Disadvantages of hibernation in animals

Hibernation One of the mysteries in the world of nature is hibernation. By what process, with the coming of autumn, do someanimals go into the deep sleep that sees them through the unfavorable environment of winter? The question hasbaffled mankind for centuries. The little brown bat selects a cave or the hollow of a tree in which to sleep throughout the winter, hanging by its feet. The woodchuck waddles along the dark tunnels of its underground home to find the highest and largest chamber, there to snuggle down and sleep on a bed of dried grasses. The badger holes up in his tunnel below the frost line to go into a deep sleep. Scientists describe hibernation as a state of being that borders between simple sleep and death. Ordinary sleep, the 8 hours you get each night, is a temporary and brief period of relaxation during which on ly some of the body processes slow down. Hibernation, on the other hand, is a kind of sleep in which nearly all the body processes slow down for a long period of time. Hibernation thus enables some animals to survive months during which food is scarce and the weather inhospitable. If these animals had to maintain their body at a normal rate of activity during such periods, they wouldsoon die of starvation. During hibernation, almost all body movement is suspended. The life processes functionat a very slow pace, barely enough to maintain life. The blood temperature lowers as the chemical activity of the animal’s body becomes geared to its available energy. The true hibernators are warm-blooded mammals such as woodchucks and ground squirrels, cold-blooded reptiles, and amphibians such as frogs and toads. The more adaptive animals do not hibernate. They either migrate to another location to obtain food, store food, or “live by their wits.”

9. Which of the following is a characteristic of hibernation as discussed in the third paragraph? A. It involves a brief period of relaxation. B. It is not a kind of sleep. C. It slows down most body processes. D. It is not a normal state of being.

10. Which of the following statements is supported by the second paragraph? A. A majority of mammals hibernate. B. Mammals hibernate in a variety of ways. C. Small mammals are more likely to hibernate than larger animals. D. Most mammals that hibernate do so for the same duration during winter months.

11. Which of the following is the author’s purpose for writing this passage? A. To entertain readers with a story about hibernation B. To inform readers about the purpose of hibernation C. To persuade readers to research more about hibernation D. To describe the effect of hibernation on the environment

12. Which of the following text structures is used in the second paragraph? A. Sequence B. Problem-solution C. Description D. Cause-effect

13. This passage is an example of which of the following writing styles? A Narrative B. Expository C. Persuasive D. Editorial

14. Which of the following is the purpose of the first paragraph? A. Identify one of the mysteries of the world. B. Describe the effect of autumn on hibernation. C. Provide a definition of hibernation. D. Encourage the reader’s interest in hibernation.

15 . Which of the following sentences from the passage expresses an opinion? A. One of the mysteries in the world of nature is hibernation. B. The life processes function at a very slow pace, barely enough to maintain life. C. Scientists describe hibernation as a state of being which borders between simple sleep and death. D. If these animals had to maintain their body at a normal rate of activity during such periods, they would soon die of starvation.

Time magazine made waves in 2006 when, instead of selecting a politician, entertainer, or activist as its Person of the Year, it selected "you." The magazine's intention was to illustrate how millions of user-posted blogs, videos, pictures, and other content had exploded onto the Internet and changed the cultural landscape. No longer were a few large media companies the gatekeepers of news, opinion, and entertainment. Instead, millions of individuals now had the power to reach a vast audience. The selection of "you" as Person of the Year highlighted the newfound power of the individual. This change is typically seen as positive. News reporting, for example, is now undeniably more democratic, as every individual is now capable of reporting or providing news commentary. For each ray of sunshine emerging from this Internet-fueled reality, however, there is a corresponding dark cloud. For example: Yes, there are now thousands of news-reporting blogs. But many of these are poorly written and poorly researched, and the worst of them spread dangerous misinformation. The proliferation of free blogs and small, self-styled news sources also makes it difficult for larger, more traditional news agencies to charge for content. However, much of the factual information posted by individual bloggers and micro-agencies is plagiarized from traditional agencies. What happens if the big agencies fail or shrink to a point where their budgets can no longer support legitimate journalism? In this case, news reporting as a whole will suffer. There are certainly disadvantages to letting a few large entities control the world's news, but those entities provide several oft-overlooked positives: For the most part they enforce standards of quality, journalism, and accountability. Is the decline of these gatekeepers truly a win for society? Not necessarily.

The following questions are based on the "News Reporting and the Internet" passage. 20. Which of the following is the author's purpose? A. To inform B. To define C. To entertain D. To narrate 21 . Which of the following is a logical conclusion based on the passage? A. Individual bloggers will adopt higher standards of journalism as they become more popular.

B. Large news agencies will suffer due to the rapid spread of individual bloggers.

C. Large news agencies will charge more for their services since they have more competition.

D. Individual bloggers will be able to charge high fees for their services.

22. Which of the following writing styles best describes this passage? A. Descriptive B. Creative C. Technical D. Persuasive