141. One way to do this is to find a sheltered roost. Solitary roosters shelter in dense vegetation or enter a cavity-horned larks dig holes in the ground and ptarmigan burrow into snow banks-but the effect of sheltering is magnified by several birds huddling together in the roosts, as wrens, swifts, brown creepers, bluebirds, and anis do.
The word "magnified" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) caused
(B) modified
(C) intensified
(D) combined
142. The second possible benefit of communal roots is that they act as "information centers." During the day, parties of birds will have spread out to forage over a very large area. When they return in the evening some will have fed well, but others may have found little to eat.
The word "forage" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) fly
(B) assemble
(C) feed
(D) rest
143. Finally, there is safety in numbers at communal roosts since there will always be a few birds awake at any given moment to give the alarm. But this increased protection is partially counteracted by the fact that mass roosts attract predators and are especially vulnerable if they are on the ground.
The word "counteracted" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) suggested
(B) negated
(C) measured
(D) shielded
144. Drying, smoking, and salting could preserve meat for a short time, but the availability of fresh meat, like that of fresh milk, was very limited; there was no way to prevent spoilage.
The word "prevent" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) estimate
(B) avoid
(C) correct
(D) confine
145. The icebox became a fixture in most homes and remained so until the mechanized refrigerator replaced it in the 1920's and 1930's. Almost everyone now had a more diversified diet.
The word "fixture" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) luxury item
(B) substance
(C) commonplace object
(D) mechanical device
