Jane Goodall: Voice for the Chimpanzees
Lexile: 840 | Grade: 5
Passage
Jane Goodall didn’t grow up in a jungle. She was born in London, England, in 1934. As a child, she loved animals and spent hours watching birds and reading books about wildlife. Her dream was to one day travel to Africa and study animals in the wild.
In 1960, her dream came true. Jane went to Tanzania and began studying chimpanzees in the Gombe forest. At that time, few scientists believed animals could show emotions or use tools. But Jane’s careful observations proved them wrong. She noticed that chimpanzees hugged and played with each other, showing love and friendship. She even saw them use sticks to catch insects—a form of tool use!
Instead of just writing down numbers and facts, Jane got close to the chimpanzees. She gave them names, like David Greybeard and Flo, and watched their daily lives with care and patience.
Her discoveries changed how the world viewed animals. Scientists began to understand that animals could feel and think in ways we hadn’t imagined.
Later in her life, Jane focused on protecting chimpanzees and the forests they live in. She traveled the world, teaching others about wildlife and how to care for the planet. Even into her 80s, Jane continues to inspire people of all ages to respect nature.
Jane Goodall is a scientist, a teacher, and a protector of the natural world. Her life shows how curiosity and kindness can lead to important change.
Printable Comprehension Practice
Visit us at https://readbuddies.com to practice interactively, track your progress, and explore more comprehension passages.
Questions
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
- A. Chimpanzees like to eat insects and play with each other.
- B. Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees and helped people care more about nature.
- C. Forests in Africa are a great place to visit and explore.
- D. Jane Goodall had a pet bird that helped her become a scientist.
Q2: What happened after Jane Goodall saw chimpanzees using sticks to catch insects?
- A. She left the forest and went home.
- B. She gave up science to become a teacher.
- C. She showed the world that animals could use tools.
- D. She taught the chimpanzees how to use more tools.
Q3: What does the word 'observations' mean in the sentence 'Jane’s careful observations proved them wrong'?
- A. Questions she asked the chimpanzees
- B. Opinions she wrote in a book
- C. Things she noticed by watching closely
- D. Instructions she gave other scientists
Q4: Which sentence best shows how Jane Goodall was different from other scientists?
- A. Jane spent time reading books as a child.
- B. Jane gave the chimpanzees names and watched their daily lives.
- C. Jane wanted to visit Africa when she was older.
- D. Jane used tools to feed the chimpanzees.
Q5: What lesson can we learn from Jane Goodall’s life?
- A. Animals are more fun than people.
- B. You need a lot of money to study nature.
- C. Being curious and caring can help make the world better.
- D. Africa is the only place where science matters.
Printable Comprehension Practice
Visit us at https://readbuddies.com to practice interactively, track your progress, and explore more comprehension passages.
Answers & Reasoning
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The passage explains Jane Goodall’s work with chimpanzees and how she helped protect animals and inspire others.
Q2: What happened after Jane Goodall saw chimpanzees using sticks to catch insects?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The passage says her discoveries changed what people believed about animals and their intelligence.
Q3: What does the word 'observations' mean in the sentence 'Jane’s careful observations proved them wrong'?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: In context, 'observations' refers to the things Jane noticed by carefully watching the chimpanzees.
Q4: Which sentence best shows how Jane Goodall was different from other scientists?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: Unlike most scientists at the time, Jane got close to animals and treated them as individuals with feelings.
Q5: What lesson can we learn from Jane Goodall’s life?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The passage shows how Jane’s curiosity and kindness led to discoveries and helped protect animals.
Printable Comprehension Practice
Visit us at https://readbuddies.com to practice interactively, track your progress, and explore more comprehension passages.