Into the Wild 1

*Extract No 01

Page No. 56 [ *Lines, “The eight …….. had moved away”]

Read the first activity, read the extract and do all the activities that follow.

A1. Complete :

Complete the following sentences choosing the information from the extract.

a) The narrator stayed at ……Pitezari village.

b) Walking lonely in the forest needs…….more alertness.

c) Animals make alarm calls when they see …..Predators like Tiger or Leopard.

d) The narrator saw Leader of the Gang of Langurs was sitting on the tall tree making alarm calls.

Into The Wild

(Part I) Lost in the Jungle

The eight-and-a-half-hour-long day inside the hide was a fruitful as the Jambha tree standing tall on the edge of Umbarzara. Before wrapping up my day at this natural waterhole, I took entries of the avifauna in my field work. Since I was alone, I rushed to Pitezari village where I was stationed. I camouflaged the hide, took my essentials, came out of the hide and streched out to my heart’s content. I lifted my camera bag and took the familiar trail to Pitezari. Negotiating the webbed leaves of Teakwood and Moha trees, trying to make minimal sound, I was treading cautiously among the wood. Walking alone in a jungle needs more alertness than walking with a companion. I was alone here like a fox. Following the trail silently, watching with wide-open eyes, my ears were grasping a variety of sound stunned me...

‘Khyak! Khyak! KhyakoSS Khyak!’

It was a Langur alarm call. The leader of the gang of Langurs was sitting on the tall tree making alarm calls out of fear. Rest of the Langur brigade continued raising the alarm calls. The network of alarm calls was expanding its range as the petrified Langurs speeded to the trees near and far and secured their places on treetops. All this upheaval was created by only one animal’s presence- a Leopard. Many animals make alarm calls when they see a predator- Tiger or a Leopard nearby. The Langur is more reliable when it comes to finding clues about the presence of the apex predators in the jungle. The mighty elusive Leopard of Umbarzara was out of his liar. He was on the prowl. The stealthily moving figure in spotted gold- black cloak was spied by these Langurs. Even the small ones from the legions of Langurs were giving alarm calls.

‘Chyak ! Chyak !’

I stayed put. Gauged the leader Langur’s target sight and scanned the area visually. Took some steps. Stopped again. A fresh scat was lying before me on the trail. The bluish-purple flies were hovering over it. I was sure that the Leopard was somewhere near. The distant alarm call of four-horned antelope was adding to the chaos. I barely walked around 15 metres and stopped. I have apparently entered in the sanctum sanctorum of a miracle called Leopard. But the big cat was not visible. It is an elusive animal. The surroundings were reminding me that I was all alone time and again. As I moved forward on the trail to Pitezari, the fading alarm calls were still heard in the background. I could tell instinctively that the Leopard had moved away

A2. Find out : (02)

Write down the description of the forest as mentioned in the extract.

Webbed leaves of Teakwood and Maho trees.The writer was treading continuously among the woods. He was alone like a fox. The leader of the Gang of Langurs was sitting on the tall tree. Many animals make alarm calls when they see predators like tiger or leopard.

A3. Give reasons : (02)

The writer said that walking alone in jungle needs more alertness than walking with a companion………

A4. Personal Response : (02)

What precautions should be taken while venturing to an unknown place?

A5. Language study : (02)

a) I lifted my camera bag and took the familiar trail to Pitezari.

( Make a simple sentence)

Lifting my camera bag I took the familiar trail to pitezari.

b) I was treading cautiously among the woods.

( Rewrite using past perfect continuous tense)

I had been treading cautiously among the woods.

c) It was a langur alarm call.   ( Frame a Rhetorical question)

Wasn’t it a langur alarm call?

d) All this upheaval was created by only one animal’s presence.

( Begin the sentence with,only one…..”)

Only one animal’s presence created this upheaval.

e) Many animals make alarm calls when they see a predator.

( Use As soon as/No Sooner……………than construction)

As soon as many animals see a predator,they make alarm calls or 

No Sooner do many animals see a predator than they make alarm calls.

f) The langur is most reliable when it comes to finding clues about the presence of the apex predators in the jungle.  (Change the degree)

P.D. :  No other animal is as reliable as the Langur when it comes to finding clues about the presence of the apex predators in the jungle

C.D. :  The Langur is more reliable than any other animals when it comes to finding clues about the presence of the apex predators in the jungle.

g) I barely walked around 15 metres and stopped.  (Make a simple sentence)

walking around 15 metres I stopped.

h) But the big cat was not visible.  (Make it Affirmative)

But the big cat was invisible.

i) As I moved forward on the trail to Pitezari,the fading alarm calls were still heard in the background.  (Use As soon as/No Sooner……than)

As Soon as I moved forward on the trail to pitezari,the fading alarm calls were still heard in the background.

No Sooner did I move forward on the trail to pitezari than the fading alarm calls were still heard in the background.

j) I could tell instinctively that the Leopard had moved away.  (Use be able to)

I was able to tell instinctively that the leopard had moved way.

A6. Vocabualry : (02)

Find out words from the extract which mean:

a) Putting down your feet while walking = treading

b) Sudden change = upheaval

c) An animal that kills or eats animals = predator

d) Not easy to catch = elusive.

 

Activities prepared by

TUSHAR JAISINHA BAGWE.

K J SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND COMMERCE VIDYAVIHAR EAST MUMBAI 77

Mobile 9820928141

E Mail ID tushar@ Somaiya.edu