Saving Snow Leopards — Reading Comprehension

Grades

Standards

MS-ESS3.C
RI.6.7
RI.7.8
RI.8.9

About This Reader

Snow leopards face many threats today. People are building roads and farms in their mountain homes. Some hunt them for fur or because they eat livestock. Climate change is making their habitat warmer too. But there's hope! Scientists are creating protected areas and using GPS collars to study them. Farmers are learning better ways to protect their animals so they won't harm snow leopards. The passage shows how people can help wildlife when they understand the problems. It teaches why protecting snow leopards also helps humans by keeping water sources clean.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Snow leopards are endangered, with fewer than 6,500 left in the wild. The biggest threats come from human activities.

One major problem is habitat loss. As people expand farms, roads, and mines into the mountains, snow leopards lose their hunting grounds. Climate change is also melting glaciers and altering their ecosystem, making survival harder.

Another threat is poaching. Snow leopards are illegally hunted for their fur and bones, which are used in traditional medicine. Some herders kill them for attacking livestock, even though snow leopards rarely target farm animals.

Thankfully, conservation efforts are helping. Governments and scientists are creating protected areas where snow leopards can live safely. Some programs train herders to build stronger pens for livestock, reducing conflicts. Others use camera traps and GPS collars to track snow leopards and study their behavior.

Local communities are also getting involved. Eco-tourism projects allow people to see snow leopards responsibly, providing jobs and incentives to protect them. Education programs teach children why these cats matter.

If efforts continue, snow leopards can recover. Protecting them also helps people—by preserving water sources and keeping ecosystems stable. Everyone has a role in saving these majestic "ghosts of the mountains."

Why are snow leopards endangered?

They reproduce too quicklyHabitat loss and poachingThey hate cold weatherThey only eat poisonous plants

How does climate change affect snow leopards?

It makes their fur turn greenIt melts glaciers and alters their habitatIt helps them grow largerIt teaches them to swim

Why do some herders kill snow leopards?

For attacking livestockFor stealing clothingFor singing loudly at nightFor digging up crops

What is one conservation effort to protect snow leopards?

Building roads through their habitatGPS tracking and protected areasSelling their fur as souvenirsFeeding them chocolate

How does eco-tourism help snow leopards?

By scaring them away from humansBy providing jobs and incentives to protect themBy training them to perform tricksBy moving them to deserts

What is the main idea of this passage?

Snow leopards are beyond savingHuman actions threaten snow leopards, but conservation can helpSnow leopards should be kept only in zoosClimate change has no impact on wildlife

What does "poaching" mean in this passage?

Cooking meat over a fireIllegal hunting of animalsPlanting trees in mountainsMeasuring snowfall

How do stronger livestock pens help snow leopards?

They store food for leopardsThey reduce conflicts with herdersThey train leopards to farmThey attract more tourists

Perfect For:

👩‍🏫 Teachers

• Reading comprehension practice
• Auto-graded assessments
• Literacy skill development

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents

• Reading practice at home
• Comprehension improvement
• Educational reading time

🏠 Homeschoolers

• Reading curriculum support
• Independent reading practice
• Progress monitoring

Reading Features:

📖

Reading Passage

Engaging fiction or nonfiction text

❓

Comprehension Quiz

Auto-graded questions

📊

Instant Feedback

Immediate results and scoring

📄

Printable Version

Download for offline reading