1.3 Autobiography of a Great Indian Bustard

Q.1. Read the passage aloud.

Q.2. You are going to meet a Great Indian Bustard very soon. Prepare at least 10 questions to interview him.
Ans.Hello! It is nice to meet you! Please answer a few questions:

1. What can you tell us about yourself?
2. Where are you and your friends found in India?
3. When are you the most happiest?
4. Why are your numbers on a decline across the globe?
5. Which are the organisations which are supporting you in your struggle for survival?
6. How can the government play a role to help birds and animals on the verge of extinction?
7. Whose initiatives have led to increased awareness about the plight of the Great Indian Bustard?
8. How can media help you in creating awareness about the problems faced by you?
9. What would you like the children to do to support you in order to survive?

10.Do you have any message for human beings?

Q.3.Play the roles of an interviewer and a Great Indian Bustard and present the interview in the classroom.

Q.4.Write u letter to your friend about the Great Indian Bustard. You may use the following points:
1.Why we need to protect the bird.
2.What you plan to do to help the bird.

Ans.Dear Mira
Hi there!How are you? How are your academic activities? Hope this letter finds you in good health and happiness. I am writing this letter to express my concern about the fact that only the last 200 of the GIBs are left in this world.

The animals, birds, insects, trees, rivers, seas and other elements of nature including man are all the part of a link which binds us together, and which keeps us going. It is high time we protect the Great Indian Bustard and other species which are on the verge of extinction.

How right are the words, “Let’s preserve nature, if not for anything else, For the beauty and strength it inspires!”
We can protect the birds by creating awareness through our school magazine. We can write letters to the government officials too. We can discuss this issue with the elders. We can ask our teacher to take us to sanctuaries to have a better understanding of the life of the Great Indian Bustard.

Let us remember: ‘The future lies in our hands. Let us preserve and protect all the elements of nature.’
Please think about this issue.

Q.5.Form pairs and decide whether the following statements are those of a Great Indian Bustard or not.

Q.6. With the help of the internet and other sources, obtain more information about the critically endangered birds and animals in India. Find the names of their sanctuaries.

Q.7. Prepare a poster on the need for the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard.

Q.8. Write a short autobiography of any bird or animal of your choice.

Ans.Hello friends! I reside in a dense jungle. I love rains and I express my joy by dancing in the rain. People say watching me dance is indeed a beautiful sight. Yes, I am a peacock. I long to fly in the high blue sky like the pigeon. I wish I could fly above the clouds and beyond. Alas! It is not possible.

But I count my blessings. My beauty and the fact that I am the National Bird of India gives me reasons to rejoice and celebrate. Next time you see a graceful bird with a bright shining tail, dancing to its heart’s content in the rainy seasons, you can be rest assured, it’s me.

I have a humble request. Please preserve and protect us. Many of us – my fellow beings are on the verge of extinction. Please save us else we will soon become a part of history.
Remember: Harmony between man and wild life is the only way to solve all the problems faced by the world.
Come, together let us co-exist.

Q.9. Make a list of the channels available on your TV under the following categories:
News, entertainment, sports, movies, music, etc.
Which are the channels on which you can watch programmes on animals, wildlife, conservation of environment, etc.?

Q.10. Ask your parents to show you TV programmes on animals, wildlife and conservation of environment on channels like the following:
DD National, National Geographic, Discovery and Animal Planet.

Q.11. You have won a prize to visit a wildlife sanctuary or National Park in Africa or Australia. Choose a location, read about it. Imagine that you are visiting it and write a letter to your friend about it.

Q.12. Language Study: Identify the following from the list given in the box below :
4 nouns, 4 verbs, 4 adjectives, 4 adverbs, 4 pronouns.