The great white shark is one of the most famous predators in the world. It is also one of the biggest and scariest sharks in the ocean. Movies like Jaws have made it even more popular.
Believe it or not, before the great white, there was an even bigger shark in the ocean. The megalodon is an extinct kind of shark that lived over a million years ago. Its name means big tooth and it did have giant teeth. It is thought to have been somewhere between 45 and 65 feet long. Great white sharks have been known to be up to 20 feet long. This means that the megalodon was two or three times bigger than the modern-day great white.
For centuries, people have been finding the megalodon's teeth in rocks from the ocean or in rocks from areas that used to be covered by oceans. They had no idea what animal the teeth came from. Early scientists thought that they were from ancient dragons or giant snakes. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that a scientist discovered that the teeth were from the mouth of a shark.
Most people think that the megalodon no longer swims in the sea but some people do not agree. Nearly 90 percent of the ocean remains unexplored, so these people say that there is a good chance that these giant sharks are still out there. Anything is possible but a shark as big as a megalodon would have a hard time hiding.
1. Why does the author write the passage?
To give an example of a shark movie
To talk about the biggest shark of all time
To inform readers about the great white shark
To imply that people don't know about the great white shark
2. Based on the passage, what is probably true about a great white's teeth?
They are sharper than any other animal's.
They are bigger than the megalodon 's teeth.
They are smaller than the megalodon's teeth.
There are more of them than in the megalodon's mouth.
3. Why does the author mention "early scientists"?
To ask why people are interested in sharks and megalodons
To show that they believed in ancient dragons and giant snakes
To prove that the great white was the biggest animal in the sea
To show that people in the past did not know about megalodons
4. Why does the author mention that "nearly 90 percent of the ocean remains unexplored"?
To show why no one has found a big megalodon yet
To imply that humans need to explore the depths of the ocean soon
To explain why some people claim megalodons possibly exist
To convince readers that the ocean is large enough for many sharks
1. Why does the author write the passage?
To give an example of a shark movie
To talk about the biggest shark of all time
To inform readers about the great white shark
To imply that people don't know about the great white shark
2. Based on the passage, what is probably true about a great white's teeth?
They are sharper than any other animal's.
They are bigger than the megalodon 's teeth.
They are smaller than the megalodon's teeth.
There are more of them than in the megalodon's mouth.
3. Why does the author mention "early scientists"?
To ask why people are interested in sharks and megalodons
To show that they believed in ancient dragons and giant snakes
To prove that the great white was the biggest animal in the sea
To show that people in the past did not know about megalodons
4. Why does the author mention that "nearly 90 percent of the ocean remains unexplored"?
To show why no one has found a big megalodon yet
To imply that humans need to explore the depths of the ocean soon
To explain why some people claim megalodons possibly exist
To convince readers that the ocean is large enough for many sharks
