Adaptation of Living Things

Certain animals and plants developcharacteristics that help them cope with their environment better than othersof their kind. This natural biological process is called adaptation. Among thesuperior characteristics developed through adaptation are those that may helpin getting food or shelter, in providing protection, and in producing andprotecting the young. That results in the evolution of more and more organismsthat are better fitted to their environments.

Each living thing is adapted to its way of lifein a general way, but each is adapted especially to its own distinct class. Aplant, for example, depends upon its roots to fix itself firmly and to absorbwater and inorganic chemicals. It depends upon its green leaves for using thesun's energy to make food from inorganic chemicals. These are generaladaptations, common to most plants. In addition, there are special adaptationsthat only certain kinds of plants have.

Many animals have adaptations that help themescape from their enemies. Some insects are hidden by their body color orshape, and many look like a leaf or a little branch. The coats of deer arecolored to mix with the surroundings. Many animals have the ability to remaincompletely still when an enemy is near.

Organisms have a great variety of ways ofadapting. They may adapt in their structure, function, and genetics; in theirdevelopment and production of the young; and in other respects. An organism maycreate its own environment, as do warm-blooded mammals, which have the abilityto adjust body heat exactly to maintain their ideal temperature despitechanging weather. Usually adaptations are an advantage, but sometimes anorganism is so well adapted to a particular environment that if conditionschange, it finds it difficult or impossible to readapt to the new conditions.

1. Some plants and animals develop superiorcharacteristics so that they may

A) help others of their kind get food, shelterand other things needed.

B) survive even in extremely severe conditions.

C) become better adapted to the environmentsthan others of their kind.

D) result in the evolution and production ofmore intelligent organisms.

2. In the first paragraph, the word"environments" could best be replaced by

A) contexts.

B) surroundings.

C) neighbors.

D) Enemies.

3. It can be inferred from this passage thatthe feathers of a bird are colored

A) to frighten its enemies.

B) to attract its enemies.

C) to adjust its body heat.

D) to match its environment

4. Which of the following is not directlymentioned in the passage?

A) A living thing way adapt in its structure.

B) An organism may adapt in its function.

C) A living creature may adapt in its geneticmakeup.

D) A living organism may adapt in its sleepinghabit.

5. The author cites the behavior ofwarm-blooded mammals in order to that a living thing may have the ability

A) to create an environment of its own.

B) to remain still when an enemy is near.

C) to make food from inorganic chemicals.

D) to change the color of its skin.

More Efforts Urged to Empower Women at AIDS Conference1

Prevention is a central issue being discussedat the sixteenth International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada. Twenty-fourthousand delegates are at the conference which ends Friday.

Bill and Melinda Gates2 called for3 fasterresearch to, develop preventions like microbicidest for women to use when theyhave sex.___1___Melinda Gates said the way to “changethis epidemic” is to put power in the hands of women5.In southern Africa, for example, about sixty percent of adults living withHIV6; are women. Bill Gates said women today often have no choice but to dependon men not to infect them. “A woman should never needher partner's permission to save her own life,” he saidas the conference opened Sunday.___2___

On Monday, former President Bill Clinton saidmore people would get tested for HIV if an aggressive effort took place tofight the stigma. But reducing fears of social rejection is not enough.___3___

Researchers at the conference presented theresults of a new study of HIV testing. It involved more than one hundredthousand people tested in California last year. Some received a quick test,with results in about twenty minutes. The others received a test that is morecommonly used; the result takes two weeks. The researchers say twenty-fivepercent of the people who had the longer test did not return to learn theresults. ___4___George Lemp of the University of California led the study. Hesays quick tests could be especially important in developing countries withlimited transportation.

Speakers at the AIDS conference also discussedhigh rates of new HIV infections among black Americans. Julian Bond is chairmanof the NAACP7, a leading civil rights group.

___5___Public health officials say half of allnew HIV infections in the United States are in blacks. African-Americandelegates at the conference said they will prepare a five-year plan to reduceinfection rates and increase testing.

A .The chairman said African-Americans must, inhis words, “face the fact that AIDS has become a blackdisease.”

B. Mr. Clinton said people also need aguarantee they would get medicine to suppress the virus.

C. Delegates at the conference have worked outan action plan to fight the wide spread of this terrible disease all over theworld.

D. They hoped that such products could protectagainst infection with the virus that causes AIDS.

E. The world's richest man said “stopping AIDS”is the top priority of theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

F. But that was true of only two percent ofthose who had the quick test.