Insect Decision-Making: Reading answers

The passage opens

Answers 30–35

1. 30

   threatened Note completion

   The note paraphrases “existing nest become suddenly threatened” as the home being “threatened.”

   “If the ants’ existing nest become suddenly threatened,”

2. 31

   scouts Note completion

   The passage calls the ants chosen to find a new nest “scouts,” matching the note.

   “the insects choose certain ants to act as scouts to find a new nest.”

3. 32

   humans Note completion

   The passage says recruiting dynamic leaders matters “even for humans,” so the answer is “humans.”

   “even for humans, the importance of recruiting dynamic leaders to a cause”

4. 33

   leaders Note completion

   The note’s “active” people who help execute decisions paraphrases the passage’s “dynamic leaders.”

   “the importance of recruiting dynamic leaders to a cause”

5. 34

   According to the passage, the waggle dance …

   C: is a signal dance used by nest-less bees Multiple choice

   The waggle dance is a signal that tells other bees about suitable nest sites. This matches option C; it is not a mating dance or a dance performed only by queens.

   “reported back using a characteristic body movement known as a 'waggle dance' to indicate to the other bees the suitable places they have located.”

6. 35

   What’s the writer’s conclusion in the text?

   B: to argue that the main thing about decision-making is making others follow Multiple choice

   The writer concludes that the key to collective decision-making is getting others to follow, matching option B.

   “the most important thing about collective decision-making, as shown by these insect experiments, is to get others to follow.”

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