Getting Started
The environment is composed of various spheres that interact to sustain life. Look at the picture and identify the core components of our environment:
- Atmosphere: The layer of gases surrounding the earth.
- Ecosphere: The planetary ecosystem including all organisms and their surroundings.
- Hydrosphere: All the waters on the earth's surface.
- Lithosphere: The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
- Biosphere: The regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere occupied by living organisms.
How do Animals Spend the Winter?
Understanding: Introductory Questions
a. What preparations do you and your family make as the winter season approaches?
➡ We prepare different items like food, shelter clothes etc. for the winter season.
b. How do animals and birds protect themselves from the cold?
➡ Animals and birds protect themselves by migrating to warm places.
A. Vocabulary: Word Meanings
| Meaning | Word |
|---|---|
| a shop that sells food and other things used in homes | grocery |
| related to the regions around the North Pole | Arctic |
| an underground passage | tunnel |
| to find the right way to deal with a difficult situation | navigate |
| a person who works on a ship as a member of the crew | sailor |
| to change behaviour in order to deal more successfully | adapt |
| a very small green or yellow plant that spreads over wet surfaces | moss |
| to gather closely together, usually because of cold or fear | huddle |
B. Paragraph Matching
- Paragraph A: Migration to New Places
- Paragraph B: Adaptation to New Weather
- Paragraph C: Living in Underground Holes
- Paragraph D: Going into a Deep Sleep
- Paragraph E: Other Ways to Survive
C. True or False
| Statement | Status |
|---|---|
| a. Animals wear thick coats to protect themselves from the cold. | False |
| b. Flying in flocks helps birds protect themselves from the cold. | False |
| c. Birds do not travel far to avoid the cold. | False |
| d. Some animals collect extra food for winter. | True |
| e. Snow fleas hibernate in winter. | False |
| f. Cold water makes it difficult for some animals to breathe. | False |
D. Comprehension Questions
Show Full Q&A for Reading I
Why do birds migrate in groups?
➡ Birds migrate in groups to balance the weather as well as to be safe.
What controls the migration cycle of birds?
➡ Changes in the amount of daylight and the weather control the migration cycle of birds.
How do birds find the same place for migration each year?
➡ Birds find the same place for migration each year by using the sun, moon, stars etc.
Why do you think squirrels and mice huddle close together in winter?
➡ I think squirrels and mice huddle close together in winter to stay warm.
How do animals maintain energy during hibernation?
➡ Animals maintain energy by storing the food as body fat during hibernation.
How do frogs, turtles and fish change their habitats to survive in winter?
➡ Frogs, turtles and fish change their habitats by hibernating in the holes to survive in the winter.
Grammar I: Type 1 Conditionals
- If you heat snow, it melts. (Zero Conditional)
- If it rains, you will get wet. (First Conditional)
- Unless you use your English, it won't improve.
Verb Form Exercise
- If you call me, I will come.
- If you don’t leave, I'll call the police.
- Somebody will notice if you make a mistake.
- If I see her, I will tell her to call you.
- She will be very angry if you don’t apologise.
- They will be happy if we invite them to the party.
- Will they pay any more if I work harder?
- If you don’t lock your bicycle, someone will steal it.
- I will lend you some money if you promise not to waste it.
- Unless you use your English, it can't be improved.
- You must study hard if you want to join college.
The Resistant Moths
Introductory Questions
What do you think the man is doing?
➡ The man is using pesticides indiscriminately.
Why do you think he is doing so?
➡ He is doing so to kill all the moths and protect his crops.
Fill in the Blanks
- As responsible citizens it is our duty to combat all social evils.
- The whole town is suffering from the new plague of rats.
- The minister’s opinion has created avalanche of controversy.
- He got a nasty cut above his eye in the accident.
- Some animals do not have a natural predator.
- Mosquitoes seem to have become resistant to the toughest insecticides.
- He is in despair due to all the failures in business.
Vocabulary Exercise
| Word | Meaning (Dictionary Context) |
|---|---|
| Munch | Eating something steadily and often noisily, especially something hard or dry. |
| Nibble | Eating by taking small bites of something, especially food. |
| Gobble | Eating something very fast, in a way that people consider rude or greedy. |
| Gnaw | Keep biting something. |
| Swallow | Making food, drink, etc. go down your throat into your stomach. |
B. True or False
- a. The first use of pesticides caused further problems to the farmers. ➡ True
- b. The shopkeepers made the farmers buy many pesticides. ➡ True
- c. Mahendra Yadav admits that the farmers used chemicals carelessly. ➡ False
- d. The pesticides not only killed the pests but also increased fertility. ➡ False
- e. Mahendra Yadav expects that the moths will go away one day. ➡ True
C. Comprehension Questions
Show Full Q&A for "The Resistant Moths"
a. Why do you think Mahendra Yadav says “these insects will eat us alive"?
➡ He has applied so much pesticides as suggested by the government officials but new and tougher moths has come into existence and they are not dying. Therefore, I think Mahendra Yadav says "these insects will eat us alive".
b. What did the farmers hope when they bought the pesticides for the first time?
➡ The farmers hoped to be rich by saving their crops and producing good amount of crops when they bought the pesticides for the first time.
c. What was the ‘nasty surprise’ for the farmers?
➡ Despite the mixture of powerful chemicals on the potatoes, a few moths survived. It was the 'nasty surprise' for the farmers.
d. Find different words in the text that refer to the pesticide and the moth.
➡ The different words as poison and chemicals refer to pesticides. Similarly, pests and insects refer to moths.
e. Do you think that Mahendra Yadav has made a wise decision at the end? Why?
➡ I think that Mahendra Yadav has made a wise decision at the end because he has turned to the natural methods which is permanent solution for the problem.
Discussion Prompt: Why is the use of pesticide harmful for both people and the environment? What could be a good alternative to pesticides? Discuss with your friends and note the points.
Grammar II: Conditionals (Part 2)
Complete with Correct Verb Forms
- If we hurry, we will get there in time.
- I won't go to the doctor unless the pain increases.
- If you spit in public place, you will get into trouble.
- We will go for a picnic tomorrow if the weather stays nice.
- Everyone will believe you if you tell them the truth.
- If he doesn’t wake up, he won't get to work on time.
- If the baby is a boy, I'll call him Nitesh.
- You can cause an accident if you drive so carelessly.
- Unless she calls the ambulance immediately, her father may die.
- If you try harder, you will succeed in your exams.
Sentence Completion (Creative Endings)
- If you are hungry, you can eat some food.
- If he runs fast, he will certainly win the race.
- They will win the match if they practise hard.
- If you phone him, he will come.
- If Mira fails the exam, she will leave her study.
- Manashi will be promoted to grade ten if she passes her exams.