Zombies Are Real Article

A parasite is...

• an insect that turns other organisms into zombies.

• an organism that hurts its host by living off of it.

• an organism that eats the decomposing bodies of other organisms.

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Why do some organisms take control of other creatures?

• to extend their own lives

• to have social interactions

• to use them as protection

How did scientists learn more about the fungus that could exert mind control?

• They observed it exerting control over different organisms.

• They extracted the chemicals it used to control ants.

• They exposed it to the brains of the ants it naturally controlled.

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A wasp lays its eggs on an orb-weaving spider to...

• force it to protect the wasp and its larva.

• use it to carry its larva long distances.

• make it provide a home and meal for its larva.

How does the jewel wasp affect a cockroach?

• It makes it so the cockroach can’t move independently.

• It makes the cockroach die in a specific place.

• It takes away the cockroach’s ability to move at all.

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How did Libersat test the wasp’s mind controlling ability?

• He removed the parts of the cockroach’s brain that the wasp infects.

• He had the wasp infect other organisms’ brains with its venom.

• He injected the wasp’s venom in other parts of the cockroach’s brain.

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How does the parasite get zombie fish to be eaten by birds?

• They control the fish’s movements.

• They cause the fish to be less frightened by birds.

• They force the fish to throw themselves on land.

Scientist study mind-controlling parasites in order to learn...

• more about animal interactions.

• how to control people.

• more about the human brain.

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Which statement best expresses the central idea of the text?

• After studying the abilities of mind controlling parasites, scientists suspect that parasites might be able to similarly affect humans.

• While it has been confirmed that some parasites can control the actions of their hosts, how they can do so largely remains a mystery to scientists.

• Parasites can control the actions of their hosts by altering the chemistry of their brains, forcing them to help the parasites and their young survive.

• The ability for parasites to understand the minds of other organisms has disproven the notion that single-celled organisms are unintelligent.

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Which detail from the text best supports the central idea of the text?

• “Every parasite has its own method, but the process usually involves altering chemicals within the victim’s brain… they end up so bizarrely altering their host’s behavior.” (Paragraph 5)

• “It will take more work to learn how the parasite’s chemicals lead to zombie behavior in ants. ‘We are very much in the beginning of trying to figure this out,’ says de Bekker.” (Paragraph 16)

• “Over this long period, she says, ‘the fungus ‘learned’ a lot more about how the ant’s brain works than human scientists have.’” (Paragraph 32)

• “Eventually, this work could lead to new medicines or therapies for human brains. We just have to hope that a mad scientist won’t go out and start making human zombies!” (Paragraph 35)

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