Natural Inspiration and Brilliant Beetle

The photographs in the article help the reader understand the —

• reason nylon is superior to cotton for making Velcro

• similarity between man-made Velcro and naturally occurring burrs

• difficulty Mestral had creating his design for Velcro

• reason Mestral thought Velcro would be a useful invention

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One challenge that Mestral encountered while inventing Velcro was finding —

• different uses for Velcro

• a country willing to approve a patent for Velcro

• a way to make a profit by selling Velcro

• a manufacturer that would produce Velcro

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The reader can conclude from the details in paragraph 4 that Mestral

• was determined to make his idea for Velcro a reality

• did not receive the product rights for Velcro

• was denied help because companies had difficulty manufacturing Velcro

• wanted Velcro to be known as the world’s best fastener

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What is the best summary of the article?

• Velcro, a fastener named from a combination of the words “velvet” and “crochet,” was invented by the Swiss engineer George de Mestral. He modeled Velcro after burrs that he found in nature. He learned that nylon was the best material to use to make Velcro.

• George de Mestral was an engineer from Switzerland who had a curious mind. After studying burrs stuck to his dog’s fur, Mestral decided to create a new kind of fastener. Velcro, the product that Mestral created, is a hook-and-loop fastener that works the same way burrs work in nature.

• George de Mestral was the engineer who invented Velcro, a type of hook-and-loop fastener modeled after burrs Mestral found stuck to his dog’s fur. Mestral overcame many obstacles as he worked to produce Velcro. Today, Velcro is commonly used to fasten a variety of materials.

• A curious man, George de Mestral noticed one day that burrs were stuck to his dog’s fur. He looked at these burrs under a microscope and saw that tiny hooks on the burrs allowed them to latch onto the fur. Mestral went on to invent Velcro, which uses hooks similar to those found on the burrs.

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The photograph after paragraph 3 is included in the selection to —

• show the process of how fog turns into water

• allow the reader to envision the size of the Namib beetle

• help the reader visualize how the Namib beetle collects water

• demonstrate how much water is needed by desert insects

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The author focuses on a unique feature of the Namib beetle in order to highlight how the beetle —

• could serve as a source of water for desert travelers

• struggles to survive in a dry part of the world

• uses its wings to stay cool in an arid environment

• is able to provide itself with water in the absence of rain

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When fog rolls into the desert, the Namib beetle —

• releases a waxy substance that covers its back

• positions its body in a specific way

• creates bumps and troughs on its wings

• opens its mouth to drink the water in the air

The author wrote this selection most likely to —

• prove that water can be obtained from moist air

• explain how an animal has adapted to living in a hostile environment

• show how people can apply designs from nature to create solutions to global problems

• emphasize that water is a scarce resource in many areas on Earth

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What is one way that Velcro and the water-collection panels are similar?

• The creators of both inventions experimented with different materials.

• The inventions were both inspired by the same environment.

• The models for both inventions were discovered in unexpected sources.

• The inventions received the same amount of support in the beginning.

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Which idea is presented in both the article and the selection?

• Simple inventions can provide for basic necessities.

• Inventors can find ideas by carefully observing nature.

• Selecting the appropriate materials for an invention can be challenging.

• Inventions have the greatest chance of success when large companies manufacture them.

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