What is the main idea of the passage?

Emperor penguins form a changing huddle whose local movements share warmth and exposure across the group. (The passage connects wind protection, movement, rotation, and decentralized cooperation.)

Why do penguins change positions?

Movement lets different birds share warmer and colder parts of the huddle. (The second and final paragraphs describe rotation distributing benefits and costs.)

What does “exposed” mean?

less protected from wind and cold (The exposed edge is contrasted with the warmer protected middle.)

What travels through the group?

small movements (The second paragraph says small movements travel through the group.)

The Penguin Circle in the Wind: Level 1 Reading Comprehension Questions

An emperor penguin facing Antarctic winter can lose heat quickly. Many penguins stand close together in a huddle. Bodies block wind, and the middle becomes warmer than the outer edge.

The same birds do not stay warm in the center forever. Small movements travel through the group. Penguins at one edge step inward, and others gradually change position. Over time, birds move between colder and warmer places.

The huddle is not one frozen circle. Its shape changes with wind and space. A penguin must stand close without making movement impossible.

No bird directs the whole group. Many local steps create a shared shelter. Rotation spreads both the benefit of the warm center and the cost of the exposed edge. Cooperation here is a moving pattern made by neighbors responding to one another.

Comprehension questions