ANSWER KEY Unit 1—Our Universe Chapter 1: The Solar System Exercises (on page 14) (A) 1. (a) chromosphere 2. (d) solar prominences 3. (c) tongues or loops of gases extending tens of thousands of kilometres on the Sun. 4. (c) indicate the presence of strong magnetic fields. 5. (d) during solar eclipse (B) 1.Asteroids 2.two 3.Ceres 4.Venus 5.Moon 6. Solar Prominences (C) 1. Big Bang Theory 2. Proxima Centauri 3.Sun 4. Halley's Comet 5.Titan 6.Asteroids (D) 1.False2. True 3.False4. False 5.True6. False 7.False (E)1. Mercury is closest to the Sun and so it is able to revolve around the Sun in just 88 days, which is the shortest period of revolution. 2. Venus has a thick poisonous atmosphere that conceals its surface and traps heat. TH—Our Earth—8 3 Price : `45.00 3. Strong winds blow on the planet and this gives it a striped look. As the gases in the atmosphere circle the planet, strong wind blow here and this results in its fast spin. They produce colourful belts and zones. 4. It does not have an atmosphere and moisture. It also experiences extremes of temperature. 5. A small amount of methane is present in it. 6. (i) The earth is at a right distance from the Sun. (ii) It has abundance of water (71%). (iii) The atmosphere acts as a blanket protecting the Earth from extremes of temperatures. (iv) I has oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, ozone and hydrogen. (v) The biosphere provides us with food, shelter, clothing and minerals. (F) 1. Life not possible on Jupiter because the gases present in its atmosphere contain methane and ammonia, apart from hydrogen and helium. 2. Uranus appears to rotate on its sides, so Uranus has very strange seasons—summer here is 42 years long. 3. Comets are heavenly bodies revolving around the Sun in elongated elliptical orbits. They are bodies of ice and dust. When they approach the Sun, they heat up and release glowing tails of dust and gas blowing away from the Sun. 4. Planets are classified according to their distance from the Sun– (i) Inner Planets/Inferior Planets (ii) Outer Planets/Superior Planets. 5. Mercury spins on its axis slower than the Earth—once in every 58.6 days on Earth. 6. On Venus and Uranus the Sun sets in the east, because the planets Venus and Uranus rotates from east to west. 4 TH—Our Earth—8 7. The Sun is the biggest member of the system and an important source of heat and light. It is a medium size star, with a diameter about 1,392,684 km and its mass about 2 × 1030 kilograms, 330,000 times of Earth's. The Sun's gravitational force is very strong and it holds all the heavenly bodies in their orbits. Four hydrogen atoms combine to produce one helium atom and a lot of energy is released. The Sun's energy is the result of nuclear fusion. Sun also has mountains and valleys, the Sun has sunspots and storms. Unit 2—Our Atmosphere Chapter 2: Weather and Climate Exercises (on page 26) (A) 1. (b) water droplets 2. (c) decreases 3. (c) Altitude 4. (b) Earth's rotation 5. (a) atmospheric pressure 6. (b) decreases as you go further from the equator and decreases with altitude 7. a. True b. True c. False d. False (B) 1. Weather —The state of the atmosphere of a place over a short period of time. 2. Oktas—The amount of cloud cover in the sky is expressed in oktas (eights). 3. Lapse rate—The rate at which the temperature drops with altitude in the atmosphere is known as lapse rate. 4. Celsius—The Celsius degree is almost twice as large as the Fahrenheit degree: 1°C = 1.8°F. In the Celsius scale, the TH—Our Earth—8 5 freezing point of water is 0°C and its boiling point is 100°C. Today the Celsius scale is largely in use all over the world. 5. Current – The vertical movement of air is called currents. (C) 1.winds 2.humidity 3.decreases 4. Hot, low 5. high, low (D) 1. The important elements of weather are temperature, moisture, wind, sun, cloud cover and atmospheric pressure. 2. Clouds are visible mass of water droplets or frozen ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the earth. Cloud cover affects weather conditions. During the daytime a cloud-covered sky reflects the sunshine and reduces insolation and also the amount of heat received. It also prevents radiation from the Earth's surface. Cloudy days and nights are warmer than cloudless ones. Cloudless skies indicate fair weather while saturated clouds indicate rainfall. Thick dark clouds bring heavy rainfall while white clouds indicate fair weather. 