Chapter 9: Desert Animals

English
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Chapter 9: Desert Animals

Class: VI

Exercise number: 1

Question a

1. Talk to your partner and say whether the following statements are true or false.

(i) No animal can survive without water.

(ii) Deserts are endless sand dunes.

(iii) Most snakes are harmless.

(iv) Snakes cannot hear, but they can feel vibrations through the ground.

(v) Camels store water in their humps.

2. Answer the following questions.

(i) How do desert animals survive without water? (1)

(ii) How do mongooses kill snakes? (6)

(iii) How does the hump of the camels help them to survive when there is no water? (9)

Answer a

1.(i) No animal can survive without water. True

(ii) Deserts are endless sand dunes. False

(iii) Most snakes are harmless. True

(iv) Snakes cannot hear, but they can feel vibrations through the ground. True

(v) Camels store water in their humps. False

2.(i) Desert animals cannot survive without water so they find ways of coping with the harsh desert conditions. For example, gerbils spend the hottest part of the day in their cool burrows and darkling beetles catch moisture on their legs and lift them into the air till the drops go down into their mouths.

(ii) A mongoose kills a snake by dodging every time the snake tries to attack. They continuously make a nuisance for themselves and after a while, the snake gets tired and quickly dives in for the kill.

(iii) The hump of a camel stores water and therefore acts as a storage container. When there is no water, camel gets water from its hump.

Question b

Read the words/phrases in the box. With your partner find their meaning in the dictionary.

Harsh conditions harmless survive intruder threatened predators prey continually

Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the above words/phrases.

All animals in forests and deserts struggle to ______________________in ______________ ___________________ .

Though most of the animals are ___________________, some are dangerous when _____________________.

If an ___________________ is noticed, they attack or bite to save themselves. They struggle __________________ for food and water.

Some animals are called ______________because they __________________ on other animals.

Answer b

All animals in forests and deserts struggle to survive in harsh conditions. Though most of the

animals are harmless, some are dangerous when threatened. If an intruder is noticed, they attack

or bite to save themselves. They struggle continually for food and water. Some animals are

called predators because they prey on other animals.

Question a

1. Look at these sentences.

• Most snakes are quite harmless, but a few are poisonous.
• Most snakes lay eggs, but the rattlesnake gives birth to its young.

Now write five sentences like these using ‘most’ and the clues below.

1. (90% of) people are honest (10%) are dishonest.

_________________________
___

2. (Lots of) fruit have plenty of sugar, (some) citrus fruit are low in sugar.

_____________

3. (Every soft drink except this one) has lots of ‘empty calories’.
   _________________
   ___
4. (The majority of) films are romances, (a few) are on other topics.
   _______________________
   ___
5. (A majority of) people agree that he is a good leader, (just a few) disagree.
   ___________________
   ___

Answer a

1. Most people are honest, but about ten percent are dishonest.
2. Most fruits have plenty of sugar, but some citrus fruits have less sugar.
3. Most soft drinks have lots of ‘empty calories’, but this one does not have ‘empty calories’.
4. Most films are romances, but a few are on other topics.
5. Most people agree that he is a good leader, but a few disagree.

Question b

Look at these sentences.

• Animals cannot survive for long without water.
• So desert animals have to find different ways of coping.

The first sentence says what cannot happen or be done; the second tells us what must, therefore, be done, what it is necessary to do.

Complete these sentences using cannot and have to/has to.

1. You __________________ reach the island by land or air; you _______________go by boat.
2. We ___________________ see bacteria with our eyes; we _____________________look at them through a microscope.
3. He__________________ have a new bicycle now; he _________________wait till next year.
4. Old people often _______________ hear very well; they _______________ use a hearing aid.
5. Road users ______________ do what they wish; they _____________ follow the traffic rules.
6. She ________________ accept this decision; she __________________question it.
7. You ____________ believe everything you hear; you ____________ use your own judgment.

Answer b

1. You cannotreach the island by land or air; you have togo by boat.
2. We cannotsee bacteria with our eyes; wehave to look at them through a microscope.
3. He cannothave a new bicycle now; he has towait till next year.
4. Old people often cannothear very well; they have touse a hearing aid.
5. Road users cannotdo what they wish; theyhave to follow the traffic rules.
6. She has toaccept this decision; she cannotquestion it.
7. You cannotbelieve everything you hear; you have touse your own judgement.