NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Hindi Chapter 13 पेड़ की बात

Question 1. "Just as a fish is unaware of the water in which it swims, a person remains ignorant of the medium they live in." Which of the birds in this statement is being referred to and why?
Answer: The statement alludes to the concept that people often fail to recognise their own environment. Here, water represents the atmosphere or air - the medium that organisms breathe and depend on for survival. Just as fish move through water without conscious awareness of it, humans live within air but rarely think about or acknowledge its presence in their daily lives. We take this invisible medium for granted, just like the statement suggests about ignorance of one's environment.
In simple words: Fish do not think about water because they live in it always. Similarly, we do not think about air even though we breathe it every moment.

Exam Tip: When answering analogy-based questions, identify the two things being compared and explain the parallel relationship between them clearly.

Question 2. Which two organisms have a symbiotic relationship? How do both organisms benefit from this relationship?
Answer: The plant and the insect share a mutually beneficial association. The insect moves from flower to flower seeking food, and during this movement, pollen sticks to its body. When the insect travels to other flowers, this pollen is transferred, which allows the plant to reproduce. In return, the insect gains nourishment from the nectar and pollen produced by the plant. Both organisms gain advantage from this interaction - one receives food while the other achieves pollination for reproduction.
In simple words: The insect gets food from the flower, and the flower gets help in making seeds. Both gain something they need.

Exam Tip: Always state how EACH organism benefits - mutualism requires two-way advantage, not one-sided gain.

Question 3. Discuss the process and the reasons for insects and plants developing this interdependence.
Answer: Over long periods of time, plants and insects have evolved together through a process of natural selection. Plants that produced more attractive flowers and sweeter nectar attracted more insects, which led to better pollination and more seeds. Insects that became skilled at finding and feeding on flowers survived better and produced more offspring. This continuous cycle strengthened the bond between the two groups. Plants developed flowers with specific colours, shapes, and scents to appeal to particular insect species, while insects developed body structures - like long tongues and hairy bodies - to extract nectar and carry pollen efficiently. This mutual adaptation over millions of years created a strong interdependence where both organisms cannot thrive without each other. Neither could have achieved such specialized forms without this evolutionary pressure from the other.
In simple words: Over time, plants made prettier flowers to attract insects, and insects learned to find and feed on flowers. Both changed together to help each other survive and grow.

Exam Tip: Always include the concepts of "natural selection," "adaptation," and "evolutionary time period" when discussing how organisms developed interdependence.

Question 4. "The bird is the helper and the flower is the beneficiary". In what way is the helper necessary for the flower?
Answer: The insect serves as the carrier mechanism that the flower cannot provide on its own. Flowers cannot move from place to place to find partners for reproduction. Pollen is too heavy to be carried far by the wind in most flowering plant species. The insect acts as a mobile transport system, visiting multiple flowers and transferring pollen between them, enabling sexual reproduction. Without this living intermediary, many flowering plants would be unable to complete their reproductive cycle and produce seeds. Therefore, the insect is absolutely essential for the flower's survival and continuation of its species.
In simple words: Flowers cannot move or walk. Insects carry the pollen from one flower to another, which flowers need to make seeds.

Exam Tip: Emphasise the concept of "pollination" and why stationary plants must depend on mobile creatures for reproduction.

Question 5. How do the visible characteristics of birds help them in gathering food and also improve the chances of pollination?
Answer: The physical traits of insects are precisely adapted to enhance both feeding and pollination functions. Many insects possess long, tube-shaped mouthparts that allow them to reach deep into flowers to access nectar at the base. The body surface of insects is typically covered with fine hairs that easily collect pollen as the insect moves inside the flower. These same characteristics that aid in feeding also ensure that more pollen adheres to the insect's body, improving pollination success. Some flowers have specific shapes and colours that match particular insect species - for example, red flowers attract certain insects while others prefer yellow or purple blooms. The insect's colour vision helps it locate the most rewarding flowers. Additionally, some insects have specialized leg structures for carrying and kneading pollen into compact bundles. All these visible features work together - simultaneously making the insect a more efficient feeder and a more effective pollinator.
In simple words: Insects have hairy bodies and long mouth parts. This helps them drink nectar and also collect pollen on their bodies.

Exam Tip: Link physical adaptations to BOTH feeding advantage AND pollination outcome in a single explanation - do not treat them as separate benefits.

Question 6. On the basis of the text, which of the following is the writer trying to communicate through this bird-flower narrative?
Answer: The writer conveys the concept of ecological interdependence and the hidden connections that sustain life on Earth. Through the bird-flower example, the author demonstrates that no organism exists in isolation - everything is linked to everything else in nature. The narrative shows that even small, often-overlooked creatures like insects play roles of tremendous importance in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. The writer also communicates that humans, like fish unaware of water, frequently fail to notice these intricate relationships around us. Additionally, the passage highlights that natural systems are built on mutual cooperation rather than competition alone. The underlying message is that understanding and respecting these interdependencies is crucial for human survival and the health of the planet, since we too are part of these interconnected networks.
In simple words: The writer wants to show that all living things depend on each other. Nothing can live alone in nature.

Exam Tip: Look for the "larger message" or "central idea" the author conveys through specific examples - this is different from just summarising what happened in the text.