ACT
Practice Test 20

Previous Next

NATURAL SCIENCE: Those Jellystone Bears

Over the years, there have been countless fans of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yogi Bear. The cartoon series enjoyed by young and old alike revolved mostly around the misadventures of this

Line 5 loveable bear and his sidekick Boo-Boo as they attempted to snag “pic-a-nic” baskets in the made-up land of Jellystone Park. It’s not often that people think about where the ideas for these cartoons characters come from, which brings up an interesting point: do

10 bears actually search for food left in picnic baskets and unattended campsites? Anyone who has watched an episode of Yogi Bear can see that the bears’ behavior goes far beyond the limits of what is natural. The thing which must be explored, then, is which of those

15 humorous antics were license on the part of HannaBarbera, and which were actually based on the bear’s normal behaviors. Remarkably enough, bears have been known to seek out food from some unlikely sources, including

20 picnic baskets, on top of their usual diet of berries, insects, and fish. Bears work throughout the summer and fall to build up fat stores so as to have energy enough to last them through their winter hibernations. Related to this is their need to replenish their depleted

25 reserves when they wake up in the spring. Food is generally scarce in the early spring, and consequently they will gladly indulge in any foods that are high in proteins or fats. This is the main reason for many incidents involving bears entering campsites in search of food.

30 Although this behavior may seem strange, it is no more than the result of nature equipping bears with a variety of traits that allow them to remain well fed in increasingly human-populated habitats. Specifically, the American black bear, Ursus americanus, has color

35 vision and has been observed by scientists using its color vision to distinguish between varying food items at close range. On top of this, all bears have an acute sense of smell and can use their especially sensitive lips to locate food. These sensory talents contribute to the

40 bears’ remarkably high intelligence and curiosity, giving them the ability to open closed containers if they believe food is inside. Their exploratory and navigational skills are also worthy of note—most bears will maintain vast territories in order to obtain food from

45 a variety of sources. Bears may even vary their sleep cycles in areas where there is a large degree of human activity, either feasting on road-side garbage during the day or scouring campsites for leftovers at night. Yet another strange but true comparison is that

50 Yogi and Boo-Boo have developed a social relationship much like the ones that will form between wild bears when several animals find themselves sharing a limited number of food sources. Generally solitary, black bears will create a hierarchical order in situations where paths

55 cross in pursuit of food, so as to assure that all animals remain adequately fed. While it is unlikely that any black bears in nature would actually send a cub after a camper’s lunch, the behavioral relationships that might inspire the creation of such a story are indeed real.

60 Though many of the features of the comical Yogi Bear are likely the result of pure imagination, there is scientific fact behind at least some of his activities. Despite his apperance as a brown bear, the distinctive feeding behaviors of the American black bear match

65 remarkably well with the habits of the cartoonish culprit. The uncanny truth behind little known scientific facts such as these should make everyone think twice the next time they sit down to watch Saturday morning cartoons.

The main idea of the passage is that:

  • Solution

    The best answer is B. The passage begins by connecting the character Yogi Bear and his pursuit of picnic baskets to the idea of real bears gathering food. It continues by stating that, “remarkably enough, bears have been known to seek out food from some unlikely sources” and later speaks of another behavior in which “bears may even vary their sleep cycles.” These unique feeding mannerisms are the focus of the passage, and connecting them to a cartoon character leads to a comic portrayal on television. The other answer choices are not supported by the passage.

The passage states that bears maintain large territories in order to:

  • Solution

    The best answer is H. Near the end of the third paragraph it states that bears “maintain vast territories in order to obtain food from a variety of sources.” That behavior best supports the idea that they are employing several methods so as to ensure that they have enough food, answer choice H.

The passage states that which of the following is a regular staple of a bear’s diet?

  • Solution

    The best answer is C. A close examination of the second paragraph will reveal that although bears will feast on picnic baskets if necessary, it is “on top of their usual diet of berries, insects and fish.” Of those three items, insects are the only available answer choice.

As it is used in line 37, the word acute most nearly means:

  • Solution

    The best answer is G. In the third paragraph, especially the line following the mention of an acute sense of smell, the passage states, “these sensory talents contribute to the bears’ remarkably high intelligence and curiosity, giving them the ability to open closed containers if they believe food is inside.” This connection between closed containers and a sense of smell implies that the bears’ sense of smell is very accurate, or sharp. Words such as small, reduced, or abnormal do not fit with an idea of specificity.

According to the passage, which of the following traits CANNOT be attributed to bears?

  • Solution

    The best answer is D. The passage refers to bears as being intelligent and curious in the third paragraph, when speaking of their sensory abilities contributing to their “remarkably high intelligence and curiosity.” The fourth paragraph states that bears are “generally solitary.” Solitary does not mean anti-social, as the passage then goes on to explain their feeding relationships with other bears.

With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?

  • Solution

    The best answer is F. Throughout the passage the author refers to the feeding habits of bears as being varied and discusses a variety of methods that they use to secure food, such as keeping “vast territories,” “varying sleep cycles,” and “creating a hierarchical order.” These behaviors are somewhat outside the norm of typical animal behavior, so the author would likely call them resourceful. The other answer choices are not supported by the passage.

The author mentions all of the following as potential food sources for bears EXCEPT:

  • Solution

    The best answer is B. In the second paragraph, “berries, insects, and fish” are mentioned as the usual bear diet. The end of that paragraph also speaks of campsites as potential feeding grounds. The end of the third paragraph says bears vary their sleep cycles to allow for “feasting on roadside garbage during the day.” Although the passage mentions building up “fat stores,” it does not suggest that general stores are potential food sources for bears.

The passage suggests that one of the differences between the American black bear and other bears is the American black bear’s:

  • Solution

    The best answer is H. The third paragraph states specifically that the American black bear “has color vision.” The other traits, an acute sense of smell, abnormal sleep patterns, and sensitive lips are used to refer to bears in general, but not mentioned in conjunction with a specific species of bear.

What is the main idea of the second paragraph (lines 18–29)?

  • Solution

    The best answer is B. The paragraph begins by stating that picnic baskets are eaten by bears “on top of their usual diet,” and concludes by saying that the main reason bears wander into campsites looking for food is that it is “generally scarce in the early spring, and consequently they will gladly indulge in any foods which are high in proteins or fats.” These two ideas encapsulate the main idea of bears needing to sometimes add human food to their regular diets in order to maintain a healthy weight when food is hard to find.

One of the main observations made in the next-to-last paragraph (lines 49–59) is that:

  • Solution

    The best answer is G. When describing cooperation to procure food, the paragraph mentions that “black bears will create a hierarchical order in situations where paths cross in pursuit of food, so as to assure that all animals remain adequately fed.” This statement clearly supports the idea that black bears act as a group, answer choice G.

Attempted

0

Correct

0

Wrong

0

Complete
Mock Tests
Attempted
Wrong
Correct
Passage Questions