Tales of the Deep: The Giant Squid

Have you ever wondered what swims in the deepest parts of the world's oceans? Well, we just got a better idea about one mysterious creature of the deep ocean: the giant squid.

Just recently a Japanese film crew managed to film a giant squid swimming in its natural habitat. They managed to lure it to their cameras with bait after many hours of waiting and searching two thousand feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

The giant squid is truly a giant. It can grow up to 50 feet in length, with tentacles making up most of this great length. For comparison, 50 feet is about as long as most school buses. Imagine meeting something the size of your school bus in the deep dark ocean and you might get an idea what it is like to meet a squid.

Over the centuries, many squid specimens have been found, but it's hard to get an idea of how the squid lives because it typically cruises in the deepest depths of the ocean. We know that the giant squid's main predator is the sperm whale. We know this because bits of giant squid have been found in the stomachs of sperm whales. We also know they feed on deep-sea fish and other squid. We know this because of all the giant squid that have washed ashore.

The giant squid lives in all of the world's oceans—though few are found in the tropics or the Arctic waters. As a result, stories of giant squid were told among sailors for hundreds of years. These sightings must have been frightening and may be the source for the legend of the Kraken—a sea monster reputed to be as large as an island—capable of eating an entire ship.

Scientists know that the squid's main predator is the sperm whale. How does the passage express this message?

A. It explicitly states scientists examined the contents of dead sperm whales' stomachs and found squid.
B. It explicitly states scientists have collected video data of sperm whales feeding on squid.
C. It implicitly suggests scientists have seen sperm whales in their natural habitats and watched them feeding.
D. It implicitly suggests scientists tracked giant squid and recorded them fleeing schools of sperm whales.

Each state in america has a different seal, or symbol, that represents the traditional culture of that state. the state seal of georgia is rich in meaning, history, and patriotism. when was the seal adopted? 2georgia’s state constitution established the state seal in 1798. however, as georgia’s political circumstances changed, so too did the state’s seal. between 1863 and 1865, georgia used a different state seal to represent its separation from the rest of the country during the civil war. then, from 1868 to1871, georgia’s secretary of state nathan c. barnett hid the original seal when the capital was occupied by the north’s victorious enemy forces. he readopted the original seal in 1872. 4georgia’s state seal remained unchanged for 42 years. then, a law was passed that required the state to alter the date on the seal. the year 1799 had originally appeared on the seal to represent the year that the seal was officially adopted. the new law changed the date on the seal to 1776, the year that america’s founding fathers signed the declaration of independence. what does the seal look like? 5just as coins each have a “heads” side and a “tails” side, state seals also each have a front and a back. the front of the seal shows three tall columns, or pillars. perched atop these pillars is an arch that displays the word “constitution.” the two end pillars are each adorned with a ribbon-like banner that reads “wisdom” and “moderation.” a third banner, reading “justice,” hangs in front of the middle pillar. when read together, the banners make up the official state motto of georgia: “wisdom, justice, and moderation.” the seal also exhibits a picture of a soldier holding a sword. the words “state of georgia” appear along the top. the year 1776 is printed at the bottom. 6the back of the seal portrays a rural shoreline scene featuring a large ship and small boat. also included in the picture are bundles of tobacco plants and cotton and a farmer working in a field. across the top of the seal are the words “agriculture and commerce.” the bottom of the seal is also marked with the year 1776. what do the symbols on the seal represent? 7each item on the seal is symbolic of georgia’s history and the history of america as a united country. the pillars on the front stand for the three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—and how they all work together to support the country and its constitution. the man holding the sword represents soldiers who defend the country and its laws. 8the boats on the back of the seal symbolize the agricultural commerce of georgia. similarly, the farmer and crop bundles represent georgia’s dependence on agriculture for survival. during the mid to late 1800s, over 700,000 cotton bales were produced each year. cotton is still a “king” crop in georgia. the state currently produces almost three million bales per year. this is only one reason why the state is an important asset to its country. read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 13) the author's main purpose in writing this article is a) to inform. b) to create. c) to persuade. d) to entertain. 14) in paragraph eight, the word asset means a) benefit. b) debt. c) element. d) expense. 15) in paragraph six, the word portrays means a) condescends. b) deceives. c) honors. d) reveals.