Question

Through a series of experiments, an American scientist has gained an understanding of the social structure of ant societies. The ants 1. (examine) by scientists are the only creatures other than man to have given up hunting and collecting for a completely agricultural way of life. In their underground nests they plant gardens on soils made from finely cut leaves. This is a complex 2. (operate) requiring considerable division of labor. The workers of this type of ant can 3. (divide) into four groups according to size. 4. of the groups performs a particular set of jobs.

The making and care of the garden and the nursing of the young ants are done by the smallest workers. Slightly larger workers are responsible 5.cutting leaves to make them suitable for use in the gardens and for cleaning the nest. 6. third group of still larger ants do the construction work and collect fresh leaves from outside the nest. The 7. (large) are the soldier ants, whose duty is to defend the nest.

8. (find) out how good the various size groups are at different tasks, the scientist measured the amount of work done by the ants against the amount of energy they used. He examined first the gathering and carrying of leaves. He selected one of the size groups and then measured 9.efficiently these ants could find leaves and run back to the nest. Then he repeated the experiment for each of the other size groups. 10.this way he could see whether any group could do the job more efficiently than the group normally undertaking it.

Answer

1.examined

2.operation

3.be divided

4.Each

5.for

6.The

7.largest

8.To find

9.how

10.In

【解析】试题分析：文章讲述了一位美国科学家通过研究得到对蚂蚁社会的社会结构的理解。蚂蚁是除了人类以外唯一完全过着农业生活的生灵。蚂蚁社会按照大小有明确合理的分工，各司其职，并且每一组都比正常的分工工作做的好。

1.考查动词。句子有谓语动词are，因此“_____1_____ (examine) by scientists”是定语修饰The ant，examine与the ant是被动关系，用过去分词作定语表示被动关系。故填examined。

2.考查名词。空格处是表语，complex是形容词，修饰名词，因此此处用名词，由冠词a推断用单数。故填operation。

3.考查动词。句意：这种蚂蚁中的工蚁根据大小可以分成四组。divide是谓语动词，与主语the workers是被动关系，根据语境可知，句子使用一般现在时，can是情态动词，接be+过去分词构成被动语态。故填be divided。

4.考查代词。根据上文工蚁被分成四组可推断，此处句意为：每一组履行一种特殊的工作。each “每个；各自”可接of短语，置句首单词首字母大写。故填Each。

5.考查介词。句意：较大的工蚁负责剪裁树叶适合在花园里使用和清洁巢穴。be responsible for“为……负责”是常用搭配。故填for。

6.考查冠词。句意：第三组较大的蚂蚁从事建筑工作和从巢穴外收集新鲜的树叶。序数词前需加定冠词，置句首单词首字母大写。故填The。

7.考查形容词最高级。句意为：最大的蚂蚁是兵蚁，职责是保卫巢穴。根据语境推断，共分为四组蚂蚁，这是最大的一组，用最高级。故填largest。

8.考查非谓语动词。句意：为了弄清楚不同大小的蚂蚁在不同的任务中有多好，科学家测量了蚂蚁所做的工作数量与它们所使用的能量。“___8___ (find) out how good the various size groups are at different tasks”作目的状语，不定式常用作目的状语，置句首首字母大写。故填To find。

9.考查副词。“____9____efficiently these ants could find leaves and run back to the nest”是宾语从句，从句句意完整，成分齐全，efficiently是副词，用连接词how修饰。故填how。

10.考查介词。句意：用这种方法，他可以明白是否任意一组都比正常的团队更有效地完成这项工作。in this way“用这种方法”是固定用法，置句首单词首字母大写。故填In。