Read the following information carefully and answer the given questions. Imagine walking through a tropical forest as a sweet scent wafts through the air. A little farther down the path, the putrid stench of rotting flesh makes you catch your breath. Upon investigation, you find that both odours originate from flowers.
It's actually part of a strategy that helps flowering plants reproduce themselves and spread their species. Certain scents help these flowers solve a big problem.
Plants flower to produce seeds that can go on to become new plants. To make a viable seed, pollen from one part of the flower must fertilize the ovules in another part of the flower. Some plants can self-pollinate, using their own pollen to fertilize the ovule. Others require pollen from another plant of the same species - that's called cross-pollination.
Sometimes gravity helps pollen fall into place. Sometimes wind carries it. Wind-pollinated flowers, like those of many trees and grasses, don't produce a scent.
Other flowers are pollinated by birds, bats, insects or even small rodents carrying the pollen from one flower to another. In these cases, the flowers might provide a little incentive. Animal pollinators are rewarded by sweet energy- and nutrient-rich nectar or protein-packed pollen they can eat. Flowers that need the help of insects and bats go one step further, producing a floral scent that acts as a smelly kind of welcome sign for just the right pollinator.
An orchid blooming in the tropical forest or a rose in your garden needs to attract a pollinator to bring pollen from flowers of the same species. However, there are flowers that look similar but are from other species. To differentiate itself from other flowers, each species' flowers puts out a unique scent to attract specific pollinators. Similar to the perfumes at a department store counter, flower scents are made up of a large and diverse number of chemicals that evaporate easily and float through the air. The type of chemical, its amount and its interaction with other chemicals give the flower its unique scent. The scent of a rose may consist of as many as 400 different chemicals.
People can smell these floral scents because they easily evaporate from the flower, drifting on the air currents to attract pollinators.
What is the antonym of the word- 'blooming' as used in the passage?
Understanding the Antonym of 'Blooming' in the Passage
The question asks for the antonym of the word 'blooming' as it is used in the provided passage about flowers, their scents, and pollination strategies.
First, let's understand how 'blooming' is used in the passage. The text states, "An orchid blooming in the tropical forest or a rose in your garden needs to attract a pollinator...". In this context, 'blooming' refers to a flower being open and in the state of flowering, actively displaying its petals and reproductive parts, and often emitting a scent to attract pollinators. It signifies a state of active growth, vitality, and being in flower.
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word.
Let's examine the given options:
- Pale: This word can describe a lack of intense color, a weak or washed-out appearance. When applied to flowers, 'pale' can suggest a flower that is not vibrant, possibly fading, or past its prime bloom. It can imply a lack of the strong color associated with a flower in full bloom.
- Flush: This word typically refers to a sudden rush of color, like a blush, or being level with something. It does not relate to the state of flowering or its opposite.
- Ruddy: This word describes a healthy red color, often associated with a complexion. It is not an antonym for 'blooming' in the context of a flower.
- Absolute: This word means complete, total, or definite. It has no connection to the state of a flower blooming.
Considering the meaning of 'blooming' as being in a state of full flower, vitality, and color, the most suitable antonym among the options is 'pale'. A flower that is 'pale' might be one that is not yet in full bloom, or more likely, one that is past its bloom, fading, and losing its color and vibrancy. While not a perfect opposite like 'wilting' or 'fading', 'pale' is the option that best represents a state lacking the fullness and vitality associated with being 'blooming'.
Therefore, in the context of the passage describing vibrant flowers attracting pollinators, 'pale' serves as the most appropriate antonym for 'blooming' from the given choices, suggesting a state that lacks the rich color and vitality of a blooming flower.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
