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Unit 5, Lesson 3: Dancing Bears
Two Alaskan Kodiak bears joined a small circus where the pair appeared in a nightly parade pulling a covered wagon. The two were taught to somersault, to spin, to stand on their heads, and to dance on their hind legs, paw in paw, stepping in unison. Under a spotlight, the dancing bears—a male and a female—soon became favorites of the crowd. The circus went south on a West Coast tour through Canada to California and on down into Mexico, through Panama into South America, down the Andes the length of Chile to those southernmost isles of Tierra del Fuego.
There, a jaguar jumped a juggler and afterward mortally mauled the animal trainer. The shocked show people disbanded in dismay and horror. In the confusion, the bears went their own way. Without a master, they wandered off by themselves into the wilderness on those densely wooded, wildly windy, subantarctic islands. Utterly away from people, on an out-of-the-way uninhabited island, and in a climate they found ideal, the bears mated, thrived, multiplied, and after a number of generations populated the entire island. Indeed, after some years, descendants of the two moved out onto half a dozen adjacent islands; and seventy years later, when scientists finally found and enthusiastically studied the bears, it was discovered that all of them, to a bear, were performing splendid circus tricks.
On nights when the sky is bright and the moon is full, they gather to dance. They gather the cubs and the juveniles in a circle around them. They gather out of the wind at the center of a sparkling, circular crater left by a meteorite that had fallen in a bed of chalk. Its glassy walls are chalk white, its flat floor is covered with white gravel, and it is well-drained and dry. No vegetation grows within.
When the moon rises above it, the light reflecting off the walls fills the crater with a pool of moonlight, so that it is twice as bright on the crater floor as anywhere else in that vicinity. Scientists speculate that originally the full moon had reminded the two bears of the circus spotlight, and for that reason, they danced. Yet, it might be asked, what music do the descendants dance to? Paw in paw, stepping in unison—what music can they possibly hear inside their heads as they dance under the full moon and the Aurora Australis, as they dance in brilliant silence?
Note:
- Kodiak: A type of bear that comes from Kodiak Island in Alaska.
- Somersault: A movement where someone or something rolls over completely in the air or on the ground.
- Unison: Doing something at the same time as others.
- Jaguar: A large wild cat found mainly in South America.
- Mauled: Attacked and injured badly by a person or animal.
- Subantarctic: Areas close to but just north of Antarctica.
- Adjacent: Next to or very close to something.
- Speculate: To guess or make an assumption about something.
- Aurora Australis: A natural light display in the sky near the South Pole.
- Meteorite: A piece of rock or metal from space that lands on Earth.
- Crater: A bowl-shaped hole in the ground caused by something like a meteorite.
- Vicinity: The area around a particular place.
Vocabulary List
| Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Somersault | Unison | Jaguar |
| Mauled | Subantarctic | Adjacent |
| Speculate | Aurora Australis | Meteorite |
| Crater | Vicinity | Thrived |
Multiple Choice Questions
- What did the traveler seek while exploring the subantarctic region?
- a) Rare minerals
- b) The Aurora Australis
- c) New species of wildlife
- d) Lost treasures
- Which animal attacked the camper during their forest exploration?
- a) A wolf
- b) A jaguar
- c) A bear
- d) A lion
- What did the scientists speculate about?
- a) Human history
- b) Life on other planets
- c) The depth of the ocean
- d) The existence of ghosts
- Where is a meteorite most likely to be found?
- a) Deep underwater
- b) In the atmosphere
- c) On Earth's surface
- d) Inside volcanoes
- What does the word "vicinity" mean in the text?
- a) Isolation
- b) Distance
- c) Nearby area
- d) Barrier
- How did the business perform after changing its marketing strategy?
- a) It struggled more
- b) It remained the same
- c) It thrived
- d) It faced losses
- Which of the following describes a "crater"?
- a) A mountain peak
- b) A bowl-shaped hole
- c) A flowing river
- d) A tall cliff
Short Questions
- What tricks were the Kodiak bears taught to perform in the circus?
- Why did the circus disband during its tour?
- Where did the bears settle after being left alone?
- What is unique about the crater where the bears gather to dance?
- Why do scientists believe the bears continue to dance under the full moon?
Fill in the Blanks
Two Alaskan Kodiak bears joined a small __________ where they appeared in a nightly parade pulling a covered __________. They were taught to __________, to spin, to stand on their __________, and to dance on their hind legs, paw in paw, stepping in __________. The circus went on a tour from Canada to __________ and further south into __________, through Panama into South America, down the Andes to the southernmost isles of __________.
