Soal Latihan dan Jawaban Reading Comprehension 83

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• 26 March, 2012
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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

(5)      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

(10)    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

(15)    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

(20)    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

(25)    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.

Reading Comprehension 83

Question 1

What does the passage mainly discuss?

	Why some species of birds nest together.
	Why birds need to establish territory.
	How birds maintain body heat in the winter.
	How birds find and store food.

Question 2

The word "conserve" in line 3 is closest in meaning to

	share
	locate
	retain
	watch

Question 3

Ptarmigan keep warm in the winter by

	huddling together on the ground with other birds.
	Burrowing into dense patches of vegetation
	Building nests in trees.
	Digging tunnels into the snow.

Question 4

The word "magnified" in line 6 is closest in meaning to

	combined
	modified
	caused
	intensified

Question 5

The author mentions kinglets in line 9 as an example of birds that

	protect themselves by nesting in holes.
	Nest together for warmth
	Nest with other species of birds
	Usually feed and nest in pairs.

Question 6

The word "forage" in line 12 is closest in meaning to

	rest
	fly
	feed
	assemble

Question 7

Which of the following statements about lesser and common kestrels is true?

	The lesser kestrel feeds sociably but the common kestrel does not.
	The common kestrel nests in trees, the lesser kestrel nests on the ground.
	The lesser kestrel and the common kestrel have similar diets.
	The common kestrel nests in larger flocks than does the lesser kestrel.

Question 8

The word "counteracted" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

	suggested
	measured
	negated
	shielded

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as an advantage derived by birds that huddle together while sleeping?

	Some birds in the flock function as information centers for others who are looking for food.
	Some members of the flock warm others of impending dangers.
	Several members of the flock care for the young.
	Staying together provides a greater amount of heat for the whole flock.

Question 10

Which of the following is a disadvantage of communal roosts that is mentioned in the passage?

	Diseases easily spread among the birds.
	Food supplies are quickly depleted
	Groups are more attractive to predators than individual birds.
	Some birds in the group will attack the others.

Question 11

The word "they" in line 25 refers to

	predators
	mass roosts
	a few birds
	trees

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect.

There are 11 questions to complete.

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