Dogs, the first animals domesticated by humans, evolved from wolves.▉The apparent emergence of protodogs (a stage between wolf and dog) between 26,000 and 30,000years ago is followed by a gap of over ten millennia, with no additional, solid evidence indicating the presence of dogs until 15,000 years ago. ▉It seems highly likely that in numerous places where humans and wolves were living together more than 15,000 years ago, dogs evolved in what appear to be independent domestication events.▉This theory about the multiple origins of dog domestication is supported by the significant diversity in dogs during the late glacial period (13,000-10,000 years ago).▉Small dogs can be identified in southwestern Europe, large dogs (almost wolf-sized) in eastern Europe and medium-sized dogs in the Near East, The possibility that the human-dog relationship developed in apparently disconnected communities as wolves and humans lived together over millennia is not only intriguing but raises a much deeper question: What is it about this particular cross-species partnership that is so obviously mutually beneficial that it happened more than once and in more than one place?
1.Which of the following is given in paragraph 1 as evidence for the theory about the multiple origins of dog domestication?
A.The amount of time that elapsed between the first appearances of dogs in different geographic areas
B.The many different protodogs identified from the period starting around 30,000 years ago until 15,000years ago
C.The difference in sizes between dogs in parts of Europe and the Near East
D.The different types of human-dog relationships in communities far apart from each other
There are many reasons why these two kindred species would unite. The overlapping ecological niches, similar diets, and comparable social hierarchies of humans and canines made this pairing a natural fit. Humans and canines are both opportunistic feeders. Early humans were hunter-gatherers who moved from place to place in search of their next meal. Wolves, minus the intensive gathering practices, are basically the same. Humans and wolves were hunting many of the same animals, using differing and complementary skills in this pursuit.Wolves were better at tracking by scent and could easily outrun humans; however, humans were developing formidable tools to bring down larger animals, Still, that alone is not a sufficient explanation.Wolves were hardly the only overlapping hunters. Many other large animals were searching for prey and their next meal. Consider, for example, the lions and bears of pre-lce Age Europe (around 40,000 years ago), with whom humans did not develop a partnership. The crucial element that likely came into play is the similar social and hierarchical structure shared by humans and wolves.Wolves live in packs with a definite alpha (dominant)male and female pair. The rest of the pack has a rigid order that is kept in check by the alpha male; the order changes rarely and, when it does so, only with much drama and some inevitable violence. Humans were able to insert themselves into this order, albeit maybe not deliberately.basically becoming the alpha wolf in the new pack and taking over that position in the dominance hierarchy.
2.Why does the author provide the information that”Wolves were better at tracking by scent and could easily outrun humans”?
A.To provide evidence for why wolves were superior to humans as hunters
B.To provide specific examples of how humans could benefit from pairing with wolves
C.To indicate the advantage wolves had in comparison to the intensive gathering practices of humans
D.To state the reason why wolves were not afraid of being around humans
3.The word “that” in the passage refers to
A.the ability of both humans and wolves to move quickly from place to place
B.the intensive gathering practices of humans
C.the different, but mutually beneficial, skills humans and wolves used in hunting
D.humans developing tools for bringing down larger animals
4.The word “inevitable” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.brief
B.terrible
C.unavoidable
D.minor
There are very few opportunistic social hunters who do their primary hunting during the day. But both humans and wolves do so. This combination of being a social, or pack, animal and hunting when they could see and be seen made the two species natural cohabitants,sometimes competitors, and, eventually, allies. Then,after this initial overlap of hunting space was reconciled, certain wolves, like the ones who were not alpha in their own pack, must have discovered that eating the scraps humans threw away, or eating the bones that humans could not eat, was an alternative and fairly reliable way to survive. These wolves, having become somewhat accustomed to living around humans, began to live in even closer proximity to them. Their initial instinct to flee from this human hunter was overridden by the benefits of the scraps found at the edges of settlements or left behind on the hunting trail.Humans, protecting themselves, would have either scared off or killed the wolves who were particularly threatening.
5.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
A.The initial overlap of hunting space was resolved when certain wolves began eating scraps and bones thrown away by humans.
B.Wolves needed to find an alternative and reliable way to survive when they were not alpha in their own pack and when their hunting spaces overlapped with those of humans.
C.Humans resolved the initial overlapping hunting space with wolves by throwing away scraps and bones they could not eat for certain wolves to eat.
D.After the overlap of hunting space was reconciled some wolves, such as those who were not alpha,found a reliable way to survive by eating what humans threw away or could not eat.
6.The phrase “accustomed to” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A.influenced by
B.exposed to
C.satisfied with
D.used to
7.According to paragraph 3, in which of the following ways was the hunting behavior of humans and wolves different from that of most opportunistic social hunters?
A.They avoided hunting the same animals as other species.
B.They changed their hunting patterns in order to become allies with competing hunters.
C.They did most of their hunting during the day.
D.They left behind scraps from hunting that other species later found and ate.
Eventually these close wolf neighbors who had adapted somewhat to human camps began to breed with each other, thus overturning their previous dominance hierarchy (since none of them were alpha wolves, which are usually the only wolves that breed in a pack). The alpha wolves were the ones who, not really needing to eat from the trash, had chosen to stay away altogether,or whom humans had killed because of their aggression.Some wolves found new niches close to humans and decided to live there rather than with their pack because it was a better bet for their own survival. According to this scenario, humans did not domesticate dogs through deliberate selection; wolves and dogs actively participated in the project.
8.Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph4 about alpha wolves?
A.They were successful hunters.
B.They ate from the trash as well as hunted.
C.They became less aggressive when near humans.
D.They led their packs in adapting to life near humans.
9.Look at the four squares[ █ ]that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.Where would the sentence best fit?
Consequently, it is difficult to determine precisely when dogs became a fully separate species from wolves.
10.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the 3 answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. (This question is worth 2 points.) Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong. To review the passage, click on view text.Dogs resulted from the gradual domestication of wolves over thousands of years.
A.The first attempt by humans to domesticate wolves resulted in the emergence of protodogs, but this new species was not successful and quickly disappeared.
B.Less aggressive wolves found it beneficial to live close to human settlements, making them particularly suitable for domestication.
C.Once humans developed tools to hunt larger animals, they became more effective than wolves hunting the same animals, leaving the wolves to depend on scraps from humans.
D.It appears that when domesticated dogs appeared, they emerged independently in many places.
E.Among several factors contributing to the domestication of dogs, the main ones were probably similar social structures and hunting behaviors of humans and wolves.
F.After humans successfully killed off alpha wolves, the disruption in the dominance hierarchy caused other wolves to come closer to humans, resulting in their domestication.
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