3. The atmospheric pressure, at a given place and at a given time, is the weight of the overlying atmosphere pressing down on unit area of that place. 4. When air gets cooled, they condense to form masses of frozen vapour which we call clouds. When clouds get loaded with water vapour, they can no longer remain suspended in the air, and falls on the Earth as tiny droplets, which we call precipitation. Rain, snow, hailstorm, fog, mist, dew are the various forms of precipitation. 5. Moving air is called wind. The unequal heating on the surface of the Earth, causes the winds. (E)1.23 6 1° 1° N to 23 S – Torrid Zone 2 2 TH—Our Earth—8 2.23 1° 1° N to 66 S – Temperate Zone 2 2 3.66 ° ° 1° 1° N and 66 S to 90 N and 90 S pole – Frigid Zone 2 2 Unit 2—Our Atmosphere Chapter 3: Temperature and Rainfall Exercises (on page 34) (A) 1. b. Decreases as you go farther from the equator and decreases with altitude 2. d. Places near the equator receives Sun's rays with a slanting angle. – True because Sun's rays are almost vertical near the equator through out the year. (B) 1. Temperature—The degree of hotness or cloudiness of the air in the atmosphere is called a temperature. 2. Stevenson Screen—An enclosure to shield meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around them. 3. Range of temperature—Temperature range is the extent of diurnal or seasonal (annual) temperature variation. 4. Elements of weather—Temperature, humidity, air pressure, precipitation, sunshine and cloud cover are known as the elements of weather. (C) 1. To record the shade temperature of the air. 2. So that evaporation is kept to a minimum. (D) 1.285 ÷ 12 = 23.75°C 2.May 3.January 4.12°C 5.July 6. 763 cm TH—Our Earth—8 7 Unit 2—Our Atmosphere Chapter 4: Atmospheric Pressure and Winds Exercises (on page 46) Q. 1(A) 1. a. It is less dense than cold air 2. a. typhoon 3. b. anemometer 4. a. Uneven heating of the Earth causes a change in weather 5. b. Puri 6. ii. Air contracts on heating. – False iv. Cold air rises – False 7. d. All of the above (B) a. iii. other name of cyclone b. ii. name of cyclone in Japan c. iv. a dark funnel-shaped cloud d. i. eye of a cyclone (C) 1. The weight of the overlying atmosphere pressing down on a unit area of the place pressure exerted ont he Earth as a result of its weight. Any two factors – i. Temperature ii. Altitude iii.Rotation of the earth iv.Presences of water vapour 2. The unequal heating of the Earth's surface and the differences in air pressure cause air to move. 3. Local winds i. Chinook – USA and Canada ii. Foehn – Alps iii.Loo – North India iv. Bora – Hungarian Basin 8 TH—Our Earth—8 v. Mistral – North-west Mediterranean coast of France and Spain. 4.A cyclone is a huge storm that originates at sea. It is characterised by a low pressure centre and strong wind spiraling inward and upward. They develop in the trade wind belt between latitudes 5°N and 20°S of the equator. Due to the rotation of the Earth, cyclones rotate in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere, and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere around the 'eye'. 5. Monsoon winds are seasonal. These are caused due to the differential heating of the land masses and oceans. 6. Anticyclones can become stationary, giving settled weather, clear skies and calm winds. (D) 1. Doldrums 2. Aneroid Barometer 3.Millibar 4. High Pressure 5. South Westerly Winds 6. North-East Trade Winds (E) 1.night 2. Valley breeze 3. Monsoon winds, warm 4. Coriolis force (F) 1. Air expands on being heated, becomes lighter and rises, creating an area of low pressure on the land. 2. On a warm summer day along the coast, uneven heating of land and sea leads to the development of a local wind called sea breeze. 3. Because of the rotation of the earth. 4. On the mountains, the thickness of air is less and hence atmospheric pressure is less moisture laden winds. TH—Our Earth—8 9 5. The South-West monsoon winds originate over the Indian Ocean. They are loaded with moisture and humidity. As they reach Indian Peninsular and find any barrier they rain heavily. They bring heavy rain to the west coast of India. (G) 1. Land breeze—A periodic local wind blowing from land to sea at night. Sea breeze—A periodic local wind blowing from sea to land during the day. 2. Cyclone—A cyclone is a huge storm that originates at sea. It is characterised by a low pressure centre and strong winds spiraling inward and upward. They develop in the trade wind belt between latitudes 5°N and 20°S of the equator. Anticyclone—A high pressure system with gentle winds blowing outwards from the centre. 