📖 Reading Text
The weather gets colder, days get shorter and leaves turn colour and fall off the trees. Soon, winter is here. Snow covers the ground. People live in warm houses and wear heavy coats outside. Our food comes from the grocery store. But what about animals? Animals do many different, amazing things to get through the winter.
✈️ Migration: Traveling for Survival
Some of them migrate. This means they travel to other places where the weather is warmer or they can find food. Many birds migrate in the fall. Because the trip can be dangerous, some travel in large flocks. For example, geese fly in noisy, "V"-shaped groups. Other kinds of birds fly alone.
How do they know when it is time to leave? Scientists are still studying this. Many see migration as part of a yearly cycle of changes a bird goes through. The cycle is controlled by changes in the amount of daylight and the weather. Birds can fly very long distances. For example, the Arctic tern nests close to the North Pole in the summer. In autumn, it flies south all the way to Antarctica. Each spring, it returns north again.
Birds seem to navigate like sailors once did, using the sun, moon and stars for direction. They also seem to have a compass in their brain for using the Earth's magnetic field. Other mammals, like some bats, caribou and elk, and whales travel in search of food each winter. Many fish migrate into deeper, warmer water. Some insects, like certain butterflies and moths, fly very long distances. For example, Monarch butterflies migrate as far south as Mexico. Many, like termites and Japanese beetles, move downward into the soil as far as six feet below the surface.
🛠️ Adaptation: Changing Behavior and Bodies
Some animals remain and stay active in the winter. They must adapt to the changing weather. To keep warm, animals may grow new, thicker fur in the fall. On weasels and snowshoe rabbits, the new fur is white to help them hide in the snow. Some animals, like squirrels, mice and beavers gather extra food in the fall and store it to eat later. Others, like rabbits and deer, spend winter looking for moss, twigs, bark and leaves to eat.
Animals may find winter shelter in holes in trees or logs, under rocks or leaves, or underground. Some mice even build tunnels through the snow. To try to stay warm, animals like squirrels and mice may huddle close together. There are a few insects, like the winter stonefly, crane fly, and snow fleas, that are normally active in winter.
Hibernation and Dormancy
Some animals hibernate. This is a special, very deep sleep. The animal's body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy. These animals get ready for winter by eating extra food and storing it as body fat. Bears, skunks, chipmunks, and some bats hibernate.
Cold-blooded animals like fish, frogs, snakes and turtles have no way to keep warm. Snakes find shelter in holes or burrows and spend the winter inactive, or dormant. When the weather gets cold, frogs and turtles move to the bottom of lakes and ponds. They may even bury themselves in the mud. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, and they can breathe by absorbing it through their skin.
📝 Solved Exercises
A. Vocabulary Matching
| Definition | Word from Text |
|---|---|
| a. A shop that sells food and other things | grocery store |
| b. Related to the regions around the North Pole | Arctic |
| c. To gather closely together (cold/fear) | huddle |
| d. To find the right way to deal with a situation | navigate |
| e. A person who works on a ship crew | sailor |
| f. To change behaviour to deal with a new situation | adapt |
| g. A very small green/yellow plant on wet surfaces | moss |
| h. An underground passage | tunnel |
B. Paragraph Title Matching
- Paragraph A: Migration to New Places
- Paragraph B: Adaptation to New Weather
- Paragraph C: Living in Underground Holes
- Paragraph D: Getting into Deep Sleeps
- Paragraph E: Other Ways to Survive
C. True or False
Show True/False Answers
- a. Animals wear thick coats to protect themselves from cold. ➡ True
- b. Flying in flocks helps birds protect from cold. ➡ False (It is for safety from danger).
- c. Birds don’t travel far to avoid cold. ➡ False
- d. Some animals collect extra food for winter. ➡ True
- e. Cold-blooded animals die of cold. ➡ False (They become dormant).
- f. Cold water makes it difficult for some animals to breathe. ➡ False (It holds more oxygen).
D. Comprehension Questions
Show Full Question and Answers
a. What do people do to keep themselves warm in winter?
➡ People live in warm houses and wear heavy coats outside to keep themselves warm.
b. Why do birds migrate in groups?
➡ Birds migrate in groups because the trip can be dangerous, and traveling in large flocks (like noisy "V"-shaped groups) provides safety.
c. What is the migration cycle of birds controlled by?
➡ The migration cycle of birds is controlled by changes in the amount of daylight and the weather.
d. How do birds find out the same place for migration each year?
➡ Birds find their way by navigating with the sun, moon, and stars, and by using a natural compass in their brain that senses the Earth's magnetic field.
e. How do some animals get energy during hibernation?
➡ Some animals get energy during hibernation by eating extra food in the fall and storing it as body fat, which is then used as fuel during their deep sleep.
f. Which animals hide under rocks, logs or fallen leaves?
➡ Frogs, turtles, and many types of fish hide under rocks, logs, or fallen leaves at the bottom of lakes and ponds.
🌍 E. Discussion
To avoid cold weather, people use heaters in their homes, drink warm fluids, wear layered woolen clothing, and use blankets. In some regions, people also move to warmer areas or spend more time in sunlight to maintain body temperature.