The Girl Who Found the Sea Dragon
Written by Studio AM.
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Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, a small town on the south coast of England. The cliffs there are full of fossils, preserved remains or traces of life from long ago. Her family was poor. They collected fossils from the beach and sold them to visitors.
When Mary was about twelve, her brother found a strange skull in the cliff. Mary kept digging. Over months she uncovered a whole skeleton, long and narrow, with wide eyes and rows of teeth. People called it a sea dragon. Today we call it an ichthyosaur. It was a reptile that swam in an ocean that once covered England.
Mary went on digging for the rest of her life. She found other creatures no one had seen before, and scientists came to her for help. But she could not join the Geological Society of London, because it did not accept women. Other researchers published accounts of her finds, but she did not always receive credit. Museums now recognize her contribution. Her story shows that making a discovery and receiving recognition for it are not always the same thing.
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Questions
Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.
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Question 1 of 4
In this passage, "fossils" are
The answer is D: preserved remains or traces of life from long ago
The first paragraph gives this definition immediately after the word fossils.
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Question 2 of 4
According to the passage, why could Mary Anning not join the Geological Society of London?
The answer is B: It did not accept women.
The text gives one reason: it did not accept women. Her family's poverty is mentioned earlier, but not as the reason for this.
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Question 3 of 4
Which sentence best states the main idea?
The answer is C: Mary Anning made important discoveries but did not always receive proper credit.
The passage describes her fossil discoveries and the barriers to recognition.
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Question 4 of 4
What does the contrast between Anning's discoveries and her treatment suggest?
The answer is A: Important scientific work does not always receive fair recognition.
Anning made important finds but faced exclusion and did not always receive credit for her work.
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