3. Planetary winds—These winds blow constantly in a particular direction throughout the year and are known as planetary or permanent or prevailing winds. The trade winds, westerlies and polar winds are the main planetary winds. Local winds—These are localised over small areas and can be warm and cold winds. 4. Loo—Loo is a local wind blowing in summers in North India. Nor'Westers – are also known as Kaal Baisahakhi, a violent thunderstorm in Bengal, Assam (India). Unit 2—Our Atmosphere Chapter 5: Moisture in the Atmosphere Exercises (on page 57) (A) 10 1. a. Evaporation is the process through which water changes into vapour. TH—Our Earth—8 2. a.Air rising in currents from a heated surface 3. d. Dry Bulb Thermometer 4. d.Nimbus 5. b. water droplets (B) 1. The moisture in the atmosphere help to bring rain. 2. The continuous movement of water from oceans, seas, rivers and other water bodies to the atmosphere; to the land as precipitation and back to the oceans is known as the hydrological cycle or the water cycle. 3.When saturated air is subjected to cooling the capacity to hold water vapour decreases and the water vapour changes to liquid or solid. The convectional rainfall occurs every afternoon. 4. The Sun warms up the Earth and the air above it during the day. When the air gets heated it expands, becomes lighter, rises higher into the atmosphere and cools. Thus a convection current is set up in the atmosphere due to local heating. On reaching the upper layers the air cools. When dew point is reached large cumulonimbus clouds are formed. Water vapour condenses and heavy rain occurs, accompanied by thunder and lightning. This rainfall does not last long. These rain showers are called thunder showers. This type of rainfall is called convectional rain. It is also known as to 4 o'clock showers. 5. Snow, hail, fog, mist and dew are the forms of precipitation. (C) 1.Cirrus/Cerro 2.Cyclone 3.Rain 4. Dry and Wet Bulb Thermometer / Hygrometer 5. Convectional rainfall TH—Our Earth—8 11 (D) 1. Condensation—The change of water vapour to water on cooling. Precipitation—The process of condensation leads up to precipitation. 2. Dew—The temperature at which air gets saturated in the water vapour that it is carrying. Frost—In the early morning when temperature falls below 0°C, dew drops deposit on the cool surfaces, plants, benches, rocks and the ground, freeze into tiny crystals of ice. These frozen dewdrops are called frost. 3. Relief Rainfall—This type of rainfall occurs when onshore moisture-laden winds come across a mountain barrier. The mountains force the wind to rise. As the winds rise up, they cool. Clouds form and rainfall occurs on the wind wards side of the mountain or rainward side. Frontal Rainfall—Warm air being lighter advances and rises above the cold air, which is heavier and denser. The surface they meet along is called a front. As they meet along the front, water vapour condenses and rainfall occurs. 4. Fog—A warm moist air mass blowing over a cold surface, usually snow or ice, or over a cold ocean surface can cause a fog. Mist is thin fog resulting from condensation of air near the Earth's surface. When the air cools below the dew point water vapour condenses near the ground. This mixes with dust in air and forms mist. 5. Cumulus clouds are fluffy clouds with flat bases. The word cumulus means 'heap' or "globular". They have a flat base and cauliflower-like rounded top. Some cumulus clouds are more than 9–10 km high. They often bring heavy thunderstorms. Nimbus clouds – Nimbo means rain. These are rain bearing clouds and are generally found in lower altitudes. 12 TH—Our Earth—8 1.False 2.True 3.True (E) 4.False (F) 5.True 1. – Evaporation is faster when the wind blows. 2. – Water vapour in the air has cooled and condensed to form dewdrops on the grass. 3. – Mahabaleshwar lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats. 4. – Cumulonimbus clouds are formed, water vapour condenses and heavy rain occurs, accompanied by thunder and lightning. 