Question

from adventures among ants weaver ant nests are most common in the outer, often uppermost, sunlit branches of trees. the site of energy influx and photosynthesis, this shell of greenery is where most biological action in forests takes place and thus where the majority of resources sought by the ants accumulate. there the ants bind adjacent living leaves into a kind of arboreal tent. ranging from the size of a baseball to the size of a volleyball but weighing not much more than an inflated balloon, the nests look frail, but they shelter the ants from wind, rain, and rivals. transpiration from their leaf walls creates a built - in hvac system, providing relatively stable temperature and humidity. to begin building a nest, a worker pulls at the edge of a leaf, and if shes successful in bending it, nearby ants join her. the workers may stand side by side while gripping the leaf margins, but if the leaves are too far apart, they climb on top of one another and, seizing each other by the waist, form leaf - to - leaf chains that are strong enough to drag the foliage together. within hours, the nearby leaves are drawn tight and aligned in a nest configuration. the name weaver ant comes from the next step, which involves a kind of child labor. in many ant species, the larvae spin silk cocoons in which they transform into adults. but a weaver ant larva does not make a cocoon. instead, it produces silk at a young age, when still small enough to be held and manipulated by an adult worker. after bearing the larva to the construction site, the worker locates a leaf edge through palpations of her antennae, then lowers the larvas head to it. the larva attaches a silk line to the edge, and the worker then shuttles it back and forth between the leaves, like a weaver working a loom, until the foliage is bound by woven sheets. as a finishing touch, the nest is detailed with tidy entries and internal walls and galleries. the nests, i suspect, can last for years: when the leaves this sentence is from the passage.
anging from the size of a baseball to the size of a volleyball but weighing not much more than an inflated balloon, the nests look frail, but they shelter the ants from wind, rain, and rivals.\ (paragraph 1) what is the effect of comparing the size and weight of weaver ant nests to familiar objects? 1. the comparisons reveal that the nests serve as practical and spacious homes. 2. the comparisons reinforce the idea that ants work as a team to build their nests. 3. the comparisons emphasize that the nests are remarkable and surprising structures. 4. the comparisons highlight that the primary purpose of the nests is to protect the ants.

Explanation:

Comparing the size and weight of weaver - ant nests to familiar objects like a baseball, volleyball, and inflated balloon makes the nests seem remarkable. Their large - size range and light - weight contrast create a sense of surprise. It doesn't emphasize practicality or spaciousness (no details about interior space), nor does it focus on ants working as a team (not about the building process here), and while protection is mentioned, the comparison is more about the physical characteristics of the nests themselves.

Answer:

1. The comparisons emphasize that the nests are remarkable and surprising structures.