The octopus's reputation as a human-killer isn't simply an exaggeration --it is a total myth. The octopus can indeed be a deadly hunter, but only of its natural victims. Some shellfish and an occasional sick or incautious fish have reason to be frightened of this multi-armed hunter, but a person is much too large to interest even the biggest octopus. Even the largest among octopi is much smaller than most people imagine. Far from being large enough to swallow a ship, as monster octopi in movies have been known to do, the largest octopus, found on the Pacific coast, weighs around 110 pounds and grows to no more than ten feet in width. The hard, parrot-like beak of an octopus is not used for attacking deep-sea divers, but for cutting open shellfish. Indeed, the octopus possesses such a tiny throat that it cannot swallow large pieces of meat. Instead, it feeds by pouring digestive juices into its victims, and then sucking up the soupy remains. A shellfish that finds itself in the grasp of an octopus has only a short time to live. But human beings are perfectly safe. Still, people rarely care to go close enough to these _ to get a good look at them. The hard beak of the octopus is used for  _  .
attacking deep-sea divers cutting up large pieces of meat cutting open its victims defending itself
Question: The octopus's reputation as a human-killer isn't simply an exaggeration --it is a total myth. The octopus can indeed be a deadly hunter, but only of its natural victims. Some shellfish and an occasional sick or incautious fish have reason to be frightened of this multi-armed hunter, but a person is much too large to interest even the biggest octopus. Even the largest among octopi is much smaller than most people imagine. Far from being large enough to swallow a ship, as monster octopi in movies have been known to do, the largest octopus, found on the Pacific coast, weighs around 110 pounds and grows to no more than ten feet in width. The hard, parrot-like beak of an octopus is not used for attacking deep-sea divers, but for cutting open shellfish. Indeed, the octopus possesses such a tiny throat that it cannot swallow large pieces of meat. Instead, it feeds by pouring digestive juices into its victims, and then sucking up the soupy remains. A shellfish that finds itself in the grasp of an octopus has only a short time to live. But human beings are perfectly safe. Still, people rarely care to go close enough to these _ to get a good look at them. The hard beak of the octopus is used for  _  .
A. attacking deep-sea divers
B. cutting up large pieces of meat
C. cutting open its victims
D. defending itself
Answer: