• Practice for every day of the school year • Help students prepare for standardized testing

DAY
5
Tell students they will practice both the 
Author’s Purpose
and 
Prediction
skills. Read the instructions 
at the top of the page aloud. Then remind students of the 
Ask Questions 
strategy. Say: As you read, 
ask questions about what you think might happen next or why the author is writing this passage. 
Have students read the passage. When students have finished, direct them to complete the skill and 
strategy practice activities. Review the answers together.
Author’s Purpose
Students think about why an author wrote a particular passage.
Prediction
Students use clues from the text and their own background knowledge to 
anticipate what is likely to happen next or what information will come next.
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8/27/10 2:32 PM

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Name: 
© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3453 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
71
WEEK 11
DAY 1
READ THE PASSAGE
Think about why the author wrote about these animals.
Animal Buddies
Some birds are friends of crocodiles. Other birds stay with hippos. One kind of 
bird visits badgers. These animals are partners. They help each other survive.
Crocodiles welcome small plover birds as guests. A croc opens its large jaw 
and the bird hops in. The plover nibbles the leftover food and the small animals 
stuck between the crocodile’s teeth. As a result, the croc’s teeth stay healthy, 
and the plover gets a meal. 
It’s not unusual to see an egret riding on a hippo’s hide. Ticks and flies swarm 
around hippos. The bird doesn’t have to move to get its food. The hippo gets rid 
of pests, and the egret gets to eat.
Some say that the honeyguide bird works with the honey badger. The bird flies 
to find a hive. It makes a racket when a hive is found. The badger hurries over and 
gets its fill of honey. The bird swoops down for the leftovers.