7G MCAP Info Text - Check Out the Communities of Bacteria

What is the effect of the word 'neighborhoods' as it is used in paragraph 1?

• It emphasizes the size of the groups of bacteria that live on the tongue.

• It highlights where on the tongue different kinds of bacteria can be found.

• It indicates the similarity among all microbes that live inside humans.

• It portrays the bacteria as individuals living beside each other as a communal unit.

Part A: Which statement best describes the author's purpose for writing the passage?

• To discuss that microbiologists have just begun to look at how bacteria form on the human tongue and that much is left to learn.

• To explain an effective technique that scientists are using to get a better understanding of how bacteria grow on human tongues.

• To describe the way bacteria mapping was developed and what it is being used for in current research studies.

• To argue that humans need to be more conscious of their actions that may affect the bacteria that live on their tongues.

Part B: Which two details from the passage best support the answer to Part A?

• "They're not all alike, however." (paragraph 1)

• "Her team shared its discovery March 24 in Cell Reports." (paragraph 5)

• "The researchers then labeled the germs with materials that glow when lit with a particular type of light." (paragraph 8)

• "The bacteria in the film grow in groups." (paragraph 9)

• "For example, Actinomyces and Rothia may be important for turning a chemical called nitrate into nitric oxide." (paragraph 13)

In what way does the author introduce the idea that the structured pattern in which bacteria grow was a significant and unexpected discovery by researchers?

• The author emphasizes how previous attempts of researchers to analyze tongue bacteria had failed to produce clear results.

• The author includes a researcher's reaction to seeing the results of tongue scrapings.

• The author contrasts the results of the study with the outcome that researchers originally anticipated.

• The author highlights the benefits of the method a researcher used in the study as opposed to typical methods used in the past.

Part A: Read these two sentences from the passage. Paragraph 1, Sentence 7: Knowing where each type tends to live on the tongue could help researchers learn how the microbes cooperate. Paragraph 13, Sentence 1: Mapping where they live can point to what's needed to support a healthy and beneficial ecosystem of these germs in our mouths. How do these details best help to support the author's main purpose in the passage?

• They suggest that the scope of the studies is too limited to understand which bacteria most affect human health.

• They emphasize that the study resulted in knowledge gains that may lead to improved health in humans.

• They indicate the importance of locating the position of bacteria on the tongue.

• They highlight that the kinds of bacteria found in the mouth need to work together in order to be helpful to humans.

Part B: Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

• The kinds and quantities of bacteria vary between individuals that were studied.

• Biofilm contains many different types of bacteria in a single sample.

• Compounds in food are affected by bacteria in ways that assist in blood vessel function.

• Bacteria grow in clusters around single cells on a human tongue.

Paragraphs 4 through 9 develop the ideas in the passage by highlighting

• How bacteria found on the tongue respond to being treated by a special material that glows when exposed to a certain form of light.

• That one scientist in particular was more responsible for discoveries made about bacteria on the tongue than other scientists on the same team.

• Why a team of scientists thought studying the bacteria that live on the tongue could reveal information that would have beneficial applications.

• How a team of scientists pioneered a new way of studying bacteria on the tongue and gained valuable information as a result of this work.

How does the word 'ecosystems' as it is used in paragraph 11 affect understanding of key concepts in the passage?

• It shows how the specific arrangement of bacteria on the tongue allows each type to grow well.

• It emphasizes which bacteria found on the tongue are dependent on other types of bacteria.

• It indicates that bacteria found on the tongue provide and extract different nutrients to and from tongue cells.

• It highlights the various requirements that must be met for bacteria to survive on the tongue.

How does paragraph 13 contribute to the idea that mapping bacteria can have practical medical significance?

• The paragraph provides a specific example of how bacteria affect human bodily functions.

• The paragraph shows how bacteria can survive inside a human host.

• The paragraph highlights where certain chemicals that the body needs can be found in nature.

• The paragraph explains how a person's diet plays a large part in what bacteria can live in the human mouth.

Part A: Which two statements best describe central ideas in the passage?

• A wide variety of useful microbes live on the human tongue.

• Bacteria cause plaque on teeth, which can be harmful.

• Researchers found three types of bacteria on nearly every tongue.

• Understanding how bacteria coexist in humans can be helpful to people.

• Scrapings of human tongues provided material for researchers to study.