Name: _____________________________

Nonfiction Reading Test

Asian Carp
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your
answers when appropriate.
There is a reason why they are also known as "flying
The United States has a lengthy history of going to
carp." This particular species of Asian carp has a
war. It is a nation born from war. Pick any year since
tendency to jump when frightened. They can jump up
1776, and the odds of America being involved in at
to ten feet in the air, and the sound of boat motors
least one war is over 90%. Every US President has
frightens them. Watch out watersportists! In 2003 a
faced war. Still, it may surprise you to hear that the US
woman jetskier collided with one and broke her nose
government is at war with a fish.
and a vertebra. She almost drowned. In 2008 a teenager
broke his jaw on one while tubing. Many others have
Asian carp were introduced to American waters during
been injured by these flying logs. Asian carp pose a
the 1970s. Southern fish farmers began importing them
serious threat to water skiers and boaters.
to help clean their ponds. Asian carp are phenomenal
cleaners. Unfortunately, it didn't take too long for them
In 2007 the U.S. Department of the Interior declared all
to escape from these ponds, perhaps from flooding, and
silver carp to be an injurious species. In 2010, the State
get into the Mississippi River. From there they have
of Michigan passed the $30 million CARPACT. In
followed their natural tendency to swim upstream. This
2012 Congress approved the "Stop Invasive Species"
tendency may lead them into the Great Lakes and
act, legislation written solely to protect the Great Lakes
Canada, a nightmare scenario for fisherman.
from Asian carp. The government has been on the
offensive against these large-bellied invaders.
Asian carp are large fish. One species, the silver carp,
can grow to be 100 pounds. But despite their size, they
But Asian carp are difficult to catch. Since they eat
feed from the bottom of the food chain. That means
from the bottom, they do not go for lures or baits like
that they eat plankton and algae. A one hundred pound
most large fish. The best way to stop them is to keep
fish can eat an awful lot of sea scum, and some of it is
them out. The Great Lakes are connected to the
toxic. The carp are resistant to the toxins, but we aren't.
Mississippi River through the 28-mile Chicago
Some Asian carp are hazardous to eat because they
Sanitary and Ship Canal. For Chicagoans, it is the final
have so many algal toxins in their systems. They also
point of resistance.
have lots of tiny bones in their meat, which makes
them difficult to prepare. Asian carp is not a popular
A series of multimillion-dollar electrical barriers have
delicacy.
been built along the canal. The barriers are effective at
keeping adult carp at bay, but some fear that baby carp
Introducing the Asian carp into waters that have not
may pass through. The United States Army Corps of
known them can be devastating. Beneath the surface of
Engineers has been deployed along with EPA. In 2009
the water is a unique ecosystem. This system rests
they poisoned the entire canal with rotenone, a
delicately on a balance that has evolved over millions
chemical that kills fish. The $3 million operation netted
of years. Then along come these big, hungry bottom
over 90 tons of dead fish, and a single carp.
feeders to mess up everything. They breed rapidly and
densely populate the waters. Worse still, they compete
Some think that Great Lakes must be cut off from the
with the native bottom feeders. The native bottom
Mississippi River. The Michigan Attorney General
feeders are smaller. Larger, tastier fish like salmon eat
sued to have the canal closed. The Ontario government
them. The native bottom feeders are an important part
and some Great Lake states have also taken legal
of the ecosystem. When the Asian carp outperform
action. But the courts have been persuaded by the value
them, the whole food chain suffers, all the way up to
of the canal as a shipping conduit thus far. In the
the people.
meantime, the barriers continue to hold, but how long
Not only do Asian carp mess up the food chain, they
can they? The carp have the Great Lakes under siege. Is
mess up people. Seriously. An Asian carp will bust you
this a war that we are destined to lose?
in head. Remember that silver carp can be 100 pounds.
1. Which statement best expresses the main idea of the second paragraph? a. Asian
carp were brought to America during the 1970s to assist Southern fish farmers. b. Asian
carp are remarkable cleaners, which makes them highly desirable fish to have. c. Asian
carp were supposed to clean ponds but they escaped and are headed north. d. Asian
carp are excellent at swimming upstream and cleaning up plankton.

2. Which is not a reason why Asian carp is an unpopular menu item?

a. It is hard to prepare because of all the little bones.
b. They are a very fattening fish.
c. Some of them are toxic and unsafe to eat.
d. They are bottom feeders.

3. Which statement would the author most likely disagree with?

a. Asian carp outperform many native bottom feeders.
b. Asian carp could disrupt the ecosystem in Lake Michigan.
c. One species of Asian carp is the silver carp.
d. Asian carp are disliked because they eat salmon.

4. Which best describes the text structure of the fourth paragraph?

a. Chronological order b. Cause and effect c. Compare and contrast d.
Problem and solution

5. Which person would be most threatened by silver carp in a local water

source? a. A waterskier b. A chicken farmer c. A bungee jumper d. A beachgoer

6. Which best describes the word resistant as it is used in the third paragraph? a. To be
allergic to something b. To be unaware of something c. To be unaffected by something d. To
be attracted or drawn to something

7. According to information in the article, which event happened last?

a. Asian carp escaped from southern fish farms.
b. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal was poisoned with rotenone.
c. A teenager broke his jaw on a silver carp while tubing.
d. Congress approved the "Stop Invasive Species" act.

8. Which of the following statements is false?

a. Silver carp have been declared an "injurious species" by the government.
b. Silver carp are also known as "flying carp."
c. Silver carp can grow to be 100 lbs.
d. Silver carp can jump up to twenty feet in the air.
9. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
a. It would be best for the fishing industry if the canal were closed permanently.
b. The electric barriers will keep the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes forever.
c. The Great Lake states agree fully on a solution to the Asian carp problem.
d. Closing the Chicago Sanitary and Ship canal would have little economic impact.

10. Which title best represents the author's main purpose in writing this text?
a. America: A Nation at War
b. Asian Carp: Threatening the Great Lakes
c. Asian Carp: A Beautiful and Powerful Fish
d. Misunderstood: Protect and Defend the Asian Carp

Long Response

1. Should the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal be closed permanently to keep the Asian carp out of the
Great Lakes? Support your argument with multiple quotations from the text. Explain what your quotes
show and how they support your argument.
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2. How did the Asian carp get to America and why are they a problem? Answer the question
completely. Support your arguments with quotes from the text. Explain the how your quotes support
your arguments.
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3. What is one lesson that readers can learn from this text? Clearly state the lesson and explain how this
lesson can be learned. Refer to the text to support your argument. Explain what the text shows.

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