Monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles during their annual migration from Canada to Mexico. No individual butterfly completes the round trip—the journey spans multiple generations. Yet each year, butterflies that have never made the journey somehow navigate to the exact same wintering grounds their great-great-grandparents used.
It can be inferred from the text that
some aspects of monarch butterfly navigation may be inherited rather than learned
individual monarchs live for several years to complete the journey
monarch butterflies can communicate directions to each other
scientists have completely explained monarch migration
Correct Answer: A
Choice A is the best answer. Butterflies navigate without learning the route from their ancestors.
- Context clues: Butterflies "have never made the journey" yet navigate to "exact same" locations.
- Meaning: Knowing a route without learning it suggests inherited or instinctive knowledge.
- Verify: Multi-generational journey with precise navigation implies genetic programming.
💡 Strategy: When behavior occurs without opportunity for learning, infer instinct or inheritance.
Choice B is incorrect because "no individual" completes the round trip. Choice C is incorrect because there's no opportunity for communication across generations. Choice D is incorrect because "somehow" suggests the mechanism isn't fully explained.