Word Pairs

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Words
Centipedes are the kind of [creatures / creatives] that are not to be messed with. Their venom packs a [serious / seriously] punch and can cause [rapid / rapidly] paralysis and death in insects and small animals. They have even been [knowing / known] to kill people with their [highly / high] venomous sting. Scientists have now discovered a deadly toxin in centipede venom that can shut [up / down] the hearts of animals that are 15 times bigger than [these / them] . The scientists isolated a toxin in the Chinese red-headed centipede. This [baste / beast] can grow to roughly eight inches [on / in] length. The toxin in its venom blocks potassium from moving in [and / to] and out of cells. This blocking of potassium prevents the brain from sending signals to the heart to beat, thus [causing / cause] a rapid death.

The venom is [rare / rarely] fatal for humans, but it can cause [agonizing / agony] pain and swelling for up to two weeks. The scientists have called it SSM Spooky Toxin. Researcher Shilong Yang, an [expertly / expert] in toxins at China's Kunming Institute of Zoology, explained: "The "centipede's venom has [evolved / evolution] to simultaneously [depart / disrupt] cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular and nervous systems. This molecular strategy has not been found in [another / other] venomous animals." [Despite / Spite] their name (centi is "hundred" in Latin and pedis is "foot"), centipedes do not have 100 legs. They have a [vary / varying] number of legs, [ranging / range] from 30 to 354. Centipedes always have an odd number [of / from] pairs of legs. This means no centipede has exactly 100 legs.

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