Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumDecoding Low-Frequency Academic and Technical Words

Unlike diurnal species that forage under the bright sun, or nocturnal predators that rely on complete darkness, the desert micro-bat is strictly crepuscular. It emerges only during the fleeting hours of twilight, when the dim light offers optimal visibility for capturing insects while minimizing exposure to daytime raptors. This specific timing helps the bat avoid both the extreme daytime heat and the larger nocturnal hunters that dominate the late-night skies.

As it is used in the passage, the word crepuscular most nearly means:

  1. active during twilightAnswer
  2. B
    adapted to intense heat
  3. C
    capable of seeing in complete darkness
  4. D
    hidden from flying predators

Answer

active during twilight
The correct answer is correct because the passage explicitly states that the bat 'emerges only during the fleeting hours of twilight' right after describing it as 'strictly crepuscular.' This is also supported by the contrast with 'diurnal' (active in the sun) and 'nocturnal' (active in complete darkness) behaviors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target word and locate it in the passage.
The target word is 'crepuscular,' which describes the activity pattern of the desert micro-bat.
Locating the word allows for the analysis of nearby context clues.
2
Analyze the structural and semantic clues surrounding the target word.
The bat's behavior is contrasted with 'diurnal' (daytime/sun) and 'nocturnal' (complete darkness) species. The text then states the bat 'emerges only during the fleeting hours of twilight.'
Context clues such as contrast ('Unlike') and direct elaboration ('emerges only during... twilight') define the word.
3
Match the analyzed definition with the given options.
The definition 'active during twilight' matches the contextual explanation in the passage.
This option accurately reflects the transition between diurnal and nocturnal cycles described in the text.

Key Concept

Decoding Low-Frequency Academic and Technical Words
Rate this question

Topics

Decoding Low-Frequency Academic and Technical Words

More questions from this topic