question_answer

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

We often talk of lower animals and higher animals. Man/ we say, is the highest animal. If yen have noticed an interesting difference in the behaviour of various animals, you'll at once understand why we put some animals in the lower groups and others in the higher.

You must have noticed that simple animals like fishes lay eggs and leave them. They lay thousands of eggs at a time but do not look after them. The mother does not care for the children at all. She simply leaves the eggs and never comes back to them. As there is no one to look after them, most of these eggs die and only a few of them develop and comes back to them. As there is no one to look after them, most of these eggs die and only a few of them develop into fishes. Is this not a terrible waste? As we go up and examine the higher animals we find that their eggs or children are fewer, but they look after them better.

The hen, for example, also lays eggs, but she sits upon them and hatches them. And when me little chicks come out, she feeds them for some time. When they grow up, the mother does not care much for them.

But a great change comes with the higher animals - we call them mammals. These animals do not lay eggs, but the mother keeps the egg inside her and gives birth to the fully developed baby animal like dogs or cats or rabbits. And afterwards, the mother suckles, or gives milk, to her young. The mother thus, looks after her babies with great care. Even here, however, you find that there is a great deal of waste. The mother rabbit gives birth to a large number of baby rabbits every few months and many of them die. But a higher animal like the elephant gives birth to only one baby elephant and looks after the baby well.

So, we see that as animals develop/ they do not lay eggs, but bear developed young ones like themselves, only smaller in size. And the higher animals usually give birth to one baby at a time. You will also notice that the higher animals have some affection for their young ones. Man is the highest animal and so you find that the mother and the father love and take care of their children to a great extent.

(A) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following question in about 30-40 words.

(i) Man is called the highest animal. Why?

(ii) What is the major difference between a fish and a hen, though both lay eggs?

(iii) How do the mammals look after their young ones?

(vi) How are we benefitted by man being the highest animal?

(B) Put the following animals in the order of their evolution. Begin with the lower animals.

(i) ................

(ii) ...............

(iii) ............

(iv) ...........

 

Answer:

A (i) The higher animals usually give birth to one baby at a time. Man is called the highest animal as man has greater affection for his children than any other animal.

(ii) Fishes lay thousands of eggs at a time but do not look after them. The mother does not care for the children at all. The hens, too lay eggs but a hen also sits upon them and hatches her eggs. Later, she feeds her chicks for some time.

(iii) The mammal mother keeps the egg inside her and gives birth to the fully-developed baby animal. Afterwards, she suckles her young ones. She looks after her babies with great care.

(iv) Among all the higher animals, man is the highest, Thus, the mother and the father love and take care of their children to a great extent.

B (i) rabbits

(ii) hens

(iii) dogs

(iv) elephants.