They were once everywhere. Chirping and flapping their wings at the window sills, on top of
cupboards and on the branches of trees. Where have all the little sparrows gone? This is the
most frequently asked question about sparrows these days.
2 The association between humans and the house sparrow dates back to several centuries and no
other bird has been associated with humans on a daily basis like the house sparrow. It is a bird that
evokes fond memories of childhood and adds freshness to households through its presence. Many
bird watchers and ornithologists recall with fondness how the house sparrow gave flight to their
passion for observing birds. The nests of sparrow dotted almost every house in the neighborhood as
well as public places like bus stands and railway stations, where they lived in colonies and
survived on food grains and tiny worms.
3 Unfortunately, the house sparrow has now become a disappearing species. Like all other plants
and animals which were once abundant and are now facing an uncertain future, their numbers are
also declining across their natural range. A study conducted by the Andhra University,
Visakhapatnam highlighted that the population of house sparrows fell by over 60 per cent even in
rural areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh. A survey conducted by the British Trust for Ornithology that
house sparrow population in Britain has declined by about 58 per cent since 1970.
4 Certainly, there is no one single reason for the decline of the house sparrow. Scientists and
experts say that severe changes in the urban ecosystem in recent times have had tremendous
impact on the population of house sparrows whose numbers are declining constantly. Mobile tower
radiation and excessive use of chemical fertilizers are aggravating the problem and have been
identified as potent sparrow killers.
5 There have been many theories put forward for the almost worldwide decline of the house
sparrow. It is said that sparrow chicks, which require insect food for their survival in their early days,
have not been getting adequate supply from their parents. This has triggered large scale deaths of
chicks leading to gradual decline of their population.
Section A Reading 5 marks
Section B Writing & Grammar 6 marks
Section C Literature 9 marks
6 Urban landscape too, has been dramatically altered over the years. Old houses, with courtyards in
front and backyards, have made way for concrete multistoreys, with little greenery. No
longer are sparrows able to find the tiny nooks, crannies and holes where they used to build
their nests.
7 Typically, sparrows were never an issue of concern for us with their diminutive presence in our
households. Perhaps, it is this diminutive presence because of which even their gradual
disappearance has gone unnoticed. Mohammed Dilavar is rightly called the „sparrow man of India‟ as
he has been successful in drawing the attention of the world towards the declining number of house
sparrows.
8 House sparrows are important bio-indicators and their decline is a grim reminder of the
degradation of urban environment and the danger from it to the humans in the long run.
Std. 8 - 2 - English
Based on your reading of the passage, answer the following questions: (1x5=5 marks)
a) What is the reason for the decline in numbers of the house sparrow?
b) How has urban landscape effected the sparrow population?
c) Who is the „sparrow man of India‟?
d) Is the decline of house sparrow an actual cause of worry?
e) What does the word „degradation‟ in para 8 mean?
Answers
Answer:
Reading Skills get sharpened by unseen passage reading comprehension test. We provide reading comprehension exercises with answers. Go through reading comprehension passages with multiple choice questions will help you in reading comprehension questions. We provide simple comprehension passages with questions and answers which have value based questions. These unseen comprehension passages are really helpful to all. Go through this reading comprehension pdf and reading passage worksheets to learn English.
Chirp for the Sparrow; Tweet for the Sparrow
Read the following passage carefully and answers the following questions:-
They were once everywhere, chirping and flapping their wings at the window sills, on top of cupboards and on the branches of trees. Where have all the little sparrows gone? This is the most frequently asked question about sparrows these days.