TASK 3.

0 IDENTIFY THE CONNECTORS

Instead of collecting comic books or sports memorabilia as a kid, Dr.
Zoltan Takacs collected all kinds of different snakes. The Hungarian
herpetologist says his initial interest in snakes came from spending
his childhood summers in Transylvania, a region in the neighboring
country of Romanía. A herpetologist is someone who studies reptiles
and amphibians. "That's where I was exposed first to snakes, reptiles,
amphibians and other wildlife, so I started to catch them, take them
home and keep them in all kinds of basic conditions," he says. "Later,
in high school, this turned into a more advanced snakekeeping hobby.
That's how I got into the snake business." Takacs is currently a
research associate and assistant professor at the University of
Chicago and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. The
herpetologist says he discovered valuable information about snakes
during his early encounters with the animals while growing up in
Budapest, Hungary. Those experiences were not always pleasant. "I
kept vipers at home in my room, and I got bitten once," he says. "I
tried to measure the length of the snake. It was my mistake; just as
the other six bites I have had since then. I gave anti-venom to
myself... just to find out a few weeks later that l'm allergic to the snake
anti-venom! I did learn a lot during that early period.”

Eventually, Takacs found out that he was not only fascinated by

snakes, but that he was also intrigued by their venom, a poisonous
fluid some snakes secrete and use on their prey. "I think the venom
and the molecules in the venom—the toxins—are the coolest
molecules nature ever invented," he says. Takacs' interest in venoms
led him to study pharmacology, which is the study of drugs and their
effects. Eventually, he earned a PhD from Columbia University in New
York City. One aspect of venom that intrigued Takacs was how the
substance is able to zoom in on particular components of the prey's
body to immobilize or kill it. Some venoms target the way a prey
animal's blood clots. Without the capability to clot, a prey animal
quickly bleeds to death. Other venoms target muscles, paralyzing the
target. Still other venoms target the heart or lungs, causing the target
to suffocate.

Although these venoms can be deadly to prey animals—and

sometimes humans—they can also provide valuable medical
assistance for some diseases. Venom that prevents blood from
clotting, for instance, may help create a drug for heart attack victims
by encouraging blood flow.
Adapted from an article by Stuart Thornton

Adverbs
Prepositions
Connectors

120. What kind of article is this?

A. Novelistic.
B. Informative.
C. Scientific.
D. Historical.

121. According to the article a reader can infer that...

A. Zoltan was interested in vampires in his childhood.
B. reptiles and amphibians can only be found in Hungary.
C. Dr. Takacs is allergic to snakes.
D. Dr. Takacs is an animal person.
 122. What piece of information is NOT given in the article?
A. The length of the snake that bit Dr. Takacs.
B. That Zoltan is intrigued by snakes' venom.
C. Snake venoms can be deadly for humans.
D. That toxins are molecules inside the venom.

123. Where can you find an article like this?

A. In a sports magazine.
B. In a poems book.
C. In a cultural and science publication.
D. In a comic book.

124. After reading the article we can conclude that.

A. There's only one way in which a venom can kill a prey.
B. Dr. Takacs is Romanian.
C. Although deadly, the venom in the snakes can be useful in
medicine.
D. Snake bites never occur due to humans' faults.