Adapted from “Birds in Retreat” in “Animal Defences—Active Defence” in Volume Four of The Natural History of Animals: The Animal Life of the World in Its Various Aspects and Relations by James Richard Ainsworth Davis (1903)
Among the large running birds are forms, like the African ostrich, in which the absence of powers of flight is largely compensated by the specialization of the legs for the purpose of rapid movement on the ground. For straightforward retreat in open country nothing could be more effective; but another kind of adaptation is required in birds like rails, which are deficient in powers of flight, and yet are able to run through thickly-growing vegetation with such rapidity as to commonly elude their enemies. This is rendered possible by the shape of their bodies, which are relatively narrow and flattened from side to side, so as to easily slip between the stems of grasses, rushes, and similar plants. Anyone who has pursued our native land-rail or corn-crake with intent to capture will have noted how extremely difficult it is even to get within sight of a bird of this sort.
Certain birds, unfortunately for themselves, have lost the power of flight without correspondingly increased powers of running, and have paid the penalty of extinction. Such an arrangement, as might be anticipated, was the result of evolution in islands devoid of any predatory ground-animals, and a classic example of it is afforded by the dodo and its allies, birds related to the pigeons. The dodo itself was a large and clumsy-looking species that at one time abounded in the island of Mauritius, which, like oceanic islands generally, possessed no native mammals, while its indigenous reptiles were only represented by lizards. The ubiquitous sailor, however, and the animals (especially swine) which he introduced, brought about the extinction of this helpless bird in less than a century after its first discovery in 1598. Its memory is now only kept green by a few contemporary drawings and descriptions, certain museum remains, and the proverb "as extinct as a dodo.” A similar fate must overtake any organism suddenly exposed to new and unfavorable conditions, if devoid of sufficient plasticity to rapidly accommodate itself to the altered environment.
1. The narrator mentions the proverb “as extinct as a dodo” in order to __________. A. encourage his readers to use more figurative language
B. lament that the dodo was not eliminated sooner
C. transition to a discussion of the ways in which common sayings reference birds
D. provide an example of what little is left of the dodo in his era
E. support the idea that the dodo went extinct because of human influence
2. How does the second paragraph relate to the first paragraph?A. The first paragraph describes a type of flightless birds that has gone extinct; the second describes species of flightless birds that are still living.
B. The first paragraph describes birds people eat; the second describes birds people do not eat.
C. The first paragraph provides a personal anecdote while the second paragraph provides historical information.
D. The first paragraph describes flightless birds that learned to defend themselves from predators by fleeing them; the second paragraph describes a flightless bird that did not adapt in this way.
E. The first paragraph discusses predators of flightless birds, the second describes prey of flightless birds.
3. Which of the following best describes the tone the author employs throughout the passage?A. Objective
B. Carefree
C. Despondent
D. Furious
E. Oversensitive
4. Which of the following best states the main idea of this passage?A. Flightless birds sometimes develop strong running abilities, but if they don’t, they may be threatened with extinction.
B. Flightless birds adapt to their particular surroundings.
C. The extinction of the dodo can be traced to human causes.
D. The African ostrich’s strong leg muscles makes it well adapted to its environment.
E. Birds employ a variety of defenses for avoiding predators.
5. What kinds of reptiles are indigenous to Mauritius?A. Lizards
B. Lizards and snakes too small to eat dodos
C. Snakes
D. Lizards, snakes, and crocodiles
E. Snakes and crocodiles