Why can an owl see well in the dark?
Read an Informational Passage · ELPAC Grade 2 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A longer factual text, with questions about the main idea, supporting details and vocabulary.
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
Why Owls Hunt at Night
Most birds sleep at night. Owls do the opposite. They rest in the day and hunt after dark.
An owl has very large eyes. Big eyes let in more light, so an owl can see a mouse on a dark night.
An owl hears well too. Its ears are not the same height on its head. One ear is a little higher than the other. The sound of a mouse reaches one ear first. That small difference tells the owl where to look.
Owl feathers have soft edges. The soft edges make the wings quiet. A mouse does not hear the owl until it is too late.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why can an owl see well in the dark?
- Its feathers have soft edges.
- Its ears are not the same height.
- It rests all through the day.
- Its large eyes let in more light.Correct answer
Why “Its large eyes let in more light.” is correct
Every wrong answer here is a true statement from the passage attached to the wrong effect, which is the most common way a detail question goes wrong. The child has to match a fact to the right result rather than simply recognize it. Ask which paragraph talks about seeing, and read only that one.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Its feathers have soft edges. — Soft feather edges are true, but the passage links them to quiet wings, not to eyesight.
- Its ears are not the same height. — Uneven ears are true, and the passage links them to hearing where a mouse is.
- It rests all through the day. — Resting in the day is true, but the passage never offers it as a reason for good night vision.
Practice more of this
More reading practice for Grade 2, or see the ELPAC practice test for grade 2. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.