2023 ATI TEAS 7 READING EXAM PREP Q&A

2023 ATI TEAS 7 READING EXAM PREP Q&A Brilliant Octopuses When thinking of intelligent animals, dolphins and elephants may be the first to come to mind. However, researchers have observed octopuses to be startlingly brilliant creatures. Octopuses have displayed curious behavior, such as pulling out loose tank valves, opening jars, and escaping their tanks when no one was watching. In 2010, a German octopus named Paul was even said to have correctly predicted the outcome of all seven of Germany’s games during the South African World Cup. Octopuses, of which the earth is home to about 300 distinct species, are cephalopods, and have exceptionally large brains for non-mammals. According to Jennifer Mather, a comparative psychologist at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, the quality that makes octopuses smart is their ability to apply learned information. For example, when given a mussel and a clam to eat, the octopus chose the mussel as they are easier to open. However, when offered clams on the half-shell, the octopus pivoted away from mussels– deciding to go with the new simplified option. These creatures proved capable of complex problem solving. When opening the shells, octopuses employed a variety of techniques, such as chipping away at the shell and injecting the clam with poison to weaken the mollusk, and even using their salivary papilla to drill a hole and inject the toxin. The octopuses chose which strategy to use based on which species they were presented with, and altered their approach to what would work best. As humans, this makes sense to us, but most animals would simply repeat the same technique, despite receiving the same results. Further evidence of the intelligence of octopuses can be found in their desire to play, a behavioral trait of exceptional animals. Mather and her colleague Roland Anderson placed an octopus and an empty pill bottle in an otherwise empty tank. Although nothing happened at first, eventually the octopus blew water at the bottle, causing it to go over a jet and then return to the octopus. The animal repeated this behavior, similar to what a human might exhibit when bouncing a ball – exploring the options for engaging with a new stimulus. These clever creatures have even been documented shooting water at aquarium workers, and deliberately tampering with various aspects of their tanks, inciting leaks and malfunctions. Octopuses remain a common animal for humans to keep and study in captivity. Their remarkable intelligence and display of complex behavior traits invites study and further consideration, at the very least. Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 2?  Octopuses are brilliant creatures, due largely in part to their ability to identify a mussel as easier to eat than a clam.  Octopuses use their salivary papilla to drill holes and inject toxins when consuming mollusks.  One of the best examples of the intelligence of octopuses is their ability to apply learned information and adjust to the most appropriate strategy when solving a problem.  Simple animals employ the same techniques repeatedly, but octopuses are creative innovators. One of the best examples of the intelligence of octopuses is their ability to apply learned information, and adjust to the most appropriate strategy when solving a problem is the correct answer. This answer summarizes the main idea of the entirety of paragraph 2. The paragraph provides details about what makes octopuses so intelligent, but overall the main point is that they are able to apply learned information. Another clue is that this is stated in the first sentence of the paragraph. Often, but not always, the main idea of a paragraph will be in the first sentence. Octopuses are brilliant creatures, due largely in part to their ability to identify a mussel as easier to eat than a clam. This is incorrect. This is a supporting detail, not the main idea of the paragraph. Octopuses use their salivary papilla to drill holes and inject toxins when consuming mollusks. This is incorrect. This is a specific detail that illustrates how an octopus attacks a problem. It is incorrect because it does not summarize what the paragraph is mainly about. Simple animals employ the same techniques repeatedly, but octopuses are creative innovators. This is incorrect. This is incorrect because it is more about comparing octopuses to other animals than about what makes octopuses intelligent, which is what the paragraph is mostly about. Which of the following is a reasonable conclusion that can be drawn