Question

giants of the grasslands
being 10 feet (3 m) tall has its advantages. giraffes can see far across the grasslands of africa, where they live. they can see the path for hungry lions. their height makes it easy to reach treetops for food.
to get enough food, giraffes have to eat nearly all day long. they eat about 75 pounds (34 kg) of leaves every day. giraffes also eat the thorny leaves of one kind of tree. their saliva is amazing. it is like thick paste and protects their mouths from the thorns. and their thick lips act like cushions. a giraffes tongue is interesting, too. its about 20 inches (50 cm) long. the tongue is a dark blue-black color, so the hot sun does not burn it. the tongue wraps around food and grabs it the way you use your fingers and hand.
a big animal like a giraffe needs a big heart to pump blood through its body. a giraffes heart weighs about 25 pounds (11 kg). and thats about the size of a beagle.
everything about a giraffe is big!
skill practice read the item. write your response.

1. what is a giraffes main predator? how do you know?
2. why do giraffes have paste-like saliva and thick lips?
3. what does a giraffe spend most of its time doing? why?

strategy practice underline sentences in the passage that were easy to visualize.

Explanation:

1. The text states giraffes can see predators like lions far away, and their height helps them escape, identifying lions as their main predator.
2. The passage explains giraffes eat thorny tree leaves; their paste-like saliva and thick lips protect their mouths from the thorns.
3. The text notes giraffes need to eat nearly all day to get enough food, as they consume a large amount (75 pounds of leaves daily).

Answer:

1. A giraffe's main predator is lions. We know this because the text says giraffes can see these predators of Africa, which include lions, far away, and their height helps them escape these predators.
2. Giraffes have paste-like saliva and thick lips to protect their mouths from the thorns of the trees whose leaves they eat.
3. Giraffes spend most of their time eating. They do this because they need to eat nearly all day to get enough food, as they consume about 75 pounds (34 kg) of leaves every day.