Comprehension: The Dodo
1. Where did the Dodos live and how did they originally get there? (2 marks)
The dodo was endemic to the island of Mauritius, 500 miles from the Eastern coast
of Madagascar. The dodo was primarily a forest bird, occasionally venturing closer to
the shoreline. More than 26 million years ago, these pigeon-like birds found paradise
while exploring the Indian Ocean: the Mascarene Islands.
2. What happened during the Age of Exploration? (1 mark)
Humans discovered Mauritius during the Age of Exploration.
3. How did the Dodos evolve over time? What made them different from other
birds? (2 marks)
With abundant food and no predators, the birds had no reason to leave. And so, over
the years their descendants slowly grew bigger and heavier, their beaks grew larger,
their wings smaller
4. Apart from humans on the island, what other factors led to the extinction or death of
Dodos on the island? (3 marks)
The dodo only lived on one island - Mauritius. ... The dodo's natural habitat was almost
completely destroyed after people started settling on Mauritius. And when pigs, cats and
monkeys were introduced, they added to the problem by eating the dodo and its eggs.
5. How does the sailor’s last encounter of the Dodo make you feel? Would you
change something or do the same? Answer why. (4 marks)
It makes me feel very bad. If I was there I would secure them & hide them in a place
where no one could go.
6. What do you understand by the term ‘extinction’? (1 mark)
I understand by the term ‘extinction’ that this thing is no longer here on planet earth. It
whipped out.
7. What role have the Dutch people played when observing the history of Dodos? (3
marks) \
The Dutch colonized the island in
1638. They tried to farm and settle the land. They
wanted to produce exports. They wanted the island
to be more like their homes in the Netherlands.
They brought pigs, chickens, cats, and other
animals, even deer. They also brought the rats that
hid on their ships.
8. In 5-6 lines, write about what you think regarding the extinction and hunting of
Dodos. Do you think it was a good thing or a bad thing? (4 marks)
Over-harvesting of the birds, combined with habitat loss and a losing competition with
the newly introduced animals, was too much for the dodos to survive. The last dodo
was killed in 1681, and the species was lost forever to extinction. It is obviously a
bad thing that there are no Dodos left in the world.
9. What important event happened in each of the following years: (3 marks)
• 1833:It was only the most popular. Hundreds of plants and animals from Mauritius
are now gone forever due to human activity.
• 1662 :The last recorded encounter with a dodo happened
in 1662. A shipwrecked sailor wrote that he and
his friends had caught a dodo.
• 1638: Humans discovered Mauritius during the Age of
Exploration. The Dutch colonized the island.
10.Find meanings of the following words from the text: (6 marks)
a) Extinct : having no living members; no longer in existence.
b) Adapted: become adjusted to new conditions
c) Encounter :unexpectedly be faced with or experience
d) Impact :a marked effect or influence
e) Descended :move or fall downwards
f) Flightless :Unable to fly. ... Incapable of flying.
g) Noble :belonging by rank, title, or birth to the aristocracy
h) Evolving :develop gradually.
11. Choose any 4 words from the above exercise and make a sentence for each. (4
marks)
Evolving: Over time, the earth has evolved because of humans using it for agriculture.
Flightless: The ostrich is a flightless bird.
Noble: He is a noble man, we all admire him.
Extinct: The Dodo is an extinct bird.
