Unseen Passage - 1 | English Grammar Class 8 PDF Download

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Have you ever heard the sound of a hummingbird? They make a buzzing noise when they fly. They make this noise because they beat their wings very fast. They beat their wings up to 80 times a second. All that flapping makes a lot of noise. That’s why we call them hummingbirds. Hummingbirds fly in a unique way. They move their wings so fast that they can hover. This means that they can stay in one spot in the middle of the air. They are the only bird that flies backward too. Hummingbirds need lots of energy to move as fast as they do. This means that they need to eat a lot of food. Their favourite food is nectar, a sweet liquid found inside some flowers. They drink nectar in large quantity, daily. They have to visit hundreds of flowers to get enough nectar to live. Hummingbirds use their tongues for eating, not their long beaks. Hummingbirds help flowers too. They get pollen on their heads and bills when they feed. Flowers use pollen to make seeds. Hummingbirds spread pollen from one flower to the other. This helps flowers make more seeds. More seeds mean more flowers. More flowers mean more food for hummingbirds. Isn’t it nice how that works out?

On the basis of your reading the above passage choose the most appropriate option and complete the sentences:
(i) They are called hummingbirds because ______.
(a) they are very light
(b) they sing when they fly
(c) their wings make a humming sound
(d) they move very fast

Correct Answer is Option (c)

(ii) Humming birds can hover because ______.
(a) they can move their wings very fast.
(b) they can fly backward.
(c) they have a lot of energy.
(d) they can fly very fast.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

(iii) Humming birds visit hundreds of flowers because ______
(a) they need enough nectar to live.
(b) they eat pollen.
(c) they spread pollen from one flower to the next.
(d) they plant seeds.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

(iv) This is the only bird that ______ 
(a) can fly faster than any other bird.
(b) can fly longer than any other bird.
(c) can fly backward.
(d) cannot hover in mid air.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

(v) Humming birds help flowers by ______
(a) spreading pollen from flower to flower.
(b) spreading seeds by carrying them on their heads.
(c) spreading seeds by carrying them on their bills.
(d) all the above.

Correct Answer is Option (a)