. You see a strange word in a paragraph describing the house where the narrator used to live. You should:
1use the context of setting to figure out what the word means
2use the plot to figure out what the word means
3use the context of point of view to figure out what the word means
4use the next paragraph to make a wild guess about the word's meaning

parasites can detrimentally affect their host, but also must not allow their host to die before they can complete their life cycle. some parasites have complex life cycles with many different hosts, and have had to find ways of persisting in many different environments during the change from one host to another. ectoparasites live outside the body of the host, and can more easily  disperse, but are  more exposed to predators, parasites, parasitoids. endoparasites live inside the body of the host, and are therefore protected from the outside environment. but they can be  attacked by the host's immune system. they have therefore developed  mechanisms for dispersal such as  complex life cycles.