Many birds engage in anting, a behaviour in which a bird approaches a colony of ants (small insects), picks up ants with its beak, and rubs the ants on its feathers. Since ants instinctively defend themselves by spraying formic acid, the bird ends up with formic acid on its feathers and skin. There are several theories about the possible benefit that birds get from anting. Relief of Skin Irritation during Feather Change Anting behaviour typically takes place during the summer. This fact leads some scientists to believe that the function of anting is to relieve skin irritation that birds feel, especially during summer months. In summer, birds lose old feathers and grow new ones. The formic acid, which the birds apply to their feathers and skin through anting, may act as a kind of skin lotion, helping to soothe the skin irritation caused by feather loss and replacement. Protection against Parasites Another theory is that the formic acid helps the birds protect themselves from external parasites, such as mites and ticks, that can infest their feathers or skin. In anting so the theory goes a bird is essentially using the formic acid that it spreads over its feathers and skin as a chemical defence against parasites. Food Preparation A third theory is release of formic acid makes it possible for the birds to feed on the ants. Formic acid tastes bitter; if the birds provoke ants into releasing the formic acid, the bitter taste is removed from the ants’ bodies and the birds can feed on the ants without tasting the bitterness. So, according to this theory, anting is just a way for birds to make sure the ants taste good.
The reading excerpt states that there are several theories about the possible benefit that bird get from anting, the author provides three reasons for support. However, the lecture's audio states that there are a lot of problems with the author theories and he refutes each of them by stating the cause behind these advantages is not obvious.
First, the article claims that the formic acid from the ants may act a skin lotion, helping to sooth the skin irritation caused by feather loss and replacement during summer season, In contrast, the professor opposes this point by saying that it seems that xxdis relation between the feather's change and the action of the ant at summer. However, it may be because the ants are more active in that season, thus, they can be easy to find, as a result, there will be more ants than in another season. So, renewing the feather is only a coincidence. Consequently, this outlook contradicts what the professor explained.
Second, the passage posits that the formic acid helps birds protect themselves from external parasites. In contrary, the speaker argues this idea by stating that if there is a relation between the formic acid and the parasites, thus, the bird who is exposed to this acid must have fewer parasites than those who do not exhibit to the acid. However, there is no difference. Thus, this outlook is definitely wrong.
Third, the excerpt mentions that anting is just a way for birds to make the ants taste good by rubbing this test on their feathers and prepare them to eat earlier. On the other hand, the lecturer avers that these birds also rub many other materials such as cigarettes but they will not digest them later. So, the rubbing process not related to birds' eating.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 174, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'lectures'' or 'lecture's'?
Suggestion: lectures'; lecture's
...three reasons for support. However, the lectures audio states that there are a lot of pr...
^^^^^^^^
Line 7, column 346, Rule ID: TO_NON_BASE[1]
Message: The verb after "to" should be in the base form: 'bird'.
Suggestion: bird
... So, the rubbing process not related to birds eating.
^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, consequently, first, however, if, look, may, second, so, third, thus, in contrast, such as, as a result, on the other hand
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 13.0 15.1003584229 86% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 6.0 9.8082437276 61% => OK
Conjunction : 6.0 13.8261648746 43% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 13.0 11.0286738351 118% => OK
Pronoun: 30.0 43.0788530466 70% => OK
Preposition: 31.0 52.1666666667 59% => More preposition wanted.
Nominalization: 6.0 8.0752688172 74% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1442.0 1977.66487455 73% => OK
No of words: 298.0 407.700716846 73% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 4.8389261745 4.8611393121 100% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.15483772266 4.48103885553 93% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.3257527201 2.67179642975 87% => OK
Unique words: 167.0 212.727598566 79% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.560402684564 0.524837075471 107% => OK
syllable_count: 433.8 618.680645161 70% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.51630824373 99% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 4.0 9.59856630824 42% => OK
Article: 11.0 3.08781362007 356% => Less articles wanted as sentence beginning.
Subordination: 1.0 3.51792114695 28% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.86738351254 0% => OK
Preposition: 3.0 4.94265232975 61% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 13.0 20.6003584229 63% => Need more sentences. Double check the format of sentences, make sure there is a space between two sentences, or have enough periods. And also check the lengths of sentences, maybe they are too long.
Sentence length: 22.0 20.1344086022 109% => OK
Sentence length SD: 85.2033418796 48.9658058833 174% => OK
Chars per sentence: 110.923076923 100.406767564 110% => OK
Words per sentence: 22.9230769231 20.6045352989 111% => OK
Discourse Markers: 10.2307692308 5.45110844103 188% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.53405017921 88% => OK
Language errors: 2.0 5.5376344086 36% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 5.0 11.8709677419 42% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 6.0 3.85842293907 156% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 2.0 4.88709677419 41% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.237856433109 0.236089414692 101% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0719734858289 0.076458572812 94% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0610550019895 0.0737576698707 83% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.131593543388 0.150856017488 87% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0571249073891 0.0645574589148 88% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.8 11.7677419355 109% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 57.61 58.1214874552 99% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 6.10430107527 51% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 10.7 10.1575268817 105% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.09 10.9000537634 102% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.44 8.01818996416 105% => OK
difficult_words: 70.0 86.8835125448 81% => More difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 18.0 10.002688172 180% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.8 10.0537634409 107% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 10.247311828 107% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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We are expecting: No. of Words: 350 while No. of Different Words: 200
Better to have 5 paragraphs with 3 arguments. And try always support/against one side but compare two sides, like this:
para 1: introduction
para 2: reason 1. address both of the views presented for reason 1
para 3: reason 2. address both of the views presented for reason 2
para 4: reason 3. address both of the views presented for reason 3
para 5: conclusion.
So how to find out those reasons. There is a formula:
reasons == advantages or
reasons == disadvantages
for example, we can always apply 'save time', 'save/make money', 'find a job', 'make friends', 'get more information' as reasons to all essay/speaking topics.
or we can apply 'waste time', 'waste money', 'no job', 'make bad friends', 'get bad information' as reasons to all essay/speaking topics.
Rates: 76.6666666667 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 23.0 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.