COMPREHENSION KEY STAGE The of the Sea YEAR2 6

The is a curious animal indeed. Although this large sea creature has a rather plain body, similar to that of a big seal, what makes it remarkable is the long, straight, narrow tusk protruding from its head. What’s more, unlike that of an elephant or rhino, the narwhal’s tusk is a beautiful twisted spiral, reminiscent of the horn belonging to the unicorn, a mythical, horse-like animal, first written about thousands of years ago. Ancient Greek scholars believed the unicorn to be a real creature and this idea persisted until the (about 500 years ago). By this time, people believed that you could use a unicorn horn to detect ; they thought that it would make a poisoned liquid bubble, thus warning the drinker. Narwhal tusks were sold at astronomical prices to wealthy buyers, who foolishly believed that they were purchasing unicorn horns. During Elizabeth I’s reign, European sailors explored the world in wooden sailing ships, returning with specimens of plants and animals. In 1577, Martin Frobisher, an English explorer, sailed to Canada searching for a passage through to India. He found something unusual – a creature he later called a ‘sea unicorn’. In fact, it was a dead narwhal. It had been washed up on an icy beach and preserved by the freezing weather. On his return to England, Frobisher presented the tusk to Queen Elizabeth, who considered it to be so precious that she kept it under lock and key alongside the crown jewels. As knowledge about the narwhal spread, belief in faded. Like dragons, unicorns were now regarded as imaginary creatures, existing only in stories. The ‘unicorn horns’ that had been traded for hundreds of years were, of course, narwhal tusks. It is likely that most of these had come from narwhal killed by Vikings as they fished in the North Atlantic seas. The narwhal’s natural habitat is icy, arctic water, so these northern seamen would have been the only people likely to have caught them. They would have sold or traded the tusks, allowing the buyers to believe they were purchasing a valuable unicorn horn. The beluga whale, the porpoise and the dolphin are the narwhal’s closest relatives and like them, it has pointed teeth to catch prey. The tusk of the narwhal is actually one of its two front teeth, which has continued to grow as the animal

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matures. In an adult male, the tusk can reach a huge length – sometimes three metres long. Usually, only the male of the species grows a tusk, although a small percentage of females do have one. Rarely, male narwhal may grow two tusks (where both front teeth have continued to grow) but it is not known why this happens. Even though scientists have now known about narwhal for hundreds of years, there is still debate about why it has such an extraordinary tusk. All animals have evolved to have physical features and abilities that give them advantages in the battle to survive: helping them to find food, to keep warm (or cool), to attract a mate or protect themselves from predators. The strong, prehensile tail of a monkey helps it grasp branches as it forages in treetops; an eagle’s sharp claws help it grip prey. So what is the purpose of the narwhal’s tusk? Narwhal live in arctic habitats which are perilous to navigate and difficult for divers to operate in. This makes it almost impossible to observe narwhal behaviour over prolonged periods of time. Over the years, many different theories have been proposed: the tusk could be for navigation; for battling with rival males; for fighting off predators; or for attracting mates. A team of scientists carried out experiments on captured narwhal. They deduced that a narwhal uses its tusk to tell the difference between salt and fresh water; that they can sense water temperature and pressure (and therefore depth), supporting the theory that this long, hard spike is actually a sensitive probe for informing the narwhal about its environment. While the debate about the purpose of the narwhal’s tusk continues, what is certain is that this animal, with its magnificent tusk, remains a glorious example of the diversity of life on earth. As global warming melts the ice sheets which provide protection for the narwhal, it becomes easier to hunt. The narwhal is fast becoming an endangered species. We should celebrate and preserve this remarkable creature – the ‘unicorn of the sea’.

