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Complete the text with the missing letters.
TOEFL Reading Complete the Words Practice #005 - How Bioluminescence Works in Deep-Sea Creatures
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“Generated” means produced or created. The passive construction “This glow is generated when…” explains how the glow mentioned in the previous sentence is produced. The auxiliary “is” also signals that a past participle is needed.
“Emitting” completes the compound adjective “light-emitting,” meaning producing light. It modifies the noun “molecule,” and the later phrase “releasing energy” reinforces the idea that something is being given off.
“Specialized” modifies “cells” and means adapted for a particular function. Because these cells are specifically where the light-producing reaction occurs, “specialized cells” is the logical adjective+noun combination.
“Wastes” is the present-tense verb for the singular subject “a light bulb.” The contrast shows that a bulb loses much of its energy as heat, whereas the biological reaction converts nearly all its energy into visible light.
“Remarkably” is an adverb modifying the adjective “efficient.” It emphasizes how unusually efficient the reaction is. The next phrase explains why: nearly all the energy becomes visible light instead of heat.
“Converting” means changing something from one form into another. The participial phrase “converting nearly all of its energy into visible light” explains the result of the efficient reaction. The pattern “convert X into Y” is a strong grammatical clue.
“Distinct” means clearly different or separate. It modifies the plural noun “purposes,” and the following examples—defense, capturing prey, and communication—show that the purposes differ from one another.
“Startle” means suddenly surprise or frighten. In “use flashes of light to startle potential predators,” the infinitive after “to” states the purpose of the flashes. The escape that follows confirms that this is a defensive action.
“Crucial” is an adjective meaning extremely important. It modifies “moment”: startling a predator provides the brief but essential time the creature needs to escape.
“Recognize” means identify or know who another individual is. It is paired with “communicate” after “to,” creating two parallel base-form verbs: creatures use light patterns “to recognize and communicate with” members of their own species.