Question

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
Man's dependence on animals and plants cannot be ignored. Animals are killed for meat and skin, trees are cut down for timber and paper; plants are uprooted for food and medicine. If we go on using nature as thoughtlessly as we have been doing, nothing worth while in nature will be left for our posterity. Against this background, many countries have passed protective laws in order to safeguard the wildlife. There are more than 1,200 national parks, wildlife reserves and similar protected areas throughout the world to ensure that rare wild animals and precious trees are saved from extinction.
One group of animals which have become extinct is dinosaurs. The record of the rock shows that they died out completely around a hundred million years ago. The reason for their extinction is not known. However, people guess that this is because of the change in environment. New mountains were born; the sea overflowed the land; the climate changed with the environment. The dinosaurs could not adapt themselves to the new environment and, as a result, perished. The saving of certain wild animals from extinction has for many years been a problem for zoologists and other specialists but more recently, the problem has become so acute and has received so much publicity that most people are now concerned about it. This may, at first, be seen strange, because one of the most gratifying of strict laws to protect wild animals and the consequent decline in the hunting to big game for sport. Why is it that some rare wild animals are still threatened with extinction and even some of the less rare ones are rapidly declining in numbers ? One reason is the "march of civilization." When an area is wholly cleared of vegetation to make room for new towns, factory-sites and hydro-electric plants, the natural home of several species is destroyed. The displaced animals must either migrate to another area or perish. Even the clearing of land for a road or an airfield may involve "pushing back" the jungle and the smaller the area in which the wild animals compete for a living, the smaller the number which can survive. Civilization brings, too swift and easy transport and hence assists those who are determined to break the various protective laws. Thieves can elude the game wardens, shoot an elephant for its tusks, a rhinoceros for its horn or a deer for its meat, and be miles away from the site of the crime before the dead or dying victim is even discovered. It is sad to reflect that the civilization which can bring so many benefits to people who have previously known only hunger and misery, brings also facilities for the heartless criminal who, for material gain, slaughters some kinds from the earth for ever.
Answer the following questions :
(a) In what way is man dependent on animals and plants ?
(b) What steps have some nations taken to protect wildlife ?
(c) What is meant by the "march of civilization"? How does this march threaten wildlife
with extinction ?
(d) How has civilization helped man to break the protective laws ?
Very Short Questions :
(a) What do some people think is the reason for the extinction of dinosaurs ?
(b) Why do thieves kill wild animals ?
(c) Why does the author call the man, who kills big game for material gain, a "heartless criminals ?"
(d) What connection is there between the "pushing back" of jungles and the "wild animals ?"

Answer 1

I. (a) Man’s dependence on animals and plants cannot be ignored. Animals are killed for meat and skin, trees are cut down for timber and paper, plants are uprooted for food and medicine.
(b) Many countries have passed protective laws in order to safeguard the wild life. There are more than 1,200 national parks, wildlife reserves and similar protected areas throughout the world to ensure that rare wild animals and precious trees are saved from extinction.
(c) When an area is wholly cleared of vegetation to make room for new towns, factorysites and hydro-electric plants, the natural home for several species is destroyed. The displaced animals either migrate or perish. This is called the 'march of civilization'.
(d) Civilization has brought about swift and easy transport to assist those who are determined to break various protective laws. Thieves can elude miles away before the dead or dying victim is discovered.

II.
(a) Dinosaurs could not adapt themselves to the new and changing environment, as a result they perished.
(b) Thieves kill wild animals for their tusks, horns, meat i.e. for their overall material gains.
(c) Man is called heartless criminal because for material gain, he slaughters some harmless animals and threatens the extinction of its kind from the earth for ever.
(d) Pushing back of jungle has made the area smaller for wild animals to compete for a living which results in smaller number of animals which can survive in the jungle.