Question

she explained that to attract prey, glowworms (not really worms at all, but the larval stage of a fungus gnat) emit light through their translucent skin; via a cellular chemical reaction. the cells produce luciferin, a chemical pigment that reacts with oxygen to produce light that shines through the organism’s tail - end intestine. from its mouth, she showed me, all glowworms dangle shimmering silken threads glossed in beads of mucus. cave - dwelling insects are trapped in these threads, then reeled in like fish on a line, and finally lured by the light. the light responds to environmental factors. the sound of splashing water, however, might signal that prey is nearby, causing them to brighten. 23. a. no change b. skin, and via c. skin. via d. skin via 24. f. no change g. all of the glowworms are dangling h. each of the glowworms dangle j. each glowworm dangles 25. a. no change b. lured by the light, then trapped in these threads, and finally reeled in like fish on a line. c. reeled in like fish on a line, then trapped in these threads, and finally lured by the light. d. trapped in these threads, then lured by the light, and finally reeled in like fish on a line. 26. f. no change g. on the other hand, h. for example, j. above all, 27. a. no change b. the light c. these d. delete the underlined portion. 28. which of the following choices, if added here, would best conclude the paragraph and refer back to the conversation at the beginning of the essay? f. insects are likely attracted to the light because the sky - like appearance of the glowworms fools the insects into believing they are outdoors. g. she told me that the cave is usually quiet, with only occasional noises, such as tour boats passing through the water. h. a camera flash, she reminded me, may also spell danger, and the glowworms’ light is doused. j. the light is also brighter in a hungry larva than in those that have just eaten.

Explanation:

23.

The original "skin; via" is incorrect as a semicolon is not appropriate here. "skin, and via" is also wrong in terms of grammar and flow. "skin. Via" creates an awkward break. "skin via" is the most natural - it shows the light is emitted through the skin by means of a chemical reaction.

24.

"all glowworms dangle" is plural and doesn't match the singular - focused context. "all of the glowworms are dangling" is the wrong tense for the general - description tone. "each of the glowworms dangle" has subject - verb agreement error. "each glowworm dangles" is correct as it refers to individual glowworms and has proper subject - verb agreement.

25.

The logical order is that insects are lured by the light first, then trapped in the threads, and finally reeled in. Option B presents this correct sequence.

26.

"however" is used to show a contrast. "on the other hand" is also for contrast but is a bit more informal and not as fitting here. "for example" is for giving examples and "above all" is for emphasizing the most important point. "for example" is the best fit as the sound of splashing water is an example of an environmental factor.

27.

The pronoun "them" is ambiguous. Deleting it makes the sentence more clear - the light responds to the signal and brightens.

28.

Option F refers back to the conversation about how glowworms attract prey (by fooling insects with their light) and concludes the paragraph well by explaining the reason insects are attracted to the light.

Answer:

1. D. skin via
2. J. each glowworm dangles
3. B. lured by the light, then trapped in these threads, and finally reeled in like fish on a line.
4. H. for example,
5. D. DELETE the underlined portion.
6. F. Insects are likely attracted to the light because the sky - like appearance of the glowworms fools the insects into believing they are outdoors.