NCERT Solutions for Chapter 9 Desert Animals Class 6 English Honeysuckle
As the desert lacks water, it is the driest place on earth. The lesson 'Desert Animals' focuses on the animals that live there. By examining the different ways in which desert animals cope with the harsh conditions of the desert, it sheds light on how they adapt to the weather. The desert is home to many animals, such as gerbils, rattlesnakes, mongooses, camels, etc. Desert animals survive the heat of the day by living underground or resting in burrows. water is not necessary for some animals because they get it from the food.
Desert Animals Questions and Answers
Chapter Name | Desert Animals NCERT Solutions |
Class | CBSE Class 6 |
Textbook Name | Honeysuckle |
Related Readings |
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WORKING WITH THE TEXT
Question 1 A: 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.
Answer
(i) No animal can survive without water. True
Water is the major life support system for nature and all its elements.
However, the needs of various such elements differ. Some animals need more water while some need less of it.
Example: Camels
(ii) Deserts are endless sand dunes. False
Deserts are not only endless seas of sand dunes but consist of rocky or pebbly, dotted with small bushes while some are sprinkled with colourful flowers during the spring.
(iii) Most snakes are harmless. True
As mentioned in the text, most of the snakes are harmless while there are a few which are so poisonous that they can kill a human being with just a single bite.
(iv) Snakes cannot hear, but they can feel vibrations through the ground. True
Snakes sense the presence of things near them through the vibrations coming from their movement on the ground. Example - Although it can sense the movement of a human being through the vibrations on the ground, if the same human being shouts, the snake would not hear it.
(v) Camels store water in their humps. False
The hump on a Camel's body acts as a storage container which is full of fat and not water. This fat helps in the nourishment of the Camel when food is scarcely available.
Question 1 B: 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
(i) Deserts are among the driest places on earth but desert animals cannot survive without water.
They find alternate ways to survive in the scorching sun for long periods. For example - the Gerbils spend the hottest part of the day in cool underground burrows. The darkling beetles are experts at catching drops of moisture on their legs, then lifting them in their air until the drops trickle down their mouths. The Camel, also a desert animal can drink thirty gallons of water at once and can survive for nearly up to ten months without drinking water.
(ii) The mongooses are very smart in killing snakes without getting hurt themselves.
They can dodge each time the snake strikes because of their fast reactions. Acting in a very smart manner, they continually make a nuisance of themselves until the snake gets tired. In search of the right moment, they quickly dive in for killing the snake.
(iii) The Dromedary, with a single hump and the Bactrian Camel, with two humps, are the two different kinds of Camels found in the deserts. The humps of these animals help them in surviving by acting as storage containers that store a lot of fat. This fat nourishes the Camels when food is scarcely available. In addition to this, their mouths are so tough that even the sharp thorn cannot pierce through.
Question 2: Read the words/phrases in the box. With your partner find their meaning in the dictionary.
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harsh condition 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
All animals in forests and deserts struggle to survive in harsh condition. 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.
SPEAKING
Question 1: Look at these sentences.
- Deserts are the driest places on earth.
- Gerbils spend the hottest part of the day in cool underground burrows.
Now form pairs. 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. Which animal is the tallest?
Giraffe
2. Which animal runs the fastest?
Cheetah
3. Which place on earth is the hottest or the coldest?
Hottest - Al Aziziyah, Libya
Coldest - Oymyakon, Russia
4. Which animal is the largest?
The Blue Whale
5. Which is the tallest mountain in the world?
The Mount Everest
6. Which is the rainiest place on earth?
Mawsynram, Meghalaya
7. Which is the oldest living animal?
Belonging to different climatic conditions, there are some oldest living animals on earth. Example - Adwaita, an Aldabra giant tortoise, the jellyfish, the horseshoe crab etc.
Students can find facts related to different aspects covering many facts such as historical monuments.
THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
Question 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
1. Most of the people are honest, but around ten percent are dishonest.
2. Most of the fruits have plenty of sugar, but some citrus fruits are low in sugar.
3. Most of the soft drinks except this one has lots of 'empty calories'.
4. Most of the films are romances, but a few are on other topics.
5. Most of the people agree that he is a good leader, only a few disagree.
Question 2: 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
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.
WRITING
Question 1: Imagine you are journeying through a desert. Write a couple of paragraphs describing what you see and hear.
Answer
A Golden Opportunity to visit the Thar!
The Great Indian Desert situated in the state of Rajasthan is a large area full of sand. Being a natural border between India and Pakistan, it is located in the Northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.
A desert full of sand dunes in all the four corners has its own beauty altogether. Full of Cactus plants and Camels, it is a place worth visiting which is the most densely populated desert in the world (83%).
Although reading in books and on the internet is quite interesting to know, the challenging life in such a scarce place with limited resources is very difficult. Watching the women carrying 'matkas' on their head in search of water as well as the kind of arid atmosphere of the entire place shows the beauty as well as the difficulties people living there encounter in their everyday chores.
NOTE - The above-given account of the Thar Desert is just an example. Students can make their piece of writing much more interesting by adding in their personal experiences of the same place or some other desert they have visited.