1. Find my match!
Question a.
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| 1. Lotus | a. Flower and leaves attract insects |
| 2. Aloe | b. Haustorial roots for absoption of food |
| 3. Cuscuta | c. Adapted to live in deserts |
| 4. Venus fly trap | d. Adapted to live in water |
Answer:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| 1. Lotus | d. Adapted to live in water |
| 2. Aloe | c. Adapted to live in deserts |
| 3. Cuscuta | b. Haustorial roots for absoption of food |
| 4. Venus fly trap | a. Flower and leaves attract insects |
2. Read the paragraph and answer the following questions:
I am a penguin. I live in the polar region covered by snow. My abdomen is white. My skin is thick with a layer of fat underneath. My body is spindle-shaped. My wings are small. My toes are webbed. We live in flocks.
Question a:
Why is my skin white and thick and why is there a thick layer of fat underneath?
Answer:
1. The white skin color camouflages with the snow, helping penguins avoid predators.
2. Thick skin and a thick layer of fat provide insulation against the severe cold.
Question b:
Why do we live in flocks sticking close to each other?
Answer:
Penguins live in flocks sticking close to each other to reduce the relative area exposed to the cold, minimizing heat loss and providing warmth and protection.
Question c:
Which geographical region do I inhabit? Why?
Answer:
1. Penguins inhabit the Antarctic region, which is surrounded by ocean and has a colder, drier, and windier climate.
2. The lack of human population makes this environment suitable for penguins.
Question d:
Which adaptations should you have to enable you to live permanently in the polar region? Why?
Answer:
1. I should be a warm-blooded animal to maintain my body temperature in the cold.
2. My body should be covered with thick fur or scales to minimize heat loss and survive the severe cold.
3. Who is lying?
Question a:
Cockroach – I have five legs.
Answer:
The cockroach is lying. It has six legs.
Question b:
Hen – My toes are webbed.
Answer:
The hen is lying because its toes are not webbed. Ducks have webbed toes.
Question c:
Cactus – My fleshy, green part is a leaf.
Answer:
The cactus is lying. Its fleshy, green part is a stem, not a leaf.
4. Read each of the following statements. Write a paragraph about adaptation with reference to each statement.
Question a:
There is extreme heat in deserts.
Answer:
Desert plants, such as cacti, have fleshy stems and leaves modified into thorns to minimize water loss, and the stem performs photosynthesis. Desert animals, like camels, have cushioned soles, humps, long legs, and protected nostrils to adapt to the harsh environment.
Question b:
Grasslands are lush green.
Answer:
Insects like grasshoppers are green, allowing them to blend in with the grasses for protection and camouflage.
Question. Insects are found in large numbers.
Answer. Insects are abundant because they have evolved various adaptations that allow them to thrive even in the most challenging environments. They inhabit extreme conditions such as deserts and the Antarctic region due to these modifications. For instance, grasshoppers possess long, powerful hind legs for jumping, houseflies have sponge-like mouthparts for absorbing food, and stick insects can camouflage themselves.
Question d:We hide.
Answer:
In equatorial regions, tall grasses provide cover for animals like tigers, elephants, and deer, helping them to stay hidden from predators and protect themselves.
Question e: We have long ears.
Answer:
Long ears help animals detect sounds from a distance, aiding in their protection from predators.
5. Answer the following:
Question a:
Why is the camel called the ‘ship of the desert’?
Answer:
1. Camels are well-adapted to desert life with long legs and cushioned soles to walk on sand, protected nostrils, long eyelashes, and a hump that stores fat for survival without food and water.
2. These adaptations make camels ideal for transporting people and goods across deserts, earning them the name “ship of the desert.”
Question b:
How can plants like cactus and acacia live in deserts with scarce water?
Answer:
Cactus and acacia have adaptations like needle-like or thorny leaves to reduce water loss, fleshy stems that store water, green stems for photosynthesis, deep roots to access water, and a waxy layer on stems to conserve moisture.
Question c:
What is the inter-relationship between adaptations of organisms and their surroundings?
Answer:
1. Organism adaptations are driven by environmental changes.
2. These adaptations occur gradually, allowing organisms to adjust, survive, reproduce, and protect themselves in their specific habitats and geographical conditions.
Question d:
How are organisms classified?
Answer:
1. Scientists classify organisms using different criteria, forming a hierarchy that starts with kingdoms like Animalia or Plantae.
2. This hierarchy includes groups and sub-groups based on similarities and differences, known as the ‘hierarchy of classification.’
3. Binomial nomenclature assigns each organism a scientific name, consisting of the genus and species, following international guidelines.