5. –The water vapour changes to liquid or solid. This process is called condensation. Unit 3—Our Atmosphere Chapter 6: Pollution and Its Control Exercises (on page 65) (A) 1. d.Ozone in the upper part of atmosphere is harmful to animals. 2. b. Transparent to heat but traps sunlight. (B) 1. Agricultural waste / Animal waste. 2. Crop rotation/mulching/contour ploughing. 3. Water hyacinth 4. Polluting gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone. (C) 1. low yields 2. dust filters, scrubbers and electrostate 3. air pollution 4. Mechanical process which involves screening, grinding, flocculation and sedimentation, biological process and chemical process. TH—Our Earth—8 13 5.leaching. 6.pollution. (D) 1. Pollution is contamination of the Earth's environment with materials that interfere with the natural functioning of ecosystems – living organisms and their physical surroundings. 2. To reduce pollution the main aim should be to reduce the output of the polluting gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, etc. 3. Emissions from vehicles, fossil fuels, smoke in the factories caused by coal, etc. 4. To control thermal operation, industries should allow the water to cool properly before releasing it into the river or pond. 5. Water hyacinth, agricultural waste, animal wastes, urban run-off, water run-off are some of the reasons which pollute the water. Unit 3—Europe Chapter 7: Europe—The Land Exercises (on page 74) (A) 1. Fjords—The narrow deep inlets with steeply rising sides are fjords. These fjords are responsible for the highly indented coastline. 2. Land-locked countries—Countries having no coastline and surrounded by other countries. 3. Balkan states—The countries in the Balkan Peninsula – Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria. 4. Eurasia—The division between Europe and Asia as two different continents is a historical and cultural construct, with no clear physical separation between them. This continuous land mass it forms is called Eurasia. 14 TH—Our Earth—8 5. Benelux countries—The low countries : Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg of low altitudes. (B) 1. The Scandinavian countries are also called the Nordic countries which include Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and sometimes Iceland. 2. The west-flowing rivers are Guadalquivir, Tagus, Douro, Ebro, Garonne, Rhone, Po, Loire, Seine, Rhine, Weser, Elbe Oder, Vistula. 3. The Alpine mountain system includes the Cantabrian mountains of Northern Spain, the Sierra Nevada in Spain and France, the Apennines extending southwards in Italy. On the eastern side there are two branches—che Carpathian in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania and the Balkans. The Dinaric Alps runs southwards into the Balkan Peninsula and the Pindus mountain in Greece. 4. The North Western Highlands consists of the highland systems running from Finland through Norway to Scotland. These are among the oldest mountain systems of Europe made up of old and hard rocks. These mountains were covered by thick sheets of ice during the great Ice Age, which were responsible for the general lowering in height and the formation of rounded hills due to ice erosion. 5. Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary are located away from the coast and are surrounded by land on all sides, hence are called land-locked countries. (C) 1. These mountains were covered by thick sheets of ice during the great Ice Age, which were responsible for the general lowering in height and the formation of rounded hills due to ice erosion. 2. The highly rugged coastal areas of the North-West have deep glacial valleys which have been drowned and then filled by sea water. TH—Our Earth—8 15 3. — Because of their low altitudes, Belgium and the Netherland are called the low countries. 