It is not really all that peaceful out in the country. Yesterday I was woken at dawn

when the cock started . The calves soon began __ and

this woke the dogs, which __________ until the horses started

Lots of hens right outside my window and so I got up. I tripped

over the cat which was lying in the sun at the front door but she didn't even stop

XXIII. Read the information about the animal world. Then discuss it with your class-mates.

1. The largest animal ever to live on earth - bigger even than the dinosaurs - is the blue whale. It weighs around 80 tons - more than 24 elephants - is over 100ft

long, and has more than 15,000 pints of blood. A newborn baby blue whale weighs as much as an adult African elephant.

2. Male humpback whales sing mating songs which last from 10 to 20 minutes and have up to eight themes which are repeated over and over again.

2. A giraffe's heart weighs 22 kilos.

4. Cats can survive falls from great heights because of their ability to turn themselves up the right way and spread the impact of landing across their whole bodies. One cat fell 32 floors on to a pavement and suffered just a chipped tooth and mild chest injuries!

5. A grizzly bear can run as fast as a horse.

6. In a lion family, the females do more than 90% of the hunting.

5. In 1865, there were about 13 million bison (buffalo) in North America. In 1883 there were only a few hundred left.

5. A newborn panda is smaller than a mouse, and weighs about 100 grams.

5. Elephants are the romantics of the animal world. A male elephant may court his lady love for up to three years before she agrees to mate with him. They are very affectionate, caressing each other with their trunks, and walking, trunks entwined, just like lovers holding hands. Once a female elephant has chosen her mate, she will be his alone for about three years, until well after the baby is born. And, with a pregnancy that lasts an incredible 22 months, she probably needs a bit of moral support!

10. Wolves never normally attack people. For years, a Canadian newspaper has offered a reward to anyone who could prove that a wolf had attacked a person; nobody has claimed the reward. Wolves are monogamous, and they are devoted parents. Wolves do not normally hunt in packs (though they may do so in winter).

XXIV. Which is the odd man out?

1. Which of these is not a mammal?

a)bat b)snail c)whale d)wild pig

2. Which of these is not a rodent?

a)hedgehog b)mouse c)rat d)squirrel

3. Which of these is not an insect?

a)cockroach b)flea c)moth d)shrimp

4. which of these is not a reptile? -

a) alligator b)frog c)lizard d)turtle

5. Which of these is not a bird?

a)sparrow b)spider c)stork d)swan

6. Which of these has spots rather than stripes?

a) leopard b)skunk c)tiger d)zebra

7. Which of these hasn't got horns?

a)bull b)camel c)deer d)elk

8. Which of these doesn't sting?

a) ant b)bee c)butterfly d)scorpion

9. Which of these cannot fly?

a)hawk b)ostrich c)pigeon d)swallow

10. Which of these is not a cat?

a) jaguar b)leopard c)puma d)squirrel

11. Which of these is not a shellfish?

a)lobster b)plaice c)prawn d)shrimp

12. Which of these is not a pedigree domestic dog?

a)collie b)greyhound c)mongrel d)poodle

13. Which of these has most legs?

a)beetle b)centipede c)snake d)spider

14.Which of these is not a fresh-water fish?

a)carp b)herring c)salmon d)trout

15.Which of these is not a mythical creature?

a)dragon b)mermaid c)octopus d)unicorn

XXV. Discussion point.

Step A. Read the description of a camel from an encyclopaedia. Underline any words which you think would frequently be found in such descriptions of animals. Then write your own description of any animal. Don't name the animal, let the class guess.

Camel - A mammal of the family Camelidae, (2 species): the Bactrian, from cold

deserts in Central Asia and domesticated elsewhere, and the dromedary; eats any

vegetation; drinks salt water if necessary; closes slit-like nostrils to exclude sand; -

humps are stores of energy-rich fats. The two species may interbreed; the offspring

has one hump; the males are usually sterile while the females are fertile.

Step B. Work in pairs. Write appropriate adjectives to go with each of the

following nouns. Then share your ideas with the class.

Hedgehog; mane; petals; eagle; oak; willow; worm; bark; shark; peacock

Step C. Answer the questions.

1 Is the whale a fish or a mammal?

2. Which reptile alive today is a descendant of the dinosaurs?

3. Are the following trees deciduous or evergreen - polar, yew, birch?

4. What does the bee take from flowers to make honey?

5- Name three animals that hibernate in winter.

6. What does a British boy or girl traditionally say while pulling the petals off a J daisy one by one?

7. Which is the fastest of all land animals?

8. Which bird symbolises peace?

9. What plants or animals are the symbols of England, Scotland, Canada and New Zealand?

10. What do fish use their grills for?

1 l. Can you name an endangered species of plant or animal? 12. Which of these creatures is extinct? 13. Name three white flowers and three birds of any colour. 14. What plant or animal is the symbol of your country?

XXVI. Fill the gaps with the suitable words.

1. A tree's go a long way under ground.

2. A cat sharpens its against the of a tree.

3. Most fruit trees in spring.

4. Plants will not unless they get enough water and light.

5. The horse is limping. It must have hurt its .

6. Flowers last longer in a vase if you crush the end of their .

7. A flower that is just about to open is called a

8. Take care not to prick yourself. That plant has sharp .

9. If we pick up those , we can use them to start the fire.

10. Jim's as blind as a .

11. Anne's as busy as a _____ , while Jo works at a ' s pace.

12.Most crops in the UK are in the autumn.

XXVII. Writing essays.

1. Your attitude to hunting.

2. The main problems our natural world faces today.

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