Why desert is appripriate instead of quit?

[urja]

English Synonym, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #62 "Synonyms for quit", question 10

Cuckoos usually ......... their nests.

(a) resign
(b) desert
(c) give up
(d) quit

English Synonym, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #62 "Synonyms for quit", answer 10

Cuckoos usually desert their nests.

Correct answer: (b) desert

Your answer was: incorrect
Cuckoos usually quit their nests.
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Hi,
why desert is appripriate instead of quit?
Thanks
urja

[Alan]

Hi urja,

Quit has the sense of leave without any additional meaning.
Abandon means leave and also at the same time gives the idea that you leave without caring what you have left behind. That is the sense here. the birds leave the nest without any interest in what happens to the young in the nest.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Your Choice

[Niveen]

Dear Alan,

I think your answer here is irrelevant, coz the question is about why not using the word "desert" , while you mentioned the difference between the words "quit & abandon" !!!
I'm also interested to know the correct answer..

Niveen

[Yankee]

Hi Niveen

The word "abandon" means the same as "desert". (Feel free to check this in a dictionary. )

Alan's answer is not really irrelevant. I think he was probably simply thinking about a synonym for desert and ended up only writing the synonym in his answer.

The correct answer in the test question was desert.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Niveen]

Dear Amy,

Thanx for your answers, I appreciate your efforts dear.

I misunderstood your answer Alan, Thanx for Amy

All the best,
Niveen