Question

The hopping kangaroo is a familiar sight in every snapshot relating to Australia. Members of the kangaroo family can be as small as a rat or as big as a man. Kangaroos are found mainly in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. Kangaroos, which are big-footed marsupials that evolved in Australia, use their short front legs like arms. The man-sized kangaroos of Australia are capable of speeding up to 88 km/hr for short distances, their means of locomotion being their powerful hind legs, which carry them over the ground in jumps of 9 m or more at a time.
Weighing around 70 kg, they have an average lifespan of around six to eight years and a maximum lifetime of 20 years. When bothered by predators, kangaroos often head for the water, standing submerged to the chest and attempting to drown the attacker by holding him under water. Another defensive technique is to get their back to a tree and kick at their adversary with their clawed hind feet, sometimes with sufficient force to kill a man. Normally shy animals, they alert other kangaroos to danger by beating on the ground with their hind feet. This loud alarm signal carries over a long distance.
The tail is important for kangaroos. It holds them in balance and supports them when they sit or fight against other kangaroos. The kangaroo uses its short legs as arms. With them it scratches itself, cleans its fur and holds branches when it eats leaves. Kangaroos are marsupials and the females carry newborns in a pouch in front of their abdomens. The babies are born small and climb up into safety of the pouch. There, for the next 225 days or so, they eat, sleep and grow. Once they reach full development, they leave the pouch. A young kangaroo that leaves the pouch is called a ‘joey’. To keep from getting too hot, the kangaroos take naps in the afternoon and do most of their grazing at night. But the best stay-cool secret of these creatures is the spit bath! Kangaroos drool and lick saliva all over their faces and bodies to cool down.

On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences with appropriate words/phrases:
(a) When followed by predators, kangaroos submerge ____________ and _________________.

(b) The powerful hind legs help kangaroos to __________________.

(c) Kangaroos are mainly found in Australia and are ____________________.

(d) They use their front legs to ___________________.

(e) Kangaroos warn others of danger by _______________________.

(f) The secret of kangaroos to stay cool is ______________________.

(g) They use their tails to _________________________.

(h) Before becoming ‘joeys’, the young ones stay in the ______________ and ________________.

Answer 1

a) to the chest in water and attempt to drown the attackers by holding them under water

b) locomote over the ground and take jumps of 9 m or more at a time

c) big-footed marsupials

d) scratch themselves, clean their fur and hold branches when they eat leaves

e) beating the ground with their hind feet

f) the spit bath

g) hold them in balance and support them when they fight against other kangaroos

h) pouches in front of their mothers’ abdomens and eat, sleep and grow for 225 days or so

Answer 2

(a) themselves up to their chests and attempt to drown the attacker by holding him under water.

(b) carry themselves over the ground in jumps of 9 metres or more at a single time.

(c) also found in Tasmania and New Guinea.

(d) fulfil the functions of arms.

(e) beating on the ground with their hind feet.

(f) licking saliva all over their faces and bodies.

(g) support themselves when they sit or fight against other kangaroos.

(h) female kangaroo’s pouch, and for the next 225 days, they eat sleep and grow there.