1 the sweltering midafternoon sun beat down on us while we climbed through the lush, untamed vegetation of the forest. our guide masterfully chopped at the thickest undergrowth and foliage as we made our way further away from our encampment. the air around was viscous and damp, and a cacophony of insect songs ringed in my ears. we were in the rainforests of south america searching for the elusive dendrobates azureus, which is better known as its common name, the blue poison dart frog. humans are interested in this creature—which is a vulnerable species and is scarce in the wild—because of its magnificent coloring and its lethal poison.
2 while they are gorgeous animals, these frogs pack a perilous punch. the vivid blue coloring is a forewarning for predators to stay away from the frogs. because their skin is covered with glands that secrete small amounts of toxins, blue poison dart frogs are capable of paralyzing or even killing their predators. these toxins are used to protect the frog, not to capture their prey; dendrobates azureus use their long, sticky tongues to retrieve their meals.
3 dendrobates azureus are dangerous in the wild; however, they lose their toxicity when they are in captivity. these lustrous creatures gain their poison from the insects—particularly ants—that they eat in the wild. when they live in captivity their diet usually consists of insects like fruit flies and crickets. because these insects do not contain the correct chemicals, captive frogs cannot produce toxins.
4 during the miles of walking, the stifling heat became almost intolerable, yet we continued through the foreboding wilds. our search for the dendrobates azureus was like a treasure hunt promising wealth beyond the imagination. while before my trip i would have considered myself a lover of nature, my time in south america instilled in me a new type of love, and even fear of nature. i realized that the dangers of nature were just as plentiful as its wonders.
5as i stumbled next to a stream to inspect the aquatic life, i spied a blue speck sitting unobtrusively next to a moss-covered rock. rubbing at my eyes to be sure i wasn’t hallucinating, i beckoned for the rest of the group to hasten over to the stream. as we neared the rock, we beamed in jubilation—it was the dendrobates azureus.
6 the miniscule creature, which was only about 3 centimeters long, observed us as we approached. the frog’s distinctive coloring was even more flamboyant than i had anticipated. a luminous shade of sky blue and large black dots covered the frog’s back; furthermore, the light color deepened into azure and navy as it traveled down its sides and extremities. it was the most stunning creature i had ever observed. the scientists in the group hurriedly scrawled notes in their folios, and those who’d had the foresight to bring cameras snapped a few photographs. we gradually backed away from the frog and allowed it to seek refuge under a rock.
7as we trekked back through the brush and the trees, i thought about my long, arduous journey and the tiny dendrobates azureus i had traveled so far to find.
which is the most logical paragraph in the essay for the following sentence?
the primal, guttural sounds of rainforest surrounded me, and sweat and grime covered my forehead; however, when i viewed the panorama of natural colors around me, i knew i had made the right decision.
a) paragraph 1
b) paragraph 3
c) paragraph 5
d) paragraph 7