LIVING IN OUR ENVIRONMENT 33 



living. These consist of getting (5) , (6) from enemies, 



(7) to surroundings and the (8) and (9) of their 



young. Both plants and animals have the same (10) prob- 

 lems and have to meet them in (11) ways, although green 



plants have to (12) their food as well as use it. Adaptations 



may be (13) such as the proboscis of an (14) or the 



(15) in a cactus, or they may be (16) which help the plant 



or animal to (17) in its struggle for life. 



STORY TEST 



JOHN WRITES ABOUT ADAPTATIONS 



Read carefully and critically. List all the errors and suggest cor- 

 rections. 



Our teacher has asked me to tell you about the adaptations I 

 found in my pet turtle. In the first place my turtle can live either 

 on land or in water and has adaptations that fit him for both kinds 

 of life. His claws, for example, are useful in swimming and the 

 heavy shell helps him to sink when he goes under water. I think 

 my turtle breathes under water, for he lets up a little stream of 

 bubbles when he is under the surface and can stay under for a 

 long time. But he always comes to the surface after a while, 

 and I notice at night he stays on land and seems to sleep there. 

 He has horny jaws which seem to be fitted for chewing his food. 

 I have watched him eat an earthworm. He grabs it with his jaws, 

 he tears it in two with his claws and then swallows the piece whole. 

 My turtle can swim, although his toes are not webbed. I guess 

 from this he is a water turtle. 



PROBLEM II. HOW ARE WE FITTED TO LIVE 

 IN OUR ENVIRONMENT? 



Man Is a Bundle of Adaptations. It is a common say- 

 ing that man is a bundle of adaptations. Did you ever 

 try to prove it true or false? Think of your own life 

 and the wonderful ways in which your body is fitted 

 for the work you do. You walk and run and jump 

 and swim without giving much thought to the mech- 

 anism of the human machine. But if you examine any 

 part of the body at all carefully, you will be amazed to 

 find the numerous adaptations that exist in it. Take, 



H. & W. SCI. 1 4 



