliffs. Although most fossils are found in rock, some are occasionally found in ice, plant sap or tar. When you collect a fossil, you must write notes of where you found it, what sort of rock it was in and if you found any other fossils near it. Use your reference book to identify it and keep records by noting down each of your finds on an index card. It is advisable to give each fossil a reference number. Then note the location, the date, what the fossil is and its geological time. Your work does not end here. Fragile fossils need to be strengthened and some need to be cleaned. Finally, you will need to store or display your finds.

Who knows – you may become famous one day for your fossil finds!

Questions

Choose the correct answer and write its letter in the spaces provided

• Trace fossils are ________.
  a. Fossils that include bones and teeth
  b. Fossilized leaves, flowers, and seeds
  c. Fossils that provide evidence that an animal or plant existed
  d. Fossils of organisms that previously existed in the ocean.
• Which word among the following has the meaning “changed its form over many years”?
  a. Fossilized
  b. Hibernated
  c. Evolved
  d. Decayed
• Why is fossil collecting a good hobby for children?
  a. It is time-consuming.
  b. It is fascinating and inexpensive.
  c. Children can easily find fossils at the beach.
  d. It involves lots of research.
• Where can you find information about fossils?
  a. A local library or bookstores.
  b. On the Internet.
  c. At museums.
  d. In all the above places.
• In which of the following locations are you least likely to find a fossil?
  a. In the mountains.
  b. In Antarctica
  c. In a rock quarry
  d. In a limestone cave at the beach

Read each statement carefully. Write “T” in the brackets if the statement is true and “F” if it is false.

6. Fossils can provide geologists and some other scientists with information.

7. You should use a hammer to free a fossil from the rock it is in.

8. “”Geological time” is when a fossil started to form.

9. Never search for fossils in places that experience cold climates.

10. Fossil hunters need to keep careful records of their finds.

Answer Key

Choose the correct answer and write its letter in the brackets provided.

1. C

2. C

3. B

4. D

5. B

Read each statement carefully. Write “T” in the brackets if the statement is true and “F” if it is false.

6. Fossils can provide geologists and some other scientists with information. (T)

7. You should use a hammer to free a fossil from the rock it is in. (T)

8. “Geological time” is when a fossil began to form. (T)

9. Never search for fossils in places that experience cold climates. (F)

10. Fossil hunters need to keep careful records of their finds. (T)