Educart Free Sample Paper- Vultures Passage
This unseen passage has been taken from EDUCART’s latest sample paper on student’s demand. It is based on the new pattern set in English subject for class 10th syllabus by CBSE. It is 100% genuine. Essayshout is trying to bring more and more solved sample paper 2021 for class 10 English. To practise more content visit essayshout.
Read the following passage given below -
Evolution has designated vultures to be the ultimate scavengers. Enormous wingspans allow them to circle in the air for hours. Their beaks, while rather horrifying, are weak by bird standards, made to scoop and eat flesh. However unappealing they may seem, vultures serve an important role in the ecological cycle: processing dead bodies of animals.
Only 20 years ago, India had plenty of vultures-flocks so enormous they darkened the skies. But by 1999, their numbers had dropped due to a mysterious kidney ailment. By 2008, 99.9 per cent of India’s vultures were gone. It was finally discovered that they had been killed by a drug called diclofenac (a pain reliever along the lines of aspirin or ibuprofen).
Indians revere their cows, and when a cow showed signs of pain, they treated it with diclofenac. After the animal died, the vultures would eat the corpse. And though they boast perhaps the world’s most efficient digestive system, vultures cannot digest the drug.
India banned the use of diclofenac for veterinary use in 2006, but it’s still widely used. The near-extinction of vultures has caused disease in the country, as rats and dogs moved in to take their place-spreading pathogens that would have otherwise been destroyed by the vultures.
Vultures need large ranges to scan for food and undisturbed areas in which to nest. They also need an abundance of prey species since they rely more on chance than their own hunting skills to eat. All of these things have been reduced by human activity. Meanwhile, there is a dramatic increase in secondary poisoning. Vultures feed on carcasses laced with poison, intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores. Or they are poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters.
Answer the following multiple-choice questions (MCQ). Each question carries one mark.
Q1 Vultures serve an important role in the ecological cycle as
a. they eat less
b. they process dead bodies of animals
c. they help to maintain food webs
d. they clear grounds with their wings
ANS 1. b. they process dead bodies of animals
Q2. Choose the best option that suits the central idea of the paragraph from the given quotes-
ANS 2. Option (a)
Q3. Which of the following is apt about the writer in the following context- Meanwhile, there is a dramatic increase in secondary poisoning. Vultures feed on carcasses laced with poison, intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores. Or they are poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters.
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 4 and 5
© 2 and 5
(d) 3 and 6
ANS 3. © 2 and 5
Q 4. Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage-
(a) Mystery of vultures
(b) Survival of the fittest
© The Extinct Species
(d) Bird standards
ANS 4. (b) Survival of the fittest
Q 5. The reason behind vultures dying is
(a) they feed on carcasses laced with poison, intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores.
(b) they are hunted
© they do not get enough food
(d) they are diseased
ANS 5. (a) they feed on carcasses laced with poison, intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores.
Q 6. What does the phrase ‘moved in to take their place’ mean in the passage?
(a) contributed in the task
(b) helped them
© Replaced them
(d) Removed them
ANS. 6 © Replaced them
Q7. Why are the vultures beak considered weak?
(a) they are of no use
(b) they are meant to scoop and eat flesh only
© they are used to kill their prey
(d) none of them
ANS 7. (b) they are meant to scoop and eat flesh only
Q 8. The author attempts to make the readers ______ through this write-up.
(a) concerned
(b) inspired
© awakened
(d) aware
ANS 8. (d) aware
Q 9. What is an interesting fact given in the passage about the vultures?
(a) they eat corpse
(b) they can not digest drugs
© they are enormous
(d) they have weak beaks
ANS9. (b) they can not digest drugs
Q 10. Choose the option that correctly states the two meanings of ‘boast’ as used in the passage-
- to brag about oneself
- to exaggerate
- to talk very proudly
- to show off
- to show pride and arrogance
(a) 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2
© 4 and 5
(d) 3 and 1
ANS 10. (b) 1 and 2
Q11. Select the option that makes the correct use of ‘designated’ as used in the passage to fill in the blanks.
(a) He was ____ as prime minister.
(b) Uttrakahand is ____ as the land of gods.
© Reeta was _____ as the chief secretary of her club.
(d) The ____ officer did not reach the accident site.
ANS 11. (b) Uttrakahand is ____ as land of gods.
Q12. What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?
(a) Human activities need to be controlled to provide vultures open space to scan for food and nest.
(b) Jackals kill vultures.
© Vultures are an extinct species now.
(d) Vultures themselves are responsible for their own extinction.
ANS 12. (a) Human activities need to be controlled to provide vultures open space to scan for food and nest.
More Questions to be practised in a traditional manner
1. Who are the natural scavengers?
2. How do the special beaks and wings work?
3. How did their numbers decrease?
4. Why do we need these ‘scavengers’?
5. Why do vultures need more prey?
6. Why are the dead bodies laced with poison?
7. What is ‘secondary poisoning’?
8. Give any two factors responsible for the death of vultures?
You can submit your answers to the above questions.
1. Natural scavengers are the scavengers who are responsible for ecological balance. They are held important in the processing of the dead bodies of animals.
2. Enormous wingspans allow vultures to circle in the air for hours. Their beaks, while rather horrifying, are weak by bird standards, made to scoop and eat flesh.
3. Decades ago, India had a large number of vultures, but by 1999, their numbers had reduced. This is because of a mysterious kidney ailment. They had been killed by a drug. Also, after the death of an animal, the vultures would eat the corpse and vultures cannot digest the drug and thus die.
4. We need these scavengers because if they don’t exist then it will cause disease in the country by the spread of pathogens that would have been destroyed by the vultures.
5. Vultures scan for food in various undistributed areas. They need a large number of preys because they rely more on their own hunting skills.
6. Dead bodies are laced with poison because they are intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores
7. Secondary poisoning is a poisoning, in which Vultures feed on carcasses laced with poison, which are intended to kill jackals or other predatory carnivores, or they are poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters
8. The factors responsible for the death of vultures are:
Mysterious kidney ailment
Due to a drug called diclofenac
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Originally published at https://essayshout.com on December 15, 2020.