PAGE 2 OF 2 COMPREHENSION SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS KEY STAGE The Unicorn of the Sea YEAR2 6

In the first paragraph, what does the word What did Martin Frobisher find? 1 curious indicate? Tick one. 2 Tick one. £ inquisitive £ A unicorn £ rare £ A unicorn's horn £ unusual £ A tusk £ eager to learn £ A dead narwhal £ appealing £ The queen's jewels

For what reason does the text suggest that According to the text, which of these 3 Viking fishermen allowed purchasers to 4 statements is true? believe they were buying genuine unicorns' Tick one. horns? The tusk is found exclusively on Tick one. £ male narwhal They didn't realise there was any The narwhal only ever have one £ difference £ tusk They could charge a higher price £ £ Female narwhal often have a tusk £ They didn't want to upset the buyer £ Narwhal, both male and female, £ They liked to trick the buyers occasionally have two tusks Occasionally, female narwhal have £ a tusk

In paragraph 5, that starts, 'Even though In paragraph 6, that starts, 'So what 5 scientists …', which of these reasons are 6 is the purpose …', what does perilous given for animals evolving specific physical mean? features? Tick one. Tick more than one. £ confusing £ To find food £ dangerous £ To climb trees £ cold £ To attract a mate £ impossible £ To swim in cold arctic waters £ predictable £ To catch prey £ To keep warm or cool

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SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS The Unicorn of the Sea KEY STAGE YEAR2 6

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Which of these reasons were deduced by the scientists who experimented with captive narwhal 7 to discover the purpose of their tusk? Tick more than one. £ To fight off predators £ To sense how deep they are in the water £ To tell whether water is salt or fresh £ To attract a mate £ To sense temperature

The statements below summarise the contents of the text's paragraphs. 8 Number them to show the order they appear in the text. The first is done for you. About evolution and animals' special features 1 Introduction to the narwhal Information about the tusk itself The threat to the narwhal Debate about the purpose of the narwhal's tusk Who caught narwhal and sold their tusks When the narwhal was discovered

PAGE 2 OF 2 COMPREHENSION ANSWER SHEET KEY STAGE The Unicorn of the Sea YEAR2 6

In the first paragraph, what does the word What did Martin Frobisher find? 1 curious indicate? Tick one. 2 Tick one. £ inquisitive £ A unicorn £ rare £ A unicorn's horn n unusual £ A tusk £ eager to learn n A dead narwhal £ appealing £ The queen's jewels

For what reason does the text suggest that According to the text, which of these 3 Viking fishermen allowed purchasers to 4 statements is true? believe they were buying genuine unicorns' Tick one. horns? The tusk is found exclusively on Tick one. £ male narwhal They didn't realise there was any The narwhal only ever have one £ difference £ tusk They could charge a higher price n £ Female narwhal often have a tusk £ They didn't want to upset the buyer £ Narwhal, both male and female, £ They liked to trick the buyers occasionally have two tusks Occasionally, female narwhal have n a tusk

In paragraph 5, that starts, 'Even though In paragraph 6, that starts, 'So what 5 scientists …', which of these reasons are 6 is the purpose …', what does perilous given for animals evolving specific physical mean? features? Tick one. Tick more than one. £ confusing To find food n n dangerous £ To climb trees £ cold To attract a mate n £ impossible £ To swim in cold arctic waters £ predictable £ To catch prey n To keep warm or cool

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ANSWER SHEET The Unicorn of the Sea KEY STAGE YEAR2 6

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Which of these reasons were deduced by the scientists who experimented with captive narwhal 7 to discover the purpose of their tusk? Tick more than one. £ To fight off predators n To sense how deep they are in the water n To tell whether water is salt or fresh £ To attract a mate n To sense temperature

The statements below summarise the contents of the text's paragraphs. 8 Number them to show the order they appear in the text. The first is done for you. 5 About evolution and animals' special features 1 Introduction to the narwhal 4 Information about the tusk itself 7 The threat to the narwhal 6 Debate about the purpose of the narwhal's tusk 3 Who caught narwhal and sold their tusks 2 When the narwhal was discovered

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