full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Robert Siddall: These squids can fly... no, really

Unscramble the Blue Letters


There have been too few observations to establish what a squid’s typical fhlgit trajectory looks like. bsead on their flying speed, a 10 centimeter squid could hypothetically launch itself six meters above the water. But from what scientists have seen, flying squid tend to glide low, keeping close to the surface. This ttceorrajy allows squid to cover the most horizontal disactne possible over a typical several second flight. It also makes it easy to dive back into the water for more fuel— or to make a qucik escape from predatory birds.

But why do squids fly at all? laidneg theories suggest that flight is an escape behaviour, as flying squid generally seem to be feeinlg a nabery predator or ship. Other researchers think their flight may be an energy-saving migration strategy, because it takes less energy to move quickly through the air than through water. However, it’s also possible that larnenig to fly may be a vaitl part of surviving adolescence. Young, smaller siuqd can potentially fly faster and farther than their larger relatives. And since adult squid tend to cnialniabze juveniles, soaring above the surf can help ensure these young squid will live to fly another day.

Open Cloze


There have been too few observations to establish what a squid’s typical ______ trajectory looks like. _____ on their flying speed, a 10 centimeter squid could hypothetically launch itself six meters above the water. But from what scientists have seen, flying squid tend to glide low, keeping close to the surface. This __________ allows squid to cover the most horizontal ________ possible over a typical several second flight. It also makes it easy to dive back into the water for more fuel— or to make a _____ escape from predatory birds.

But why do squids fly at all? _______ theories suggest that flight is an escape behaviour, as flying squid generally seem to be _______ a ______ predator or ship. Other researchers think their flight may be an energy-saving migration strategy, because it takes less energy to move quickly through the air than through water. However, it’s also possible that ________ to fly may be a _____ part of surviving adolescence. Young, smaller _____ can potentially fly faster and farther than their larger relatives. And since adult squid tend to ___________ juveniles, soaring above the surf can help ensure these young squid will live to fly another day.

Solution


  1. flight
  2. quick
  3. nearby
  4. leading
  5. based
  6. distance
  7. trajectory
  8. vital
  9. learning
  10. squid
  11. cannibalize
  12. fleeing

Original Text


There have been too few observations to establish what a squid’s typical flight trajectory looks like. Based on their flying speed, a 10 centimeter squid could hypothetically launch itself six meters above the water. But from what scientists have seen, flying squid tend to glide low, keeping close to the surface. This trajectory allows squid to cover the most horizontal distance possible over a typical several second flight. It also makes it easy to dive back into the water for more fuel— or to make a quick escape from predatory birds.

But why do squids fly at all? Leading theories suggest that flight is an escape behaviour, as flying squid generally seem to be fleeing a nearby predator or ship. Other researchers think their flight may be an energy-saving migration strategy, because it takes less energy to move quickly through the air than through water. However, it’s also possible that learning to fly may be a vital part of surviving adolescence. Young, smaller squid can potentially fly faster and farther than their larger relatives. And since adult squid tend to cannibalize juveniles, soaring above the surf can help ensure these young squid will live to fly another day.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
flying squid 2
squid tend 2


Important Words


  1. adolescence
  2. adult
  3. air
  4. based
  5. behaviour
  6. birds
  7. cannibalize
  8. centimeter
  9. close
  10. cover
  11. day
  12. distance
  13. dive
  14. easy
  15. energy
  16. ensure
  17. escape
  18. establish
  19. faster
  20. fleeing
  21. flight
  22. fly
  23. flying
  24. generally
  25. glide
  26. horizontal
  27. hypothetically
  28. juveniles
  29. keeping
  30. larger
  31. launch
  32. leading
  33. learning
  34. live
  35. meters
  36. migration
  37. move
  38. nearby
  39. observations
  40. part
  41. potentially
  42. predator
  43. predatory
  44. quick
  45. quickly
  46. relatives
  47. researchers
  48. scientists
  49. ship
  50. smaller
  51. soaring
  52. speed
  53. squid
  54. squids
  55. strategy
  56. suggest
  57. surf
  58. surface
  59. surviving
  60. takes
  61. tend
  62. theories
  63. trajectory
  64. typical
  65. vital
  66. water
  67. young