Insect Behavior Generally Appears to be Explicable in Terms of Unconscious

Reading Passage Question

Insect behavior generally appears to be explicable in terms of unconscious, inflexible stimulus-response mechanisms. For instance, a female sphex wasp leaves her egg sealed in a burrow alongside a paralyzed grasshopper, which her larvae can eat upon hatching. Before she deposits the grasshopper in the burrow, she inspects the burrow; if the inspection reveals no problems, she drags the grasshopper inside by its antennae. As thoughtful as this behavior appears, it reveals its mechanistic character upon interference.

Darwin discovered that prior removal of the grasshopper's antennae prevents the wasp from depositing the grasshopper, even though the legs or ovipositor could also serve as handles. Likewise, Fabre moved the grasshopper a few centimeters away from the burrow's mouth while the wasp was inside inspecting. The wasp returned the grasshopper to the edge of the burrow and then began a new inspection. Fabre performed this disruptive maneuver forty times; the wasp's response never changed.

“Insect behavior generally appears to be explicable in terms of unconscious” - is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 4 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. The author mentions the work of Darwin and Fabre in order to

1. provide experimental evidence of the inflexibility of one kind of insect behavior
2. contradict the conventional wisdom about “typical” wasp behavior
3. illustrate the strength of the wasp's maternal affection
4. explore the logical implications of the thesis articulated earlier
5. highlight historical changes in the conduction of scientific research

2. Which of the following hypothetical variations in the experiments described in the passage would most weaken the primary claim of the passage?

1. Darwin removes the ovipositor, a small appendage, instead of the antennae; the wasp fails to deposit the grasshopper in the burrow.
2. Darwin restrains the grasshopper while the wasp attempts to drag it by its antennae, which subsequently break off; although Darwin then releases the grasshopper, the wasp ignores it.
3. Fabre moves the grasshopper several meters away during the wasp's inspection; the wasp takes significant time to retrieve the grasshopper, then re-inspects the burrow.
4. Fabre repeatedly varies the exact position near the burrow to which he moves the grasshopper, causing the wasp to adjust its retrieval path slightly before re-inspecting the burrow.
5. Fabre replaces the grasshopper with a paralyzed praying mantis, a rather different insect that the wasp inspects and then deposits in the burrow.

3. The passage supports which of the following statements about insect behavior?

1. Reptiles such as snakes behave more flexibly than do insects.
2. Insects such as honeybees can always be expected to behave inflexibly.
3. Many species of insects leave eggs alongside living but paralyzed food sources.
4. Stimulus-response mechanisms in insects have evolved because, under ordinary circumstances, they help insects to survive.
5. More than one species of insect displays inflexible, routine behaviors.

4. Based on the passage, which of the following would prove a similar point to that promoted by the author?

1. In a similar experiment, the paralyzed grasshopper was replaced with another, equally nutritive insect, and the wasp did not drag it into the burrow.
2. In a similar experiment with a bird, the bird was shown to act in the exact same manner as the wasp.
3. In a similar experiment with a different wasp, the wasp dragged the grasshopper into the burrow by its ovipositor.[/color]

1. I only
2. I and II
3. II only
4. II and III
5. I, II and III

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