Expository Reading “Smart Genes?”

Complete the questions on your own paper.

The following list of vocabulary words appear in the article “Smart Genes?” Match the words on the left with their correct definitions on the right.

1. invariably a. harm 2. forebears b. always 3. cognitive c. consequences; results 4. feasible d. parents; grandparents; great-grandparents, etc. 5. audacious e. hard to grasp 6. elusive f. to do with the processes of the brain 7. enhanced g. improved 8. implications h. thinking deeply 9. afflict i. possible 10. ruminating j. bold

11. How is the mouse described in paragraph one of the article different than other mice? a. It is larger than most mice. b. It has a superior brain. c. It is more human-like than most mice. d. It eats more food than most mice.

12. What is the name of the mouse in the article? a. Houser b. Algernon c. Doogie d. Gene

13. What is “the i word” referred to in the first sentence of paragraph 3? a. it b. idea c. I d. intelligence

14. What is “Rodentia” in the first sentence of paragraph 4? a. The group of animals called “rodents” which includes mice. b. The name of a mouse. c. The name of a very smart human. d. A group of humans with the intelligence of rodents. 15. The article says that medical results of gene therapy on mice may be applied to: a. Cure over-eating. b. Improve musical talent. c. Treat learning and memory disorders. d. Increase enrollment in medical school.

16. The last sentence of paragraph 4 says that “scientists are talking to drug companies about commercializing their work.” a. Making a television commercial to publicize the scientists’ medical results. b. Marketing the scientists’ medical results for financial profit. c. Developing a TV show called Doogie Houser based on the scientists’ medical results. d. Publishing the medical results for a non-profit scientific journal.

17. Write a sentence which sums up the main idea (thesis) of the article.

18. What similarities do you see between the fictional story “Flowers for Algernon” and the non-fiction article “Smart Genes?”?

19. When was this article written and where was it published?

20. Make a list of 8 images that appear on the article and tell how each relates to the subject matter of the article.