Passage Eighteen
Classifying animals is not always a simple process. For ionstance, since 1 in the eighteenth century, the platypus has been a major 2 for biologists and zoologists. This odd looking creature seems to be part mammal and part bird.
The furry platypus, a native of Australia and Tasmania, looks like a mammal at first 3 . But upon looking more closely, one recognizes the birdlike characteristics which have puzzled scientists. 4 , the platypus has webbed feet like some water birds. It also has a leathery bill like a duck. That's 5 the animal gets its name the "duckbird platypus." Also, the semiaquatic platypus lays eggs 6 a bird.
But once the eggs are hatched, the mother nurses her young, which is 7 of a mammal, not a bird. The platypus has no nipples, however, so the milk is secreted through tiny opeings in the mother's stomach, and the baby 8 it up. And even though the platypus has those birdlike webbed feet, at the end of the webs are claws like 9 of a cat or raccoon.
After much debate, scientists have finally decided to 10 the platypus a mammal, just to give it a classification. But it's really in a class by itself.
1.［A］discovering ［B］they discovered it［C］its discovery ［D］it's discovered 2.［A］research focus［B］argument ［C］classification［D］problem 3.［A］place ［B］glance ［C］observation ［D］time 4.［A］However ［B］Nevertheless ［C］Even so ［D］For instance 5.［A］how ［B］because ［C］the reason ［D］the way 6.［A］as ［B］the same as ［C］like ［D］of 7.［A］real ［B］resembling ［C］typical ［D］similar 8.［A］laps ［B］loads ［C］licks ［D］lifts 9.［A］that of ［B］the one of ［C］these of ［D］those of 10.［A］call ［B］name ［C］recognize ［D］classify
