What is the main idea of the passage?

A pika prepares for an alpine winter by gathering, drying, storing, and defending plants during summer. (The passage follows the purposeful stages that turn summer plants into winter food.)

Why might a pika defend its haystack?

Replacing stolen food would use limited summer time. (The final paragraph connects defense with the cost of repeating many gathering trips.)

What does “sheltered” mean?

protected from harsh weather or exposure (The dried food is moved among stones so it can remain protected for later use.)

Where does the pika first spread cut plants?

on sunny rocks (The second paragraph says the pika carries plants to sunny rocks for drying.)

The Pika's Summer Haystack: Level 2 Reading Comprehension Questions

An American pika is a small relative of rabbits that lives among cool, rocky slopes. It does not sleep through winter. Instead, it gathers plants during the short alpine summer.

The pika bites grasses and wildflowers, then carries them to sunny rocks. It spreads the plants so they can dry. Later, it moves the dry food into a sheltered pile called a haystack. The stored plants provide meals when snow covers fresh growth.

Building a haystack takes many trips. A pika may defend its collection from neighbors, because replacing stolen food costs precious summer time. Drying also matters. Wet plants can rot instead of lasting through winter. The pile is not a careless heap. It is a seasonal store shaped by the animal's repeated choices about which plants to cut, where to dry them, and when to hide them among the stones.

Comprehension questions