Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1 Scorpions are creatures with an evil reputation. Deaths from scorpion stings have been
known in India, but in most cases the victims have either been small children or women in
weak condition The prison is rarely strong enough to kill a healthy man, but it can give him
several hours of excruciating pain.
2. Scorpions avoid being seen. So they live under stones or fallen tree trunks, in deep
burrows dug in the soil, or in shallow depressions in the sand and sometimes in shoes or
slippers. There are over 350 different species of scorpions in the world and India provides a
home for at least 80 of them.
3 One of our commonest species is the Red Scorpion, found in the dry regions of Punjab
and most of northern, central and southern India, except in the extreme south. It has a
reddish brown body. yellowish legs and a robust yellow tail with sting attached. Another
specie which is the, One of the largest in the world, is a black and hairy beast growing to a
length of about eight inches. It walks with its belly touching the ground and usually drags its
great tail behind it. The Red Scorpion, on the other hand, raises its body high on its legs and
curls its tail over its hack. In its swifter - movements the tail is is trailed behind
4 All scorpions are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects. How such an agile, wary creature
as the cockroach allows itself to be caught by the comparatively slow-moving scorpion is a
marvel? But the life of a cockroach, when it encounters a scorpion, is brief. It either panics or
stumbles over the crouching scorpion or starts inspecting it with its long feelers. The
scorpion's pincered arms reach out, gripping the cockroach firmly. The tail comes into action,
and the victim is stabbed to death
5. Scorpions are perfectly aware of the terrible weapons with which they are armed. When
threatened or alarmed, the scorpion flourishes its sting about in a menacing fashion if
escape from a larger enemy isn't possible, it takes the offensive and boldly rushes to the
attack, claves and tail ready for assault
6 .Like some other poisons, the venom of the scorpion apparently loses its effect on a
human being and a man suffers less each time he is stung. Most authorities agree that there
isn't much one can do about a scorpion sting. The effect of the poison varies according to
the size and health of the scorpion.
Answer the following questions briefly: (10 marks)
(I) Who are the most common victims of scorpions?
(ii) What is the impact of a Scorpion sting on a healthy man?
(iii) What do scorpions prefer to do to avoid being seen?
(iv) How many different types of scorpions are found?
(v) What are the features of the red scorpion found in the dry reforms of Punjab and other
parts of India?
(vi) What do you know about the feeding habits of scorpions?
(vil) How does the black scorpion walk?
(viii) How does a scorpion hunt?
(ix) Give the word used to describe the arms of the scorpios?
(x)Find words in the passage which mean the same as the following:
(a)acute(para 1)
(b)strong(para 3)

Solution
1. Small children or women.
2. It can give him several hours of excruciating pain.
3. They live under stones or fallen tree trunks, in deep burrows dug in the soil, in shallow depressions in the sand, and sometimes in shoes or slippers. 
4. There are over 350 different species of scorpions in the world and India provides a home for at least 80 of them.
5.  It has a reddish-brown body. yellowish legs and robust yellowtail with a sting attached.
6.  All scorpions are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects.
7.  It walks with its belly touching the ground and usually drags its great tail behind it. 
8. It starts with inspecting the insect with its long feelers. The scorpion's pincered arms reach out, gripping the insect. The tail comes into action, and the victim is stabbed to death.
9. Pincered 
10. a) Excruciating 
b) Robust
 

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