LEVEL 3: ANNOTATED READING QUESTIONS Spiders

LEVEL 3: ANNOTATED READING QUESTIONS
Spiders
Throughout the world, there are over 30 000 different types of spiders. More than 2000 of these are found in Australia. They evoke fear in many people, however most spiders are harmless. In fact, spiders are often helpful. They eat insects which are harmful to people.
Spiders belong to a group known as arthropods which includes crustaceans, insects (six legs) and arachnids (eight legs). Other members of the arachnid family are ticks and scorpions.
Spiders live in a wide range of habitats, even in your house. Some spiders live in trees, some underground and some even live most of their lives under water. The most dangerous spiders in Australia are the red back spider and the funnel web spider.
A spider has a head usually with eight eyes and an abdomen with eight legs. Its mouth cannot bite and chew, but it can suck the juices out of its prey.
Most spiders make webs with silk threads that are like glue. They use the web to catch food such as insects. If the spider feels movement in the threads, it will move onto the web knowing an insect is probably trapped. It can tell the difference in movement between a possible meal and the wind or drops of rain.

hairy legs with claws to help them walk on the web
hollow fangs used to inject poison
pedipalps (mouth)

eight eyes

spinnerets for making silk

eight legs

Maximising Test Results: Year 3 Reading and Writing © Blake Education

23

Answer these sample questions.

1. The main purpose of the diagram at the end of the

text is:  t o explain the life cycle
of spiders

THINGS TO KNOW – In an information text, the diagram also contains important facts.

 t o describe a spider’s features

HINT – Read the labels on the diagram. What is the information about?

 to show how spiders live

 to show how spiders eat

2. One of the differences between spiders and insects is that:

 spiders are arthropods  spiders are more
dangerous

HINT – Compare spiders and insects. Use the details given in the brackets. – The text uses the group

 spiders have eight legs name for spiders (arachnids).

 spiders cannot chew

3. What are pedipalps?
 a type of spider  another group of animals  baby spiders  mouth parts

HINT – Use the labels in the diagram. – Don’t get confused if you can’t pronounce the word. – See if that part of its body is explained in the text.

4. Which animal is the closest relative to the spider?

 crustacean  insect  scorpion

THINGS TO KNOW – A group of animals is different to a family of animals. Animals in a family have a closer

 ant

relationship than a group. HINT – Look for animals that are both

arachnids.

24

Maximising Test Results: Year 3 Reading and Writing © Blake Education

Answer these questions about the text “Spiders”.
1. Which word best describes spider webs?  hard to see  dangerous  beautiful  sticky
2. What is not true for all spiders?  they make webs  they have seven legs  they eat insects  they are similar to ticks
3. How do spiders know when they have trapped some prey?  the web is damaged  the web is like glue  there is movement on the web  the spider sees the prey
4. What do spiders use their hollow fangs for?  to bite their prey  to suck out the body juices  to inject their prey with poison  to fight other spiders
5. How are spiders helpful?  they make beautiful webs  they eat mosquitoes  they can live under water  most spiders are harmless

Maximising Test Results: Year 3 Reading and Writing © Blake Education

25