Animals’ Struggle

for Survival
• Lesson 2
Look at the pictures below, are you familiar with these
animals?
 Increasing Your Word Power
• Study the words and their meaning in the box, then read the sentences that follow.
On the line, write the word that completes each sentence correctly.
Voracious Having a huge appetite
Deterrent Something that discourages
Tundra Treeless plain
Young Children or offspring of parent/s
Deadlock Stoppage of action
Imminent Ready to take place
Scarce Not plentiful
Forthcoming Coming soon
Threatening Expressing an intention to cause
somebody deliberate harm or pain
confrontation A face-to-face encounter especially a
hostile one
1. The tsunami was __________ to hit the coastal areas of Japan and
Indonesia
2. A _________ between relatives in a television show is not appropriate for Voracious
young viewers.
3. There was a __________ decision of the Supreme Court concerning the Deterrent
case of the poor farmers.
Tundra
4. The __________ locust invasion of the rice field in Nueva Ecija was
prevented by the bombardment of thick smoke loaded with organic Young
materials.
5. Canada’s snow-covered ___________ is the feeding ground of the musk Deadlock
oxen.
Imminent
6. A ___________ eater will never be satisfied with eating a few cups of rice
and a bowl of Adobo. Scarce
7. Whenever drought hits a town or province, the harvest of rice and
vegetables is _________. Forthcoming
8. The judges could not reach a verdict of who won the contest. The
Threatening
chairperson had to break the ___________.
9. Corrupt government officials’ act of thievery is a ___________ to the confrontation
economic growth of the country.
10. The mother hen enveloped its _____________ with its wings.
Click icon to add picture

Animals’
Struggle for
Survival
By Vickie L. Magbag
 The chilly autumn morning was
not a deterrent to the voracious
appetite of the musk oxen in the
tundra of North Canada. They were
all grazing on sparse grass around
the area, unmindful of the
approaching danger. They had to
fatten themselves for the
forthcoming winter when food
would become scarce.
 Luckily, one of the musk oxen raised
its head and caught the quiet approach of
imminent danger. Wolves were slowly
moving toward the herd. The ox made a
peculiar sound and the rest of the oxen
became alarmed. They started to circle
their young, each one facing away form
the center. The wolves stopped and stared
at the musk oxen. The long-haired
animals, with their downward-curving
horns looked so threatening. Slowly, the
wolves turned away. This confrontation
scene between the pack of wolves and the
herd of musk oxen is a typical example of
how animals behave in the face of danger,
an act of survival.
 Living on Earth is a
great struggle not only
for human beings but
for animals as well, just
like the people, animals
have basic needs that
must be fulfilled too. In
order to survive, they
must have food, water
and shelter.
 Let us focus on the issue of
food. A great number of these
animals are predators. They
hunt for food. The problem is
that animals are not only
predators but prey too. They
eat the animals, but they also
end up being eaten by others
too! Worms are eaten by
chicks, chicks are preyed upon
by hawks, hawks are eaten by
mountain lions.
 Fortunately, most animals
have defense mechanisms that
can help them survive and
preserve their species. One of
them is the use of their body
parts. Who will dare challenge
the sharp teeth and powerful
jaws of tigers and lions? And
who will dare feast on the
rock-hard carapace of a turtle,
a perfect hideaway for its
head, limbs, and tail?
 The horns of bulls, caribous,
elephants, and goats are
powerful tools for combat. The
claws of eagles, falcons, bears
and even domesticated cats
are fatal weapons, too, once
put into use. The three-banded
armadillo, which means “the
armored one” has a body
casing for protection. It coils
into a tight ball once
threatened.
 Another effective form of
animal defense is
camouflage. The spots and
colors of leopards,
cheetahs, snakes, and
butterflies can match their
surroundings. The
chameleon is a master of
disguise.
 Some animals have
unusual behavioral defense.
Some lizards ward off their
tails. While the tail twitches,
the lizard escapes! The tail
grows back after a few days.
Can you imagine that?
Some animals are like Halloween
characters. The horned lizard is
a “zombie”. It plays dead when
threatened. The worst part is it
squirts blood from its eyes that
can confuse the attacker. The
opossum deserves the “Best
Zombie Actor” award. It drops
dead, with mouth open, teeth
bared and releases a rancid
smelling green liquid from its
anal glands!
 No one would like to be around
some animals known for the foul
smell they produce. On top of the
list is the skunk. If the musk
directly hits the victim, he or she
will suffer from temporary
blindness. A sea bird called
fulmar is famous for its horrible
smell. Fulmar chicks vomit smelly
oil from its stomach that sticks to
the predators’ feathers, which
become matted, and can lead to
their death.
 The aforementioned animals’ defense
mechanisms are just some of the ways animals
protect themselves from their enemies. Indeed,
do you not find these animals truly amazing?
Getting Main Ideas
Main Idea of a Paragraph

The main idea of a paragraph is like a string

that holds a necklace of beads together. It binds
the sentences in the paragraph so that they
make sense.
The details in the sentences are related to
each other, and they usually refer to one
particular topic.
Direct Topic Sentence
The sentence that directly states the
main idea of the paragraph is called the
topic sentence.
It can be found in the beginning, in the
middle, or at the end of a paragraph.
Read the paragraph below and take note of the details that are
found in each sentence.

In the Philippines, Filipino doctors, nurses,

teachers, engineers, construction workers, and
domestic helpers leave the country to seek paying jobs
abroad. They work hard and sacrifice a lot, leaving
behind their loved ones so that their families can have
better lives. Truly, the millions of overseas Filipino
workers are the unsung heroes of our country.

The topic sentence is the underlined statement. The details on

the other sentences refer to the overseas Filipino workers.
Implied Topic Sentence
The topic sentence and the main idea are
not stated directly. One has to combine
ideas from different sentences in the
paragraph to figure out what the main idea
is.
The reader has to figure out the main
idea and state it in his own words.
 The chameleon protects itself by blending the color
of its skin with its surroundings. The stripes of the
tiger help it hide in the jungle. Some fish blend with
the sand and mud in the water. Certain birds shed
brown feathers and grow white ones to hide in the
winter snow.
Which of the following sentences states the main idea of the
paragraph?
A. Fish blend in with mud and sand in the ocean.
B. Animals protect themselves by blending in with their
surroundings.
C. A tiger’s stripes help the animal hide in the jungle.
Seatwork: Reading
August 24

Read again the paragraph from “The Animal’s Struggle for Survival”. Find out what the main
idea of each paragraph is. Write your answer on the line.

Paragraph 1: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 4: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 5: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 6: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 7: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 8: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 9: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 10: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Seatwork: Reading August 25, 2021
The phrases inside the box are all about four different topics. Look for the appropriate title
and write them on the first line of each circle. Then, fill up the circles with the phrases related
to the titles.

Discomfort in walking shortage in food and

A serious financial Exposure in the
and travelling portable water
problem in the family international market
More jobs for Filipino
workers Increase in the
Promotion of local Failure to enroll
products consumption of cola
Increase in the
drinks and juices
consumption of electricity
Tightening one’s belt Drowning of animals Massive flooding in the Destruction of
rural areas infrastructures

Possibility of exports Increase of tuition fees Drought in the rural areas

 Topic: International Topic: El Nino
Trade Expo in China Phenomenon
A. A.
shortage in food and] shortage in food and]
B. B.
C. C.
D. D.

Topic: Financial Crisis Topic: Illegal logging

A.
B. A.
shortage in food and] shortage in food and]
C. B.
D. C.
E.