Brainy crows learn how to upgrade tools

One of the features of human (1) ___ which supposedly (2) ___ us from the rest of nature has turned up in a wild animal. The New Caledonian crow famous for its tool-making prowess, can upgrade (3) ___ designs to make more (4) ___ tools.

Our ability to (5) ___ technology is central to our success. Findings (6) ___ crows’ ability to make step-by-step improvements to their tools (7) ___ an important technological (8) ___ between humans and other animals.

 

	A recognition	B cognition	C acknowledgement
	A distinguishes	B disguise	C distinct
	A preliminary	B tentative	C previous
	A specified	B especial	C specialized
	A improve	B approve	C disprove
	Aconcerned	B concerning	C concentrating
	A remove	B remote	C replace
	A variety	B versatility	C difference

 

 

4. Образуйте соответствующее однокоренное слово.

INTERFERING WITH NATURE

 

On the whole, our dare (1) efforts to control other species in the world have been a fail (2). If we had left things alone, the threat posed by pests like rats would have probable (3) never been so serious. For thousands of years we have been persist (4) in transferringspecies world (5) for one or another reason. But have we always achieved our object (6) or have we often done more bad than good?

For example, origin (7) rabbits were introduced into Australia as a source of food, but they multiple (8) at such a tremendous rate that they had to be destruction (9). Toads were introduced into the Pacific islands to provide

feed (10) for lizards, the latter themselves having been introduced to kill rats,

but the poison presence (11) in the toads’ bodies killed the number (12) lizards instead. In Britain, American grey squirrels were initial (13) introduced just to look pretty, and as a result Britain’s native species, the red squirrel, is now threatened with extinct (14).

 

5. Выберите подходящее слово из предложенных двух вариантов.

INVADERS

Invasives take a staggering tall/toll (1) on the world’s economy. They cost the US alone 140 billion dollars a year. In the old West, cattlemen used to battle sheepherders over grazing/gazing (2) land. Today there’s a new enemy – a Eurasian weed called leafy spurge that overwhelms/ overworks (3) native grasses. Cows hate spurge, while sheep love it, so ranchers have put the old rival/rivalry (4) to rest for good.

Organisms labeled/libeled (5) “ invasive ” range from scarce/scary (6) – West Nile virus – to harmless ones. People have brought many exotic species/spices (7) into new environments for use as food, decorationor pets. Other species have hitched rides/raids (8) with cargo shipments. Some are benign/binary (9). But many make themselves too much at home, wreaking ecological havoc/helix (10).

 

6. Выберите подходящее слово из предложенных двух вариантов.

UNWELCOME GIFTS

 

Brought from Asia as a royal gift/gain (1) to the Hawaiian king over a century ago, axis deer today are simply a royal pane/pain (2). Thousands inhabit/inhibit (3) the islands, stripping/striping (4) vegetation, speeding erosion, and causing car racks/wrecks (5). Another pest, the coqui frog, arrived occasionally/accidentally (6) on importedCaribbean plants. The frogs’ loud, incessant mature/mating (7) calls drive Hawaiians wild – though not with love.

Invasives are not like other forms of pollution/pollutants (8). They don’t stop spreading when you stop releasing/relieving (9) them. They grow.

Taro has been Hawaiian steeple/staple (10) for hundreds of years, but golden apple snail, introduced 15 years ago to be raised/risen (11) and sold for food, never found a market, taking a liking/likelihood (12) to taro instead.

Transported to North America in ship ballast water the Eurasian bivalve (Zebra mussel) is crowding out native/naked (13) clams and mussels. It has caused economic havoc in the Great Lakes, where it reaches densities/dentistry (14) high enough to clog water intake/input (15) pipes.

 

7. Образуйте соответствующее однокоренное слово.

CAMELS IN AMERICA

In the spring of 1856 a herd of camels was brought to Texas, as a result of courage (1) of Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War. It was hoped that the camels might clear up some of the transport (2) problems especially across the desert areas where water was scarcity (3), and where horses and mules suffered

severe (4). Experimentationunder the command of lieutenant Beale showed that the camels were able (5) of carrying heavy loads long distant (6) without water and reach their destine (7) in good condition. Various factors, however, prevented the experiment from going on further. Horse and mule teams were badly fright (8) by camels and the outbreak of the Civil War put off the interest. Year by year the number of camels in Texas reduction (9); many of the animalswandered away;

and later, in one manner or another the herds were dispersion (10).

8. Образуйте соответствующее однокоренное слово.

