Directions: In the following passage there are some blank spaces with four words or groups of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. The honeybee is a very unusual kind of insect. __(1)__ other insects which live alone, the honeybee lives as a/an ___(2)___ of a community. These bees live together in what is known as a bee ___(3)____ The head of the bees is called the queen bee. She is ___(4)___ than the rest of the bees. Her main task is to ____(5)___ eggs.
alone, the honeybee lives as a/an ___(2)____ of a community. These bees live
member
Analyzing the Passage and Blank (2)
The passage describes the honeybee as an unusual insect because, unlike many others that live alone, it lives as part of a community. The sentence containing blank (2) states: "alone, the honeybee lives as a/an ___(2)____ of a community." We need to choose the word that best fits grammatically and contextually to describe one bee's relationship to the bee community.
Evaluating the Options for Blank (2)
Let's look at the given options for filling blank (2):
- group: This word refers to a collection of individuals. A single honeybee is not a group. Grammatically, "a group of a community" doesn't make sense in this context.
- individual: A honeybee is indeed an individual insect. However, the phrase "an individual of a community" is not the standard or most natural way to express that someone or something belongs to a community.
- member: This word means a person, animal, or thing belonging to a particular group or society. Living "as a member of a community" is a very common and grammatically correct way to describe an individual's relationship to a collective group like a bee colony or community.
- troop: This word typically refers to a group of soldiers, scouts, or sometimes monkeys. It is not used to describe a single bee belonging to a bee community or colony.
Selecting the Correct Word
Considering the context of the passage, which highlights the social nature of honeybees, and the grammatical structure "a/an ____ of a community," the word "member" is the most appropriate choice. A single honeybee is a part, or member, of the larger bee community.
Therefore, the completed phrase reads: "...the honeybee lives as a/an member of a community."
Understanding Honeybee Social Structure
Honeybees exhibit a complex social structure, living in colonies that can contain thousands of individual bees. This social organization is key to their survival and success. Each bee within the colony has a specific role, contributing to the functioning of the whole community. This reinforces why describing a single bee as a "member" of this community is accurate.
Revision Table: Blank (2) Analysis
| Option | Analysis | Fit (Context/Grammar) |
|---|---|---|
| group | Refers to multiple individuals; grammatically awkward with 'a/an'. | Poor |
| individual | A single bee is an individual, but phrase 'an individual of a community' is not standard. | Fair (but not best) |
| member | A person/thing belonging to a group; fits perfectly with 'a/an ____ of a community'. | Excellent |
| troop | Incorrect term for bees; refers to soldiers/scouts. | Poor |
Additional Information: Social Insects
Honeybees are prime examples of social insects. Other well-known social insects include ants, termites, and some species of wasps. These insects live in organized colonies with division of labor, cooperative brood care, and overlapping generations. Living in a community provides benefits such as increased protection, more efficient foraging, and better environmental control within the nest.
Important Questions from Cloze Test
What would come in blank space (1)?
What would come in blank space (2)?
What would come in blank space (3)?
What would come in blank space (4)?
What would come in blank space (5)?
