NCERT Class 6:Honey Suckle:Desert Animals

Textual Questions and Exercises

Q1. Talk to your partner and say whether the following statements are true or false.

(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

Q2. How do desert animals survive without water?

 Ans. Desert animals cannot survive without water. They find different ways of coping with the harsh desert conditions. For example, gerbils spend the hottest part of the day in cool underground burrows. And darkling beetles catch moisture on their legs and then lift them into the air till the drops trickle down into their mouths.

Q3. How do mongooses kill snakes?

 Ans. Mongooses kill snakes without getting hurt themselves. Their reactions are so fast that they dodge each time the snake strikes. They continually make a nuisance of themselves, and after a while, when the snake gets tired, they quickly dive in for the kill.

Q4. How does the hump of the camels help them to survive when there is no water?

 Ans. The humps of the camels help the animal to survive in the desert, by acting as storage containers. The hump is full of fat that nourishes the camel when food is scarce. If they have nothing to eat for several days, their humps shrink as the fat is used up.

 

Q5. 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.

Ans. 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.

Q6. Look at these sentences.

(a) Most snakes are quite harmless, but a few are poisonous.

(b) 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.

Most people are honest, but about ten percent are dishonest.

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

Most fruits have plenty of sugar, but some citrus fruits have less sugar.

3. (Every soft drink except this one) has lots of ’empty calories’.

Most soft drinks have lots of ’empty calories’, but this one does not have ’empty calories’.

4. (The majority of) films are romances; (a few) are on other topics.

Most films are romances, but a few are on other topics.

5. (A majority of) people agree that he is a good leader; (just a few) disagree.

Most people agree that he is a good leader, but a few disagree.

Q7. 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 cannot reach the island by land or air; you have to go by boat.
2. We cannot see bacteria with our eyes; we have to look at them through a microscope.
3. He cannot have a new bicycle now; he has to wait till next year.
4. Old people often cannot hear very well; they have to use a hearing aid.
5. Road users cannot do what they wish; they have to follow the traffic rules.
6. She cannot accept this decision; she has to question it.
7. You cannot believe everything you hear; you have to use your own judgment.