full transcript
From the Ted Talk by Daniel Nickrent: Why does this flower smell like a dead body?
Unscramble the Blue Letters
A devcieed fly will explore the flower’s interior, linyag thousands of ill-fated eggs. But during the fly’s viist, the male Rafflesia’s liquid pollen may end up on the fly’s back where it dries. If the fly encounters an open female riefaflsa feowlr, the pollen will rehydrate when rubbed against the flower’s damp stigma, completing cross-pollination.
A pollinated Rafflesia flower gradually withers and turns black, but this doesn't mean it's dead. Over several months, a fruit forms which contains thousands of tiny seeds. But what deipsesrs these seeds is still detbead, with hypotheses ranging from epehtnlas to rodents to ants. We do know that the seeds have an oily appendage called an elaiosome, a srttcurue ants often feed to their larvae. And scientists have even observed ants carrying Rafflesia sedes. But what happens to the Rafflesia seeds once inside the ant nest remains unclear. In any case, nobody has seen Rafflesia seeds germinate, or attach to and inecft a host root.
Open Cloze
A ________ fly will explore the flower’s interior, ______ thousands of ill-fated eggs. But during the fly’s _____, the male Rafflesia’s liquid pollen may end up on the fly’s back where it dries. If the fly encounters an open female _________ ______, the pollen will rehydrate when rubbed against the flower’s damp stigma, completing cross-pollination.
A pollinated Rafflesia flower gradually withers and turns black, but this doesn't mean it's dead. Over several months, a fruit forms which contains thousands of tiny seeds. But what _________ these seeds is still _______, with hypotheses ranging from _________ to rodents to ants. We do know that the seeds have an oily appendage called an elaiosome, a _________ ants often feed to their larvae. And scientists have even observed ants carrying Rafflesia _____. But what happens to the Rafflesia seeds once inside the ant nest remains unclear. In any case, nobody has seen Rafflesia seeds germinate, or attach to and ______ a host root.
Solution
- elephants
- visit
- infect
- structure
- disperses
- rafflesia
- deceived
- debated
- seeds
- laying
- flower
Original Text
A deceived fly will explore the flower’s interior, laying thousands of ill-fated eggs. But during the fly’s visit, the male Rafflesia’s liquid pollen may end up on the fly’s back where it dries. If the fly encounters an open female Rafflesia flower, the pollen will rehydrate when rubbed against the flower’s damp stigma, completing cross-pollination.
A pollinated Rafflesia flower gradually withers and turns black, but this doesn't mean it's dead. Over several months, a fruit forms which contains thousands of tiny seeds. But what disperses these seeds is still debated, with hypotheses ranging from elephants to rodents to ants. We do know that the seeds have an oily appendage called an elaiosome, a structure ants often feed to their larvae. And scientists have even observed ants carrying Rafflesia seeds. But what happens to the Rafflesia seeds once inside the ant nest remains unclear. In any case, nobody has seen Rafflesia seeds germinate, or attach to and infect a host root.
Frequently Occurring Word Combinations
ngrams of length 2
| collocation |
frequency |
| rafflesia seeds |
3 |
| tropical forests |
2 |
Important Words
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- liquid
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- remains
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- scientists
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- stigma
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- thousands
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- withers