Cambridge Primary Progression Test

English question paper 1 insert

Stage 6
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Text A

The magic of fireflies

Did you know that the firefly is a beetle and not a fly at all? Fireflies belong
to the glow-worm family of insects, which produce light. Unlike the rest of the
glow-worm family, fireflies have wings. There are many species of fireflies, but
all fireflies have flat bodies, large eyes and short antennae. Both adults and
larvae are capable of glowing. Amazingly, even the eggs can glow! 5

The glow of an adult firefly is usually green, but can also be orange or yellow.
The firefly can control the flashing of its light by controlling its breathing. Each
kind of firefly has a different flashing pattern. The firefly’s flashing pattern helps
it to find a mate. A male flies just above the grass, flashing until a hidden female
flashes back. But this can be risky. Some female fireflies imitate the blinking 10
pattern of another species in order to attract a male – and then eat him.

Females lay their eggs under leaves and the larvae hatch out after one month. It
is difficult to believe, but firefly larvae then live underground for almost two years.
The larvae feed on earthworms, slugs and snails. In late spring, the larvae turn
into pupae. After three weeks, the pupae change into adult flying beetles. The 15
adults live just long enough to mate and lay eggs, usually one or two weeks.

Fireflies prefer the warm, humid areas of the world, and are most common in
South and Central America and southern Asia. They are found in a variety of
habitats: forest edges, wooded backyards and marshland areas near streams
or ponds. In the parts of the world where fireflies are common, children enjoy 20
catching them in glass jars and watching their glow for a short while, before
letting them go.

© UCLES 2017 E/S6/01

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Text B

Catching and keeping fireflies

To catch fireflies without harming them, you should use a net.

Once you catch a firefly in the net, put it into a jar. Hint: Hold the jar upside down
and put the net under it. Fireflies always crawl up, never down, so they should
crawl into the jar.

Once you have the fireflies in a jar, screw on the top. DO NOT punch air holes in 5
the lid. Air holes dry out the air in the jar, and fireflies need damp air to survive.
There is plenty of air in the jar to keep the insects alive for a day or more. Put
a small piece of washed apple and a small clump of fresh grass in the jar. The
apple helps keep the air in the jar moist, and it gives the fireflies something to
grab onto. The grass is for them to climb on and hide in. 10

Every day, unscrew the jar lid and blow across the top of the jar. This keeps the
air in the jar fresh. Don’t put the jar in direct sunlight.

You don’t need to feed the fireflies. Most adults never eat. They did all their
eating as larvae. But don’t keep them in a jar for more than two or three days.
Fireflies only live a few days or weeks and don’t want to spend their whole lives 15
in a jar.

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BLANK PAGE

Copyright Acknowledgements:

Text A © National Geographic Society; http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/firefly July 2015.

Text A © Nussbaum Education Network, LLC; http://mrnussbaum.com/insects-play/insects/ 2015.
Text B © Sharon Huntington; http://www.csmonitor.com/1997/0617/061797.home.home.3.html 17 June 1997.

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Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of
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© UCLES 2017 E/S6/01