Desert Animals – NCERT Solutions

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

1. No animal can survive without water.
2. Deserts are endless sand dunes.
3. Most snakes are harmless.
4. Snakes cannot hear, but they can feel vibrations through the ground.
5. Camels store water in their humps.

Answer

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. False

Q. How do desert animals survive without water?

Ans. The desert animals find ways to survive for many days without water. Gerbils keep themselves cool in underground holes. The beetles catch drops of moisture on their legs. The camels get moisture from desert plants.

Q. How do mongooses kill snakes?

Ans. Mongooses have very swift reactions. They get away fast when the snake tries to strike. They trouble the snake till it is tired. Then they attack and kill the snake. They themselves don’t get any injury.

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

Ans. The hump of the camel is meant for storing fat and not water. That fat meets the camel’s need of water and nourishment.

Q. Read the words/phrases in the box. With your partner find their meanings in the dictionary. Fill in the blanks in the following passage with the above words/phrases.

harsh conditions, harmless, survive, intruder, threatened, predators, prey, continually

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

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.

Q. Ask questions using a suitable form of the word in brackets. Try to answer the questions too. Do you know

1. Which animal is the ____________ (tall)?
2. Which animal runs the ____________ (fast)?
3. Which place on earth is the ____________ (hot) or the ____________ (cold)?
4. Which animal is the ____________ (large)?
5. Which is the ____________ (tall) mountain in the world?
6. Which is the ____________ (rainy) place on earth?
7. Which is the ____________ (old) living animal? Can you add some questions of your own?

Answer

1. Giraffe is the tallest animal.
2. Leopard runs the fastest.
3. Aziza Libya is the hottest and the Verkhoyansk (Russia is the coldest).
4. Blue whale is the largest animal.
5. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
6. Mawsynram (Meghalaya) is the rainiest place on earth.
7. Giant tortoise is the oldest living animal.

Q. 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

1. Most of the people are honest, but a few are dishonest.
2. Most of the fruits have plenty of sugar; but some citrus fruit are low in sugar.
3. Most of the soft drinks except this one have lots of empty calories.
4. Most of the films are romances, only a few are on other topics.
5. Most of the people agree that he is a good leader, just a few disagree.

Q. 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 judgement.

Answer

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 judgement.

Q. Imagine you are journeying through a desert. Write a couple of paragraphs describing what you see and hear.

Ans. A desert is not a place worth living. It is a nightmare to journey through the Thar Desert. From my personal experience I know how hot the deserts are. I saw endless expanse of sand and sand dunes. Only here and there I saw a few thorny bushes. There are very few birds. The camel is a common sight. There are only small villages around oases. Life is very hard there. Water is scarce, so is greenery. We hear the blowing of hot winds and the howling of sand storms. We can hear the calling of mongooses and the howling of jackals. Now and then we can hear the tinkling of bells round the neck of camels.