TEAS 7 Reading Comprehension Diagnostic Test (45 Questions)
Brilliant Octopuses
When thinking of intelligent animals, dolphins and elephants may be the first to come to mind. However, researchers have observed octopuses to be startlingly brilliant creatures. Octopuses have displayed curious behavior, such as pulling out loose tank valves, opening jars, and escaping their tanks when no one was watching. In 2010, a German octopus named Paul was even said to have correctly predicted the outcome of all seven of Germany’s games during the South African World Cup. Octopuses, of which the earth is home to about 300 distinct species, are cephalopods, and have exceptionally large brains for non-mammals.
According to Jennifer Mather, a comparative psychologist at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, the quality that makes octopuses smart is their ability to apply learned information. For example, when given a mussel and a clam to eat, the octopus chose the mussel as they are easier to open. However, when offered clams on the half-shell, the octopus pivoted away from mussels– deciding to go with the new simplified option. These creatures proved capable of complex problem solving. When opening the shells, octopuses employed a variety of techniques, such as chipping away at the shell and injecting the clam with poison to weaken the mollusk, and even using their salivary papilla to drill a hole and inject the toxin. The octopuses chose which strategy to use based on which species they were presented with, and altered their approach to what would work best. As humans, this makes sense to us, but most animals would simply repeat the same technique, despite receiving the same results.
Further evidence of the intelligence of octopuses can be found in their desire to play, a behavioral trait of exceptional animals. Mather and her colleague Roland Anderson placed an octopus and an empty pill bottle in an otherwise empty tank. Although nothing happened at first, eventually the octopus blew water at the bottle, causing it to go over a jet and then return to the octopus. The animal repeated this behavior, similar to what a human might exhibit when bouncing a ball – exploring the options for engaging with a new stimulus. These clever creatures have even been documented shooting water at aquarium workers, and deliberately tampering with various aspects of their tanks, inciting leaks and malfunctions. Octopuses remain a common animal for humans to keep and study in captivity. Their remarkable intelligence and display of complex behavior traits invites study and further consideration, at the very least.
Which of the following is a reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the passage as a whole?
If placed in a new environment, an octopus would likely explore their surroundings and interact with any novel stimuli. Based upon information from the entire passage, we can reasonably conclude this to be true. Evidence in the passage showed that octopuses are curious, playful, and engage with unknown objects.
Octopuses are the most intelligent creatures on earth. While the passage describes why octopuses are intelligent, and compares them to other intelligent animals (dolphins and elephants), not enough data or reasoning is provided for this conclusion to be made.
Octopuses are likely capable of and would enjoy playing catch with an aquarium worker. While this is possible, it is not the BEST answer. The passage describes an octopus playing with a pill bottle, but there is no specific information about the interaction between octopuses and aquarium workers. Also, this is too specific of a conclusion to be drawn with the information in the passage. Answer choice A is a more logical, reasonable conclusion to be drawn.
Octopuses only eat clams and mussels. While paragraph 2 describes octopuses eating clams and mussels, there is no evidence given or suggested that they are the entirety of octopuses’ diet. This answer is incorrect.
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