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GURU HARKRISHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, SGNROpen Text Assessment Sample questions Class 9

thScience

Theme 1: Clean airQ1) Name the five most critically polluted regions in our country.

Ans. The five most critically polluted regions in our country are Delhi, Ghaziabad, Raipur, Gwalior and

Agra.

Q2) From survey statistics 1 given in the text, what can be said about the environmental cleanliness ofChennai and Kolkata?

Answer By analysing the survey statistics, the following observations can be made about Chennai and

Kolkata.

i. The mean of fever in children of Chennai and Kolkata is approximately the same.

ii. The mean of cough in children of Chennai is lesser than that of Kolkata.

On the basis of above two statements, it can be concluded that the health standard of the children

of Chennai is better that of Kolkata. Thus, it can be inferred that Chennai has a cleaner

environment as compared to Kolkata.

Q3) Name some respiratory diseases caused by air pollution.

Answer Following are some respiratory diseases that are caused by air pollution:

AsthmaChronic cough

Wheezing

Emphysema

Lung cancer

Chronic Bronchitis

Q4) What is acid rain? How is it formed?

Answer Acid rain is a rain that is unusually acidic because of the presence of acids such as sulphuric acid

and nitric acid. Rain is acidified by oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. Acid rain usually has a pH of

less than 5.5. It is formed when pollutants such as oxides of sulphur and nitrogen (like sulphur

dioxide, nitric oxide, etc) contained in power plant smoke, factory smoke and car exhaust react

with the moisture present in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. It can have

harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructures.

Q5) "Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting." Justify the given statement.

Answer

Mankind is blessed with several natural resources. These are air, water, soil, plants, animals and

fossil fuels. The intelligence and efforts of man have led to the discovery of several man-made

resources also. One of the greatest discovery in this regard is plastic. It is very painful to see, that

even after having the most finest brains among all the living creatures, humans are consciously or

unconsciously becoming ignorant and not manifesting the resources they are having. It will not be

wrong, to say that, the problem of pollution is getting severe day-by-day, as we are allowing it to

take the shape of severity. If we really wish to live in a clean environment and are worried aboutour future generations,then we should harvest these resources in an efficient way, so that nature

will not bear the cost of our growth.The statement "Pollution is nothing but the resources we are

not harvesting" can best be justified by the following examples:

i. Water is one of the most indigenous natural resource. We know that three-fourth of the earth's

surface is covered with water. However, out of this, only 3% is fresh water, that is suitable for

human consumption.This 3% is our sole source of water and makes up 100% available water for

us. Let us assume out of this 100%, 15% water is used for industrial purposes. Thus, we are left

with 85% water for our usage. After industrial production, the water that comes out is nothing but

sewage. We have yet not been successful in making this water as good and as pure as the earlier

one. Thus, 15% fresh water got lost from the surface of the earth. So, it can be said that we are not

harvesting the resource (here water-a natural resource).ii. Plastic is used by us in our day-to-day lives. But at the same time, this is also true, that the

problems posed by plastics are much greater than their usage. Despite knowing this, we are still

continuing the use of plastics. Neither did we look out for recycling or reusing plastics nor did we

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decrease the use of plastics. Thus, we are not harvesting the resource (here plastics-a man-made

resource).

Q1) Use the following information to answer the question.

The atmosphere surrounding the earth is a mixture of many gases which, along with the other conditions,

makes it a unique planet for existence of life. Unprecedented urbanisation and development during the

past few centuries and many human activities have disturbed the natural composition of this atmosphere.

It is unfortunate that the cost of development is very heavy and is being paid by causing a severe damageto the life support system in the form of clean air.

Why is the cost of development considered heavy in the given text?

Answer The cost of development is considered heavy because urbanisation and many human activities

have disturbed the natural environment and posed serious threat to it in the form of pollution,

which is adversely affecting the life support sytem by changing the natural composition of air,

water and land.

Example- Although vehicles form a good means of transportation, they cause pollution by

releasing harmful and not fully burnt gases in the atmosphere which leads to global warming.

Q2) Use the following information to answer the question.

The natural composition of air is getting disturbed because of a variety of human activities.

What kind of human activities is the given text referring to?

Answer The human activities that the given text is referring to are burning of fossil fuels, exhaust from

vehicles, emissions from industries and power plants, agricultural activities, etc.

Q3) Elaborate NAMP. What are its key objectives?

Answer NAMP is National Air Quality Monitoring Programme. Under this programme, four major

pollutants are taken into account. These are sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, suspended particulate

matter and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM). Its key objectives are as follows:

To examine the surrounding air quality

To check whether the prescribed standards of air quality are maintained or notTo recognise non-attainment cities

To gather knowledge and techniques required to develop preventive measures

To deduce the natural cleansing process generated by nature for removing pollutants from the

environment

Q4) Explain marble cancer with reference to the Taj Mahal.

Answer Marble cancer can be defined as the losening of marble's natural lustre; it turns yellow from its

original white colour because of the effect of acid rain.