FATAL FROGS

 

Across South America one can find a vary (1) of frogs unlikethose found in Europe. Apart from being different colours, such as yellow and blue, these frogs are danger (2). Some of them are so poison (3) that even touching them can be fate (4).

The Embera Choco people of Columbia have been using toxic (5) from frogs for many years in order to hunt. However, since the arrive (6) of other types of weapons in the rainforest, the art of making dart guns started to appear (7). Yet, it is still possible to find craft (8) making dart guns from the trunks of palm trees. The dart is cov­ered with poison from the frog's skin. The poison will remain strength (9) enough to kill animals for more than a year.

About 55 of the 135 species of South American frogs are toxic. The frogs are bright (10) coloured to warn predators not to touch them. Some frogs produce toxins that are use (11) as painkillers. A number of species are bred by

research (12) in the States to investigate the possibility of apply (13) of toxins for health benefit. By licking the frog’s skin scientists can judge the level of toxins. It is not dangerous,though, as frogs in captivity grade (14) become less poisonous.

 

9. Выберите подходящее слово из предложенных трех вариантов.

ANTS UNITED

Ant societies (1) ___ like clockwork, without any central control. No single ant has the (2) ___ picture of the environment, but the colony is (3) ___ of reacting quickly to changes. For example, it (4) ___ to a new food source by sending out a team of foragers. The (5) ___ of a single colony can be colossal. One supercolony of the argentine ant, (6) ___ in Europe 80 years ago, stretches from Italy to Portugal and (7) ___ millions of nests. Even workers from the (8) ___ ends recognize each other as colony mates. Such social complexity is only possible because ants have the most (9) ___ chemical communication system of any animal group leading to the idea that colonies themselves are superorganisms operating like a (10) ___ body.

 

	A operate	B fulfill	C execute
	Aintegral	B whole	Cglobal
	Apossible	B capable	C probable
	A corresponds	B responds	C response
	A complexity	B complex	C complication
	A induced	B inserted	C introduced
	A composes	B comprises	C consists
	A opponent	B opposing	C opposite
	Asophisticated	B complicated	C composite
	A united	B joint	C single

 

 

10. Заполните пропуски подходящими по смыслу словами из предложенного списка.

THE GRIZZLY BEAR

The grizzly bear is one of the largest North American brown bears. In the Rocky Mountains, (1) ___ long hairs on the shoulders give this brown bear a “grizzled” (2) ___, and thus the name grizzly bear. Though (3) ___ with the carnivores, the grizzly bear is largely vegetarian and rarely eats (4) ___. During the summer these bears are (5) ___ fishers, and comb the waters of mountain streams and rivers to catch salmon swimming upstream.

Even though the name refers to the bear’s appearance rather than to its (6) ___, it can be an imposing and even (7) ___ beast. Tragic confrontations between people and the grizzly have led to its (8) ___ as an animal to be feared and even (9) ___. The grizzly plays a big role in the legends of the North American pioneers, and today visitors to national parks must be (10) ___ when they enter the grizzly’s habitat. The grizzly bear is an animal best (11) ___ from afar; cohabitationwith man is not in its (12) ___.

 

11. Образуйте соответствующее однокоренное слово.

SPIDERS

 

Spiders are considered to be disgusting and dead (1) to humans. But it is not the case. On the contrary, some of them have the repute (2) of “a shy and retiring spider that does not go looking for trouble”. Besides, the net they produce can be amazingly elaborate and comparable (3) to human building act (4) in the way they erect a form of the three-dimensional cartwheel pattern.

Of the 30,000 spider species, some 6,000 are orb spinners. Orb spinners are solitude (5) creatures who dwell one to a web. The web is home, food source, and mating ground, and it is guarded aggression (6). When a male arrives at mating time, the court (7) ritual is an intricate set of advances and retreats until the female is finally worn out and no longer tries to kill her would-be lover.

Orb spinners each weave a new web every day, working in the predawn dark (8) and executing the distinct (9) pattern of concentric circles and radius (10) lines in a half hour or less. There is nothing as important as web building, because without the web there is no food.

Only several spiders can be regarded as poison (11) and thus extremely dangerous, the black widow and the brown recluse being among them. The black widow’s bite is excruciatingly pain (12) and sometimes even morphine won’t knock out the pain.

But at least a black widow’s bite can be treated while there is no effective treat (13) for a brown recluse’s bite. These spiders are far more to be feared than tarantulas who are sometimes kept by risk (14) people as pets.

 

12. Образуйте соответствующее однокоренное слово.