ENGLISH PRACTICE 1617 – 01 – 05
Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions.
- Birds that feed in flocks commonly retire together into roosts. The reasons for roosting communally are not
always obvious, but there are some likely benefits. In winter especially, it is important for birds to keep warm at night
and conserve precious food reserves. One way to do this is to find a sheltered roost. Solitary roosters shelter in
dense
vegetation or enter a cavity – horned larks dig holes in the ground and ptarmigan burrow into snow banks – but the effect
of sheltering is magnified by several birds huddling together in the roosts, as wrens, swifts, brown creepers, bluebirds,
and anis do. Body contact reduces the surface area exposed to the cold air, so the birds keep each other warm. Two
kinglets huddling together were found to reduce their heat losses by a quarter and three together saved a third of their
heat.
The second possible benefit of communal roosts is that they act as
"
information centers.
"
During the day, parties
of birds will have spread out to forage over a very large area. When they return in the evening some will have fed well,
but others may have found little to eat. Some investigators have observed that when the birds set out again next morning,
those birds that did not feed well on the previous day appear to follow those that did. The behavior of common and lesser
kestrels may illustrate different feeding behaviors of similar birds with different roosting habits. The common kestrel
hunts vertebrate animals in a small, familiar hunting ground, whereas the very similar lesser kestrel feeds on insects over
a large area. The common kestrel roosts and hunts alone, but the lesser kestrel roosts and hunts in flocks, possibly so one
bird can learn from others where to find insect swarms.
Finally, there is safety in numbers at communal roosts since there will always be a few birds awake at any given
moment to give the alarm. But this increased protection is partially counteracted by the fact that mass roosts attract
predators and are especially vulnerable if they are on the ground. Even those in trees can be attacked by birds of prey.
The birds on the edge are at greatest risk since predators find it easier to catch small birds perching at the margins of the
roost.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. How birds find and store food
B. How birds maintain body heat in the winter
C. Why birds need to establish territory
D. Why some species of birds nest together
2. The word "conserve" in the passage is closest in meaning to……………
A. retain
B. watch
C. locate
D. share
3. Ptarmigan keep warm in the winter by……………...
A. huddling together on the ground with other birds
B. building nests in trees
C. burrowing into dense patches of vegetation
D. digging tunnels into the snow
4. The word
"
magnified
"
in the passage is closest in meaning to……………
A. caused
B. modified
C. intensified
D. combined
5. The author mentions “kinglets” in the passage as an example of birds that….
A. protect themselves by nesting in holes
B. nest with other species of birds
C. nest together for warmth
D. usually feed and nest in pairs
6. Which of the following statements about lesser and common kestrels is true?
A. The lesser kestrel and the common kestrel have similar diets.
B. The lesser kestrel feeds sociably but the common kestrel does not.
C. The common kestrel nests in larger flocks than does the lesser kestrel.
D. The common kestrel nests in trees; the lesser kestrel nests on the ground.
7. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as an advantage derived by birds that huddle together
while sleeping?
A. Some members of the flock warn others of impending dangers.
B. Staying together provides a greater amount of heat for the whole flock.
C. Some birds in the flock function as information centers for others who are looking for food.
D. Several members of the flock care for the young.
8. Which of the following is a disadvantage of communal roosts that is mentioned in the passage?
A. Diseases easily spread among the birds.
B.Groups are more attractive to predators than individual birds are.
C. Food supplies are quickly depleted.
D. Some birds in the group will attack the others.
9. The word "they" in the passage refers to…
A. a few birds
B. mass roosts
C. predators
D. trees
10. The word
"
vulnerable
"
in the passage is closest in meaning to …
A. easy to attack
B. easy to be attacked
C. easy to give alarm
D. easy to move around
Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions.
A recent survey of crime statistics shows that we are all more likely to be burgled now than 20 years ago and the police advise
everyone to take a few simple precautions to protect their homes.
The first fact is that burglars and other intruders prefer easy opportunities, like a house which is very obviously empty. This is
much less of a challenge than an occupied house, and one which is well-protected. A burglar will wonder if it is worth the bother.
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