Answers
Word Details
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Somersault (Noun) | A movement where someone or something rolls over completely in the air or on the ground | Bengali: কূপমণ্ডূক | IPA: /ˈsʌmərˌsɔːlt/ | The gymnast performed a perfect somersault during the competition. |
| Unison (Noun) | Doing something at the same time as others | Bengali: একসঙ্গে | IPA: /ˈjuːnɪsən/ | The choir sang in unison, creating a beautiful harmony. |
| Jaguar (Noun) | A large wild cat found mainly in South America | Bengali: জাগুয়ার | IPA: /ˈdʒæɡwɑːr/ | The jaguar is known for its strength and agility in the wild. |
| Mauled (Verb) | Attacked and injured badly by a person or animal | Bengali: নখরাঘাতে জখম | IPA: /mɔːld/ | The camper was mauled by a bear while exploring the forest. |
| Subantarctic (Adjective) | Areas close to but just north of Antarctica | Bengali: উপ-অ্যান্টার্কটিক | IPA: /ˌsʌbænˈtɑːrktɪk/ | Subantarctic islands are known for their harsh, windy climate. |
| Adjacent (Adjective) | Next to or very close to something | Bengali: সন্নিহিত | IPA: /əˈdʒeɪsənt/ | The library is adjacent to the main building of the university. |
| Speculate (Verb) | To guess or make an assumption about something | Bengali: অনুমান করা | IPA: /ˈspɛkjʊleɪt/ | Scientists speculate about the possibility of life on other planets. |
| Aurora Australis (Noun) | A natural light display in the sky near the South Pole | Bengali: দক্ষিণের আলো | IPA: /ɔːˈrɔːrə ɔːˈstreɪlɪs/ | Many travelers dream of witnessing the Aurora Australis in person. |
| Meteorite (Noun) | A piece of rock or metal from space that lands on Earth | Bengali: উল্কাপিণ্ড | IPA: /ˈmiːtiəˌraɪt/ | Scientists discovered a large meteorite crater in the desert. |
| Crater (Noun) | A bowl-shaped hole in the ground caused by something like a meteorite | Bengali: খাদ | IPA: /ˈkreɪtə/ | The astronauts explored the lunar crater during their mission. |
| Vicinity (Noun) | The area around a particular place | Bengali: আশেপাশে | IPA: /vɪˈsɪnɪti/ | There are several cafes in the vicinity of the train station. |
| Thrived (Verb) | Grew or developed successfully | Bengali: সমৃদ্ধ হয়েছে | IPA: /θraɪvd/ | The business thrived after adopting a new marketing strategy. |
Multiple Choice Questions
- What did the traveler seek while exploring the subantarctic region?
- a) Rare minerals
- b) The Aurora Australis ✅
- c) New species of wildlife
- d) Lost treasures
- Which animal attacked the camper during their forest exploration?
- a) A wolf
- b) A jaguar
- c) A bear ✅
- d) A lion
- What did the scientists speculate about?
- a) Human history
- b) Life on other planets ✅
- c) The depth of the ocean
- d) The existence of ghosts
- Where is a meteorite most likely to be found?
- a) Deep underwater
- b) In the atmosphere
- c) On Earth's surface ✅
- d) Inside volcanoes
- What does the word "vicinity" mean in the text?
- a) Isolation
- b) Distance
- c) Nearby area ✅
- d) Barrier
- How did the business perform after changing its marketing strategy?
- a) It struggled more
- b) It remained the same
- c) It thrived ✅
- d) It faced losses
- Which of the following describes a "crater"?
- a) A mountain peak
- b) A bowl-shaped hole ✅
- c) A flowing river
- d) A tall cliff
Short Questions with Answers
-
What tricks were the Kodiak bears taught to perform in the circus?
They were taught to somersault, spin, stand on their heads, and dance on their hind legs, paw in paw, stepping in unison. -
Why did the circus disband during its tour?
The circus disbanded in dismay and horror after a jaguar attacked and mortally mauled the animal trainer. -
Where did the bears settle after being left alone?
The bears wandered into the wilderness of subantarctic islands, away from people, and settled on an uninhabited island. -
What is unique about the crater where the bears gather to dance?
The crater has glassy, chalk-white walls, a flat gravel-covered floor, is well-drained, and vegetation does not grow within it. -
Why do scientists believe the bears continue to dance under the full moon?
Scientists speculate that the full moon reminds the bears of the circus spotlight, leading them to continue their dance.
Fill in the Blanks - Answer Key
Two Alaskan Kodiak bears joined a small circus where they appeared in a nightly parade pulling a covered wagon. They were taught to somersault, to spin, to stand on their heads, and to dance on their hind legs, paw in paw, stepping in unison. The circus went on a tour from Canada to California and further south into Mexico, through Panama into South America, down the Andes to the southernmost isles of Tierra del Fuego.
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- 📌Content: Class VIII – Unit Five, Lesson 3: Dancing Bears (Page 50)
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- 📌 Content: Class VIII – Unit Five, Lesson 3: Dancing Bears (Page 50)
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