Read the story and answer the questions below.

The Werewolf

    Hundreds of years ago in Europe, fierce wolves roamed the countryside. Their howls in the night made people tremble with fear. But the wolves would be quiet as they crept closer to their prey. In the dark, only their green, glowing eyes could be seen. Sometimes whole flocks of sheep would be killed by the wolves. It seemed as if these animals must be partly human. Soon strange tales began to go around. They told of people who could change themselves into bloodthirsty wolves. The name for these beasts was made from wer, meaning "man," and wulf, meaning "wolf." They were called werewolves.

    The stories said that people could become werewolves in several ways. Some people were bom werewolves. Others were turned into werewolves by evil demons.  Surprisingly, some people wanted to become werewolves. They rubbed their bodies with magic oils. Then they put on wolf skins and said magic words over and over again.

    Was there any way to tell who was a werewolf? People looked fearfully at their friends and neighbors for signs. Did the person have bushy eyebrows meeting at a point over the nose? Was his first finger as long as the second? Were his fingernails long and curved? Did he have small, pointed ears or a hairy body? A hateful and cruel person was also a likely suspect.

It was hard to protect oneself against werewolves. The creatures were fierce and smart. Stories suggested different ways to fight them. Some claimed that hitting a werewolf three times on the forehead would kill it. Others said to make the sign of the cross. Still others suggested saying the werewolf's human name out loud. Most stories agreed, however, that if a werewolf was hurt or killed, it would return to its human form.

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

1. The part of a wolf that can be seen easily at night is its:
a. teeth              b. eyes              c. claws

2. The word prey means:
a. an animal hunted for food          c. an animal's home
b. to say prayers                                d. a certain place

3. Why do you think people began to say that some wolves must be partly human?
a. The wolves could howl.
b. The wolves were wild.
c. The wolves were smart and dangerous.
d. The wolves could move quickly.

4. Which word does not describe a werewolf?
a. smart
b. gentle
c. bloodthirsty
d. fierce

5. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?
a. You should never talk to someone with bushy eyebrows.
b. Friends and neighbors were usually werewolves.
c. Fingernails should be kept short.
d. Werewolves looked different from other people.

6. What was one way to tell if someone was a werewolf?
a. The person had glowing eyes.
b. The person's fingers were all the same length.
c. The person had lots of body hair.
d. The person talked in a low voice.

7. Why do you think that cruel people were suspected of being werewolves?
a. They looked like wolves.
b. They sounded like wolves.
c. They were mean like wolves.
d. They ate like wolves.

8. If a werewolf was hurt or killed, it:
a. became human                   c. disappeared
b. stayed a wolf forever          d. slipped quietly away

9. Which meaning does the word form have in paragraph 4?
a. to put in a certain order
b. a printed page to fill out
c. to make or build something
d. a shape

10. The people in Europe probably made up werewolf stories because:
a. they feared the fierce and clever wolves
b. they like to tell frightening stories
c. they saw many people who looked like wolves
d. there really were werewolves back in those days