For example- The Taj Mahal, which is located in Agra, is loosing its natural white shine and

turning yellow. Dark patchy spots can also be seen. This is because of the presence of industries

and oil refineries and the release of exhaust gases from vehicles. These harmful gases react with

rain water and precipitate in the form of acid rain. This acid rain is turning the marble of the TajMahal yellow. Though government is adopting several measures to reduce the level of air pollution

in the areas near the Taj Mahal, not much significant effect has been observed. It has been

assumed by the authorities of the Archaeological Survey of India that if the condition of air

pollution persists, then the marble of the Taj will turn black by 2015.

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Theme 2: Environment and DevelopmentQ1) What can be the reasons behind the heavy tourist rush in Uttarakhand?

Answer The primary reason of tourism in Uttarakhand is its location in the Himalayas. The mountains have

accommodated several hill stations, national parks and temples. For many people, the state has

immense mythological importance. Besides having several pilgrimage centres, the place has given

birth to two of the most holy rivers of the Hindusthe Ganga and the Yamuna. The mountains

have also been a destination for trekking, paragliding, camping, mountaineering, rock climbing

and river rafting.Q2) According to media reports, when the floods came, about 28 million tourists were visiting the state

and the local population was close to half of that number. It, indeed, is irresponsible to let such a

huge volume of traffic into an ecologically sensitive area, that too in the monsoon season.

Which area has been described as ecologically sensitive in the given sentences? What is the reason

behind such description?

Answer Uttarakhand has been described as the ecologically sensitive area in the given sentences.

The term ecologically sensitive area refers to a geographic region that is full of natural beauty,

landscape and wildlife and needs special protection, as it is vulnerable to natural disaster and

human destruction.

Most of the northern part of Uttarakhand is covered by high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, whilethe lower foothills are covered with dense forests. The Himalayan ecosystem provides habitat to a

wide variety of animals and birds. The stone tools and megaliths provide evidence that this region

has been inhabitated since the pre-historic times. However, due to increase in the volume of

tourists year by year, the balance of the ecosystem is being affected adversely. Because of all these

reasons, the entire state has been described as an ecologically sensitive area.

Q3) We cannot stop natural phenomena from happening. But, we can make them less damaging.

Justify the statement in reference to the context.

Answer The natural phenomenon that is contextual with the given statement is flood. We cannot stop a

flood from happening. However, if we become more alert and responsible, we can definitely make

its after effects less severe. This can be done in the following ways:

(i) Afforestation: The roots of trees perform dual role in preventing floods. The roots absorb waterfrom the soil and thus act as natural water tanks. They also bind the soil together, thereby

preventing soil erosion and surface runoff.

(ii) Building Levees: Levees are the man-made embankments that help in preventing rivers from

overflowing. In this manner, they prevent flood.

(iii) Rainwater Harvesting: Besides providing water when there is a drought, rainwater harvesting

helps in preventing flooding of low-lying areas. It helps in conserving rainwater, which, later, can

be used for human consumption. The technique is also used in rural and urban areas in times of

water scarcity.

(iv) Building Canals: Canals store excess water and thus prevent flooding.

Q1) Why are the Himalayas referred to as young mountains?

Answer The Himalayas are referred to as young mountains because of the following reasons:

They have been formed relatively recently as compared to older mountain ranges like the

Aravallis.

They continue to elevate even today.

Q2) What would be the effect of deforestation on

(i) Animals

(ii) Humans

(iii) Environment

Answer Deforestation means cutting of trees. Following are the effects of deforestation on

(i) Animals: Animals are the consumers, while plants are the producers. The herbivores feed on

plants and themselves get consumed by the carnivores.Plants Herbivorous animals Carnivorous animals

If plants are not there, the entire food chain will get disturbed.

(ii) Humans: Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Humans use oxygen for

respiration. If trees are not there, then the amount of oxygen available for breathing will get

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decreased and, ultimately, a time will come when the entire human race will come to an end.

(iii) Environment: Trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. In the

absence of trees, the carbon dioxide level may increase, which, in turn, may lead to global

warming.

Q3) What is meant by riverbed mining? What environmental disaster can it bring?

Answer Riverbed mining mainly includes sand mining for the construction of buildings.

Riverbed mining is harmful to both the river and the environment.

It causes the river to change its course, which affects the ecosystem of the river.

After rains, the river starts flowing at a high speed, thus eroding the banks.

Mining generates a huge amount of sediments that get deposited in the rivers, thereby raising thewater level and causing floods.

Q4) Briefly discuss the climatic condition of Uttarakhand.

Answer Uttarakhand can broadly be differentiated into the hilly terrain and the plain region. Thus, the

variance in climate is also wide.

(i) Summers

The summer season is from April to June.

The summers are usually pleasant. However, some places experience hot climate.

In places like Haridwar and Rishikesh, temperature can reach 40C. Coupled with humidity, this

type of climate may become uncomfortable.

(ii) WintersThe winter season is from October to February.

The winters are very cold.

Many places receive regular snowfalls.

(iii) Monsoons

The monsoon season is from July to September.

The temperature ranges from 15C to 25C at most of the places.

The state receives approximately 90% of its annual rainfall in this season.