Question

brilliant octopuses
when thinking of intelligent animals, dolphins and elephants may be the first to come to mind. however, researchers have observed octopuses to be startlingly brilliant creatures. octopuses have displayed curious behavior, such as pulling out loose tank valves, opening jars, and escaping their tanks when no one was watching. in 2010, a german octopus named paul was even said to have correctly predicted the outcome of all seven of germanys games during the south african world cup. octopuses, of which the earth is home to about 300 distinct species, are cephalopods and have exceptionally large brains for non - mammals. according to jennifer mather, a comparative psychologist at the university of lethbridge in alberta, canada, the quality that makes octopuses smart is their ability to apply learned information. for example, when given a mussel and a clam to eat, the octopus chose the mussel as they are easier to open. however, when offered clams on the half - shell, the octopus pivoted away from mussels - deciding to go with the new simplified option. these creatures proved capable of complex problem - solving. when opening the shells, octopuses employed a variety of techniques, such as chipping away at the shell and injecting the clam with poison to weaken the mollusk, and even using their salivary papilla to drill a hole and inject the toxin. the octopuses chose which strategy to use based on which species they were presented with, and altered their approach to what would work best. as humans, this makes sense to us, but most animals would simply repeat the same technique, despite receiving the same results. further evidence of the intelligence of octopuses can be found in their desire to play, a behavioral trait of exceptional animals. mather and her colleague, roland anderson, placed an octopus and an empty pill bottle in an otherwise empty tank. although nothing happened at first, eventually the octopus blew water at the bottle, causing it to go over a jet and then return to the octopus. the animal repeated this behavior, similar to what a human might exhibit when bouncing a ball - exploring the options for engaging with a new stimulus. these clever creatures have even been documented shooting water at aquarium workers and deliberately tampering with various aspects of their tanks, inciting leaks and malfunctions. octopuses remain a common animal for humans to keep and study in captivity. their remarkable intelligence and display of complex behavior traits invite study and further consideration, at the very least.
which of the following is a reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the passage as a whole?
if placed in a new environment, an octopus would likely explore their surroundings and interact with any novel stimuli.
octopuses are the most intelligent creatures on earth.
octopuses are likely capable of and would enjoy playing catch with an aquarium worker.
octopuses only eat clams and mussels.

Explanation:

The passage mentions that octopuses are capable of complex problem - solving, can apply learned information, and when presented with a new stimulus (like an empty pill bottle in an otherwise empty tank), they explore options for engaging with it. This supports the idea that in a new environment, they would explore surroundings and interact with novel stimuli.
The passage does not state that octopuses are the most intelligent creatures (only that they are smart among non - mammals). There is no mention of them enjoying playing catch. And the example of them choosing mussels over clams and then changing to clams when offered on the half - shell shows they don't only eat clams and mussels.

Answer:

If placed in a new environment, an octopus would likely explore their surroundings and interact with any novel stimuli.