【正文】 fect habitats for colonization by opportunists. Hence, many of the strongly opportunistic plants are the mon weeds of fields and gardens. Because each individual is shortlived, the population of an opportunist species is likely to be adversely affected by drought, bad winters, or floods. If their population is tracked through time, it will be seen to be particularly unstable—soaring and plummeting in irregular cycles. The opposite of an opportunist is a petitor. These organisms tend to have big bodies, are longlived, and spend relatively little effort each year on reproduction. An oak tree is a good example of a petitor. A massive oak claims its ground for 200 years or more, outpeting all other wouldbe canopy trees by casting a dense shade and drawing up any free water in the soil. The leaves of an oak tree taste foul because they are rich in tannins, a chemical that renders them distasteful or indigestible to many organisms. The tannins are part of the defense mechanism that is essential to longevity. Although oaks produce thousands of acorns, the investment in a crop of acorns is small pared with the energy spent on building leaves, trunk, and roots. Once an oak tree bees established, it is likely to survive minor cycles of drought and even fire. A population of oaks is likely to be relatively stable through time, and its survival is likely to depend more on its ability to withstand the pressures of petition or predation than on its ability to take advantage of chance events. It should be noted, however, that the pure opportunist or pure petitor is rare in nature, as most species fall between the extremes of a continuum, exhibiting a blend of some opportunistic and some petitive characteristics.1. The word squander in the passage is closest in meaning toGeneral Test InformationThis is a test of your ability to use English in an academic context. There are four sections that make up the plete test.In the Reading section, you will answer questions about three reading passages.In the Listening section, you will answer questions about two conversations and four lectures.In the Speaking section, you will answer six questions. Some of the questions ask you to speak based on your own experience. Other questions ask you to speak about lectures you have heard and/or passages you have read.In the Writing section, you will answer two questions. The first question asks you to write about the relationship between a lecture you will hear and a passage you will read. The second asks you to write an essay about a topic of general interest based on your experience.You will have a 10minute break after the Listening section.There will be directions for each section which explain how to answer the questions in that section.You should work quickly but carefully on the Listening and Reading questions. Some questions are more difficult than others, but try to answer every one to the best of your ability. If you are not sure of the answer to a question, make the best guess that you can. The questions that you answer by speaking and writing are each separately timed. Try to answer every one of these questions as pletely as possible in the time allowed.When you are ready to continue, click on the Dismiss Directions icon.Reading Section DirectionsIn this section you will read three passages and answer reading prehension questions about each passage. Most questions are worth one point, but the last question in each set is worth more than one point. The directions indicate how many points you may receive.You will have 60 minutes to read all of the passages and answer the questions. Some passages include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue. Click on the word or phrase to see a definition or an explanation.When you want to move on to the next question, click on Next. You can skip questions and go back to them later as long as long as there is time remaining. If you want to return to previous questions, click on Back. You can click on Review at any time and the review screen will show you which questions you have answered and which you have not. From this review screen, you may go directly to any question you have already seen in the reading section.When you are ready to continue, click on the Dismiss Directions icon.Opportunists and CompetitorsGrowth, reproduction, and daily metabolism all require an organism to expend energy. The expenditure of energy is essentially a process of budgeting, just as finances are budgeted. If all of one’s money is spent on clothes, there may be none left to buy food or go to the movies. Similarly, a plant or animal cannot squander all its energy on growing a big body if none would be left over for reproduction, for this is the surest way to extinction.All organisms, therefore, allocate energy to growth, reproduction, maintenance, and storage. No choice is involved。 this allocation es as part of the genetic package from the parents. Maintenance for a given body design of an organism is relatively constant. Storage is important, but ultimately that energy will be used for maintenance, reproduction, or growth. Therefore the principal differences in energy allocation are likely to be between growth and reproduction.Almost all of an organism’s energy can be diverted to reproduction, with very little allocated to building the body. Organisms at this extreme are “opportunists.” At the other extreme are “petitors,” almost all of whose resources are invested in building a huge body, with a bare minimum allocated to reproduction.Dandelions are good examples of opportunists. Their seedheads raised just high enough above the ground to catch the wind, the plants are no bigger than they need be, their stems are hollow, and all the rigidity es from their water content. Thus, a minimum investment has been made in the body that bees a platform for seed dispersal. These very shortlived plants reproduce prolif