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Practice Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) ID: #33976 Basic Organisms
Instructions ›
Below is a text with blanks. Click on each blank, a list of choices will appear. Select the appropriate choice for each blank.
Some  of  the  most  basic  organisms  are  smarter  than  we  thought.  Rather  than  moving  about  randomly,  amoebas  and  plankton  employ  sophisticated    to  look  for  food  and  might  travel  in  a  way  that  optimizes  their  foraging.  Biophysicists  have    tried  to  explain  how  creatures  of  all  sizes  search  for  food.  However,  single-celled  organisms  such  as  bacteria  seem  to  move  in  no  particular  direction  in  their  search.  To  investigate,  Liang  Li  and  Edward  Cox  at  Princeton  University  studied  the  movements  of  amoebas  (Dictyostelium)  in  a  Petri  dish,  recording  the  paths  travelled  by  12  amoebas,  including  every  turn  and  movement  straight  ahead,  for  8  to  10  hours  per  amoeba.  Immediately  after  an  amoeba  turned  right,  it  was  twice  as    to  turn  left  as  right  again,  and  vice  versa,  they  told  a  meeting  of  the  American  Physical  Society  meeting  in  Denver,  Colorado,  last  week.  This  suggests  that  the  cells  have  a    memory  being  able  to  remember  the  last  direction  they  had  just  turned  in,  says  Robert  Austin,  a  biophysicist  at  Princeton  who  was  not  involved  in  the  study.

Result:

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Correct answer: strategies

Explanation: The word 'strategies' fits grammatically as a noun that serves as the object of the verb 'employ,' indicating the methods used by amoebas and plankton to search for food. It aligns contextually with the idea of sophisticated approaches to foraging.

Meaning: 'Strategies' refers to planned methods or techniques used to achieve a specific goal, in this case, finding food.

Wrong options:

  • since: The word 'since' is a conjunction that indicates time or causation, which does not fit as it does not serve as a noun in this context.
  • required: 'Required' is an adjective that implies necessity, but it does not function as a noun and does not fit the context of describing methods.
  • small: 'Small' is an adjective describing size, which does not relate to the concept of methods or techniques in this context.
Correct answer: long

Explanation: The word 'long' fits grammatically as an adjective modifying the noun 'tried,' indicating the duration or extent of the efforts made by biophysicists. It is contextually appropriate as it suggests that they have been engaged in this research for an extended period.

Meaning: 'Long' refers to a significant duration of time, indicating that the biophysicists have been trying to explain these behaviors for a considerable time.

Wrong options:

  • distortions: 'Distortions' is a noun that refers to alterations or misrepresentations, which does not fit the context of describing the efforts of biophysicists.
  • spoken: 'Spoken' is the past participle of 'speak,' which does not fit grammatically as it does not relate to the action of trying in this context.
  • enlarge: 'Enlarge' is a verb that means to make something bigger, which does not fit the context of describing the efforts of biophysicists.
Correct answer: likely

Explanation: The word 'likely' fits grammatically as an adverb modifying the verb 'to turn,' indicating the probability of the amoeba turning left after turning right. It is contextually appropriate as it conveys the idea of likelihood in the behavior of the amoeba.

Meaning: 'Likely' means probable or expected to happen, suggesting that there is a high chance of the amoeba turning left after a right turn.

Wrong options:

  • conclusions: 'Conclusions' is a noun that refers to judgments or decisions reached after consideration, which does not fit the context of describing the probability of movement.
  • short: 'Short' is an adjective that describes length or duration, which does not relate to the probability of turning in this context.
  • natural: 'Natural' is an adjective that describes something inherent or instinctive, which does not fit the context of describing likelihood.
Correct answer: rudimentary

Explanation: The word 'rudimentary' fits grammatically as an adjective describing the noun 'memory,' indicating that the memory is basic or underdeveloped. It is contextually appropriate as it suggests that the memory function of the cells is not advanced.

Meaning: 'Rudimentary' means basic or simple, indicating that the memory capability of the cells is at a fundamental level.

Wrong options:

  • bodies: 'Bodies' is a noun that refers to physical structures, which does not fit the context of describing a type of memory.
  • often: 'Often' is an adverb that indicates frequency, which does not fit grammatically as it does not describe a type of memory.
  • dealt: 'Dealt' is the past tense of 'deal,' which does not fit grammatically or contextually as it does not relate to memory.

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