full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Francesca Barbero: Would you raise the baby that ate your siblings?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Soon enough, a wkroer ant encounters the crpeaillatr. She inspects his clituce with her sensitive antennae and picks up on key checiaml cues that she uses to recognize her kin. This is all part of the caterpillar's dsigisue. The worker picks him up and reverses course.

Indeed, the caterpillar doesn't bltate his way into the fortress. No— he wouldn't stand a chance. He's shepherded in because the ant is treating him like one of her colony's own larvae. They pass legions of ants poised to attack invaders and enter the ielatitnrcy architected, subterranean nest, which is sheltered, moist, and stockpiled with resources. If the caterpillar's mimicry didn't work, he might have been left for dead or taken as food himself. Instead, the ant plcaes the caterpillar in the nursery, among the colony's own cherished brood.

Open Cloze


Soon enough, a ______ ant encounters the ___________. She inspects his _______ with her sensitive antennae and picks up on key ________ cues that she uses to recognize her kin. This is all part of the caterpillar's ________. The worker picks him up and reverses course.

Indeed, the caterpillar doesn't ______ his way into the fortress. No— he wouldn't stand a chance. He's shepherded in because the ant is treating him like one of her colony's own larvae. They pass legions of ants poised to attack invaders and enter the ___________ architected, subterranean nest, which is sheltered, moist, and stockpiled with resources. If the caterpillar's mimicry didn't work, he might have been left for dead or taken as food himself. Instead, the ant ______ the caterpillar in the nursery, among the colony's own cherished brood.

Solution


  1. worker
  2. caterpillar
  3. places
  4. chemical
  5. intricately
  6. battle
  7. disguise
  8. cuticle

Original Text


Soon enough, a worker ant encounters the caterpillar. She inspects his cuticle with her sensitive antennae and picks up on key chemical cues that she uses to recognize her kin. This is all part of the caterpillar's disguise. The worker picks him up and reverses course.

Indeed, the caterpillar doesn't battle his way into the fortress. No— he wouldn't stand a chance. He's shepherded in because the ant is treating him like one of her colony's own larvae. They pass legions of ants poised to attack invaders and enter the intricately architected, subterranean nest, which is sheltered, moist, and stockpiled with resources. If the caterpillar's mimicry didn't work, he might have been left for dead or taken as food himself. Instead, the ant places the caterpillar in the nursery, among the colony's own cherished brood.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
ant colony 3
alcon blue 2
sugary secretions 2
ants feed 2
nurse ants 2
ant larvae 2
parasitic butterfly 2


Important Words


  1. ant
  2. antennae
  3. ants
  4. architected
  5. attack
  6. battle
  7. brood
  8. caterpillar
  9. chance
  10. chemical
  11. cherished
  12. cues
  13. cuticle
  14. dead
  15. disguise
  16. encounters
  17. enter
  18. food
  19. fortress
  20. inspects
  21. intricately
  22. invaders
  23. key
  24. kin
  25. larvae
  26. left
  27. legions
  28. mimicry
  29. moist
  30. nest
  31. nursery
  32. part
  33. pass
  34. picks
  35. places
  36. poised
  37. recognize
  38. resources
  39. reverses
  40. sensitive
  41. sheltered
  42. shepherded
  43. stand
  44. stockpiled
  45. subterranean
  46. treating
  47. work
  48. worker