Should “bird brain” be a compliment? New research examines how crows think fast

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Fill in the blank (dropdown)

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The evidence, ___ limited, nevertheless challenges the prevailing assumption.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. although
   2. because
   3. unless
   4. whereas
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   although

   The concessive participial phrase requires although, not a causal or temporal conjunction.

2. Question 2 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The researchers reported that crows process information in ways ___ resemble human patterns.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. that
   2. what
   3. whose
   4. whom
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   that

   The relative pronoun that correctly introduces the clause modifying ways.

3. Question 3 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Had the researchers relied solely on human benchmarks, they ___ the findings’ broader significance.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. would have missed
   2. will miss
   3. would miss
   4. had missed
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   would have missed

   A third conditional inversion requires would have missed in the result clause.

4. Question 4 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The study suggests that intelligent behavior cannot ___ evaluated through a single species’ perspective.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. be
   2. being
   3. been
   4. to be
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   be

   After cannot, the passive construction requires be evaluated.

5. Question 5 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The findings are significant not because they establish superiority, ___ because they complicate simplistic comparisons.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. but
   2. nor
   3. so
   4. yet
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   but

   The correlative construction is not because ... but because.

6. Question 6 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Only after the comparison was published ___ the assumption that speed defines intelligence.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. did researchers question
   2. researchers questioned
   3. researchers had questioned
   4. questioned researchers
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   did researchers question

   A fronted restrictive phrase triggers subject–auxiliary inversion: did researchers question.

7. Question 7 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The article recommends ___ animal cognition without imposing exclusively human standards.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. studying
   2. to study
   3. study
   4. studied
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   studying

   Recommend takes a gerund complement in this construction.

8. Question 8 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The phrase “bird brain” is presented as a label ___ underlying complexity it obscures.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. whose
   2. which
   3. what
   4. where
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   whose

   Whose correctly expresses possession within the relative clause.

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.