The Orchid's Secret

What is an orchid?

• an insect that spreads pollen

• a scent from a flower that attracts insects

• a hunter in the Philippines

• a rare and valuable flower

What does this passage describe?

• This passage describes the Europeans who collected orchids in the 1800s.

• This passage describes what being a prisoner in Central America is like.

• This passage describes the life of Susan Orlean.

• This passage describes orchids and orchid hunting.

Read the following sentence:

"Unlike plants that can self-pollinate, orchids need very specific insects or birds to spread their pollen."

What evidence from the passage supports this statement?

• In Venezuela there is a flower people collect for its large white or yellow petals.

• There are more than 25,000 species of orchids worldwide.

• Many orchids use their scent to lure insects to their pollen.

• Many people who went looking for orchids met with tragedy instead.

Why might orchid hunters be willing to face dangerous challenges in order to get orchids?

• Orchids are worth a lot of money.

• Some orchids use their scent to attract insects.

• Some orchids look like insects.

• The orchid has survived since the time of the dinosaurs.

What is this passage mainly about?

• the Philippines and the dangers of hunting orchids there

• orchids, orchid hunting, and orchid pollination

• an orchid hunt that Tom Hart Dyke and Paul Winder went on

• a species of orchids that lives deep in the jungles of Colombia

Read the following sentence:

"Other orchids don't use their shape at all, but rather produce specialized scents to attract specific insects, such as bees, beetles or flies. Some orchids smell like cake, some like chocolate, and some like rotting meat."

What does the word produce mean in the sentence above?

• remove

• deliver

• change

• make

Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Many orchids attract insects with smells, _______ cake, chocolate, and rotting meat.

• such as

• although

• meanwhile

• but