Reading Test 12

                    Social parasitism involves one species relying on another to raise 

its young. Among vertebrates, the best known social parasites are such birds 

as cuckoos and cowbirds; the female lays egg in a nest belonging to another 

species and leaves it for the host to rear.

 Line     

 (5)       The dulotic species of ants, however, are the supreme social parasites. Consider, for

            example, the unusual behavior of ants belonging to the genus Polyergus. All species of

            this ant have lost the ability to care for themselves. The workers do not forage for food,

            feed their brood or queen, or even clean their own nest. To compensate for these

            deficits, Polyergus has become specialized at obtaining workers from the related genus

 (10)      Formica to do these chores.

               In a raid, several thousand Polyergus workers will travel up to 500 feet in search of

            a Formica nest, penetrate it, drive off the queen and her workers, capture the pupal

            brood, and transport it back to their nest. The captured brood is then reared by the

            resident Formica workers until the developing pupae emerge to add to the Formica

 (15)      population, which maintains the mixed-species nest. The Formica workers forage for

            food and give it to colony members of both species. They also remove wastes and

            excavate new chambers as the population increases.

               The true extent of the Polyergus ants' dependence on the Formica becomes apparent

            when the worker population grows too large for existing nest. Formica scouts locate

 (20)      a new nesting site, return to the mixed-species colony, and recruit additional Formica

            nest mates. During a period that may last seven days, the Formica workers carry to the

            new nest all the Polyergus eggs, larvae, and pupae, every Polyergus adult, and even the

            Polyergus queen.

               Of the approximately 8,000 species of ants in the world, all 5 species of Polyergus

 (25)      and some 200 species in other genera have evolved some degree of parasitic

            relationship with other ants.

 

 

Questions

 

 

            11. Which of the following statements best represents the main idea of the passage?

              (A) Ants belonging to the genus Formica are incapable of performing certain tasks.

              (B) The genus Polyergus is quite similar to the genus Formica.

              (C) Ants belonging to the genus Polyergus have an unusual relationship with ants

                  belonging to the genus Formica.

              (D) Poltergus ants frequently leave their nests to build new colonies.

 

            12. The word “raise”in line 1 is closest in meaning to

              (A) rear

              (B) lift

              (C) collect

              (D) increase

 

            13. The author mentions cuckoos and cowbirds in line 2 because they

            (A) share their nests with each other

            (B) are closely related species

              (C) raise the young of their birds

              (D) are social parasites

 

 

             14. The word “it”in line 3 refers to

              (A) species

              (B) nest

              (C) egg

              (D) female

 

            15. What does the author mean by stating that“The dulotic species of ants...are the

             supreme social parasites”(line5) ?

              (A) The Polyergus are more highly developed than the Formica.

              (B) The Formica have developed specialized roles.

              (C) The Polyergus are heavily dependent on the Formica.

              (D) The Formica do not reproduce rapidly enough to care for themselves.

 

            16. Which of the following is a task that an ant of the genus Polyergus might do?

              (A) Look for food.

              (B) Raid another nest.

              (C) Care for the young.

              (D) Clean its own nest.

 

            17. The word “excavate”in line 17 is closest in meaning to

              (A) find

              (B) clean

              (C) repair

              (D) dig

 

            18. The word “recruit”in line 20 is closest in meaning to

              (A) create

              (B) enlist

              (C) endure

              (D) capture

 

            19. What happens when a mixed colony of Polyergus and Formica ants

             becomes too large?

              (A) The Polyergus workers enlarge the existing nest.

              (B) The captured Formica workers return to their original nest.

              (C) The Polyergus and the Formica build separate nests.

              (D) The Polyergus and the Formica move to a new nest.

 

            20. According to the information in the passage, all of the following terms

             refer to ants belonging to the genus Formica EXCEPT the

              (A) dulotic species of ants (line 5)

              (B) captured brood (line 13)

              (C) developing pupae (line 14)

              (D) worker population (line 19)

 

 

Please tally your answer with the below provided answers and then comment here how much you got!

 

 

Answers

 

11. C    12. A     13. D    14. C    15. C    16. B     17. D   18. B     19. D    20. A