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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #38986 Sharks
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Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
There may be very few and far between cases of virgin births in humans and mostly ensconced in mythology; but cases of virgin births have been observed in animals. These births have surprised the scientists and common man alike. Some time back. a female white spotted bamboo shark gave birth to two babies in a zoo; it came as a shock to the zoo keepers as she had lived in the zoo alone for the last six years. It is a known fact that animals are capable of laying eggs without mating; but these eggs are infertile. In the case of sharks, it was observed that these species use an internal fertilization process to produce their young ones. This has been recorded only in about 70 species of vertebrates (only about 0.1 percent of the total). Lizards have been known in nature to utilize this mode, but seeing it in the case of higher vertebrates has surprised many.

The case of virgin births among sharks surprised the scientists because such births were

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Option 3: "rare among higher vertebrates"

Explanation: The text indicates that virgin births have been recorded in only about 70 species of vertebrates, which is a small fraction of the total. This rarity among higher vertebrates is what surprised scientists, as it is not a common occurrence, making this option the correct answer.

Option 1: "mythological"

Explanation: The text mentions that virgin births in humans are mostly found in mythology, but it does not categorize the virgin births among sharks as mythological. Instead, it emphasizes that these occurrences are surprising and real, particularly in the context of animal births.

Option 2: "egg-laying"

Explanation: While the text discusses egg-laying in animals, it clarifies that these eggs are typically infertile. The case of virgin births among sharks is not about egg-laying but rather about a unique reproductive process that leads to live births, which is distinct from the egg-laying process.

Option 4: "common among lizards"

Explanation: The text states that lizards have been known to utilize virgin births, but it does not imply that this is common among them. The focus is on the surprise of seeing such births in higher vertebrates like sharks, contrasting with the lizards, which does not support this option.

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