The Fireflies and the Crossing
Written by Studio AM.
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Each night, three fireflies guided small animals across a reed bed. One blinked twice near the entrance. Another flashed in circles above the safe stones. The third shone without stopping beside the far bank. For years, travelers followed this pattern easily.
Then each firefly decided that its own signal deserved more attention. All three began blinking as fast as they could. A young snail entered the reeds, saw light everywhere, and turned back. The fireflies had made the path brighter but the directions weaker.
They tried again. The first marked the entrance and then went dark. The second flashed only above the next safe stone. The third waited until the traveler reached the far bank, then flashed to mark the end. This time, the snail crossed without a wrong turn.
The fireflies kept their separate tasks after that night. None made the whole journey visible alone. Together, their lights formed a clear sequence. A signal becomes useful when others know what part of the path it marks.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
Which sentence best states the fable’s main idea?
The answer is A: Distinct signals work together when each one clearly marks its own part of a shared route.
The failed crossing has competing lights, while the successful crossing gives each firefly one clear place in the sequence.
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Question 2 of 4
Why did more light make the directions weaker?
The answer is B: The competing flashes no longer showed which light marked each step of the route.
When every firefly flashed rapidly, light appeared everywhere and the snail could not read the former pattern.
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Question 3 of 4
What does “sequence” mean in the final paragraph?
The answer is C: a set of signals arranged in a useful order
The entrance, safe stone, and far bank signals guide the snail one after another, forming an ordered series.
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Question 4 of 4
What task did the third firefly take during the successful crossing?
The answer is D: It waited at the far bank, then flashed when the traveler arrived.
During the second attempt, the third firefly marks the end by flashing when the traveler arrives.
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