Comprehension Assignment

Reading for Understanding

Q1) Why is it important to go hunting for eagle and vulture eggs in early spring
rather than in the late spring?
Ans) It is important to go hunting for eagle and vulture eggs in early spring
because eagles and vultures lay eggs in February and the eggs which were laid
would hatch till late spring.

Q2) What evidences is there in the second paragraph that eagles are both
physically tough and cowardly?
Ans) In the second paragraph the narrator narrates that he had taken the eggs
when the snow covered inches of the ground and when the frost was quite severe
enough to kill the mother eagle as she sat on her eggs. This proves that the eagles
are tough by struggling in such harsh weather but still providing warmth to their
eggs. By the cowardness the narrator inquires that in his opinion eagles are the
most cowardly bird.

Q3) What are the dangers involved in hunting bird’s eggs?

Ans) The dangers involved in hunting bird’s eggs are, the danger of climbing up a
big tree or over the face of a precipitous cliff and the danger of being pecked.

Q4) Where would you expect eagles to lay their eggs? Where did the writer find
that they laid them?
Ans) I would expect eagles to lay their eggs on the branches of high trees in order
to keep the eggs safe from land animals. The narrator found the nests on a big
tree or over the face of a precipitous cliff or in a quite place on land, he also found
the nests on the ground where it is quite peacefull.

Q5) ‘Out on the grassy plains, where there are no trees at all, the eagles actually
build their nests on the ground.’ In this sentence which word tells you that the
writer is expressing surprise at the eagles’ nesting habits?
Ans) In this sentence the word ground or grassy plains are expressing surprise
because it is odd to one’s ear that the eagles lay eggs on ground and not on
branches of the trees or on a high cliff.
 Vocabulary

1) Explain the meaning of:

a) Precipitous: high, steep
b) Downy: soft, delicate
c) Pecked at: to be hit by a bird’s beak
d) Bough: a big branch of a tree
e) Favourable: according to a person’s liking
f) Feeding ground: where the animals try to find food for little ones

2) Write another word or phrase to replace the following in the text:

a) Habits: manner
b) Advanced: state of art/ better
c) Fierce: ferocious
d) Severe: grave
e) Cowardly: chicken-hearted
f) Splendid: marvelous