What Do Flies Think About?

The author compares flies to fighter pilots in these lines to show that flies are

• complicated

• forceful

• skillful

• mysterious

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

The sentences in these lines develop a key concept of the article by

• demonstrating how carefully a fly must target its landing place

• revealing the difficulty of conducting research on how a fly lands

• illustrating the complexity of the process a fly’s brain must control

• explaining how rapidly the fly’s landing occurs after it makes a loop

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CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

What information best develops the view that bees are “the ‘Einsteins’ of the insect world?”

• the discussion about the larger brain sizes of bees

• the list of intellectual feats that bees can accomplish

• the reasons that researchers are interested in studying bees

• the information about the complex colonies that bees live in

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

Which central idea of the article is most supported by these lines?

• Social insects develop larger brains.

• Brain structures have changed little over time

• Bee colonies can help us understand social systems.

• Insect brains can help us understand the human brain.

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Which evidence from the article best supports the claim made in these lines?

• “Larger brains usually utilize the same circuits over and over again.”

• “The idea of life in a group is firmly rooted in their brains—which is what makes bees so

  interesting to brain researchers.”

• “We, too, are social creatures, after all, and scientists suspect that certain neuronal circuits have

  changed very little over the course of evolution.”

• “It’s likely they need to possess greater thinking capacity in order to compete with rivals in the

  swarm.”

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CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

What are the most likely reasons for including information about the Smithsonian laboratory in

Panama? Choose two options.

• to emphasize the results of a major study about bees

• to illustrate why biologists should conduct bee research

• to point out that biologists still know very little about locust brains

• to provide evidence as to why bees’ brains are larger than those of other insects

• to provide evidence that other countries are performing studies of locust brains

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

These lines suggest that the author believes

• The study of moths will reveal changes in insect brains

• The study of moths can provide ways to enhance technology

• Moth research will teach scientists more about the human brain

• Scientists should develop more advanced methods of moth research

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CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

Part B: Select the line that best supports your answer to Part A.

• Such discoveries are definitely pointing scientists in a new direction

• Takashima has inserted electrodes into the brains of male moths that he then uses as control units for a robot

• "Chemical substances do not spread out uniformly in air," Takashima explains

• Takashima's research has significant applications. His goal is to create robots that can sniff out explosives or dangerous chemicals in the air and locate their source.

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.8.2