Ants: More Than What They Seem Most people don’t give ants much thought. They live in forests, fields, deserts, and cracks in the sidewalk. They seem to always be scurrying about in no particular direction. But if you watch closely, you will see a highly intelligent super organism at work. A super organism are a group of organisms that behaves like a single organism. The group works together to ensure survival, growth, and reproduction for the colony. Humans do this too, but we make plans and communicate with each other. In an ant colony, no one ant is in charge, so there isn’t an ant that tells the others what to do. They just do it.

While a single ant has a tiny brain, ant colonies form super organisms that are incredibly smart.

Max made these notes for his speech.
-Different members of the colony, different roles. Roles may change based on needs.
-Can efficiently explore large areas without a plan.
-Seem to change patterns based on interactions with other ants—helps them to figure out where to go.
-After ant finds food, returns to nest, marking the path to the food with a chemical scent. (Other ants follow.)
-Way ants search—has been applied to computer models (Internet searches).
-To become more efficient, companies have studied how ants search. Example: finding best routes for recycling trucks throughout a city.

QUESTION
Drawing on details from Max’s notes, finish the informative speech. Begin with the underlined sentence. In your writing, be sure to develop the topic with facts, examples, and concrete details. Use different elements to help illustrate ideas related to the topic. Use a variety of transitions and write in a formal style using precise words. Include a conclusion that supports or extends the information you provided.

Which sentence in this excerpt from leo tolstoy’s the death of ivan ilyich shows the human tendency to contemplate one’s past life? "but if that is so," he said to himself, "and i am leaving this life with the consciousness that i have lost all that was given me and it is impossible to rectify it—what then? " he lay on his back and began to pass his life in review in quite a new way. in the morning when he saw first his footman, then his wife, then his daughter, and then the doctor, their every word and movement confirmed to him the awful truth that had been revealed to him during the night. in them he saw himself—all that for which he had lived—and saw clearly that it was not real at all, but a terrible and huge deception which had hidden both life and death. this consciousness intensified his physical suffering tenfold. he groaned and tossed about, and pulled at his clothing which choked and stifled him. and he hated them on that account. he was given a large dose of opium and became unconscious, but at noon his sufferings began again. he drove everybody away and tossed from side to side. his wife came to him and said: "jean, my dear, do this for me. it can't do any harm and often . healthy people often do it." he opened his eyes wide. "what? take communion? why? it's unnecessary! " she began to cry. "yes, do, my dear. i'll send for our priest. he is such a nice man." "all right. very well," he muttered. when the priest came and heard his confession, ivan ilyich was softened and seemed to feel a relief from his doubts and consequently from his sufferings, and for a moment there came a ray of hope. he again began to think of the vermiform appendix and the possibility of correcting it. he received the sacrament with tears in his eyes.