4. – During the Ice Age glaciers and ice sheets had covered half of Europe and as they retreated, they eroded the land to form long hollows, which later got filled in with water to form lakes. (D) 1. The Alpine mountain systems are the young fold mountains running east-west as a series of parallel ranges lying south of the Central Highlands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caspian Sea. They have steep slopes, narrow deep valleys and high jagged peaks. The mountain system also includes the Cantabrian mountains of Northern Spain the Sierra Nevada in Spain, the Pyrenees between Spain and France, the Apennines extending southwards in Italy. On the eastern side there are two branches—the Carpathian in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania and the Balkans (in Bulgaria form another branch. The Dinaric Alps runs southwards into the Balkan Peninsula and the Pindus mountains in Greece.) 2. Europe is made of a few more peninsulas lying along the coastline—the Scandinavian peninsula, the Iberian peninsula and the peninsulas of Italy and Greece with its many islands, hence the name "peninsula of peninsulas". Therefore Europe is known as "peninsula of peninsulas". 3. The Alpine Mountain Systems are young fold mountains running east-west as a series of parallel ranges lying south of the Central Highlands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caspian Sea. They have steep slopes, narrow deep valleys and high jagged peaks. The North Western Highlands consist of high land system running from Finland through Norway to Scotland. These are the oldest mountain systems of Europe made up of old and hard rocks. These mountains were covered by thick ice sheets of ice during the great Ice Age, which were responsible for the great lowering in height and the formation of rounded hills due to ice erosion. 16 TH—Our Earth—8 Unit 3—Europe Chapter 8: Europe—Climate and Vegetation Exercises (on page 82) (A) 1. Tropical type 2. North-west part 3.Westerlies 4.Steppes 5. Wild cats (B) 1.Tundra 2.Westerlies 3.Olive 4.Steppes 5. North Atlantic Drift (C) 1.Temperate 2.Temperate 3. Tundra/Arctic type 4.Westerlies 5.Coniferous (D) 1. Many factors like relief features, distances from the sea, direction of winds and the warm North Atlantic Drift affect the climate of Europe. 2. The climate of Europe is of a temperate kind with a maritime climate prevailing on the western coasts and a Mediterranean climate in the South. Eastern Europe has a drier continental climate. 3. The winters are long and bitterly cold; much of the area remains under permanent cover of snow and ice. 4. Due to the extremely cold conditions, the region is generally covered with thick layers of snow throughout the year. TH—Our Earth—8 17 Unit 3—Europe Chapter 9: Europe—Resources and Utilisation Exercises (on page 94) (A) 1. Market gardening 2.Flax 3. National and international highways 4.Transhumance 5. Channel Tunnel (B) 1. Newsprint and matchsticks 2. Wells/Dykes 3. Dogger Banks/Great Fishing Bank 4. Rotterdam in Netherland 5. Floating factories (C) 1. Extensive Farming—Where population is scanty and land is available for cultivation, machines are used on large farms covering several thousand hectares in areas. Wheat is mostly cultivated in this farming. Extensive farming is practised in the steppe region of Russia and Ukraine. Intensive Farming is carried out in those areas where the population is dense. The pressure on the land is heavy and little land is available for agriculture. Small farms produce high yields as improved methods of farming are used. These include: (i) better varieties of seeds. (ii) better fertilisers and insecticides (iii) practice of crop rotation 2. Viticulture is the practice of growing grapes in vineyards. Grapes are used for making wines, raisins and currants. Horticulture deals with the cultivation of fruits, flowers and vegetables on a commercial scale. 18 TH—Our Earth—8 3. Market gardening is the small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, near large cities for urban markets. Mixed farming is the practice of growing crops and rearing animals on the same field at the same time. 4. Crop rotation is the growing of different crops on the same field alternately to maintain the fertility of the soil naturally. Pastoral farming—Rearing of animals for commercial purposes is called pastoral farming. (D) 1. Suburban and underground stations are used for local travel. 2. The mild climate of north-western give rise to luscious soft grass. 3. Mild winters and dry summers favour the growth of various fruits, especially wine. Unit 4—Asia Chapter 10: Asia—The Land Exercises (on page 102) (A) 1. Rivers that drain northwards into Arctic Ocean—The Northern part of the plain is called the Siberian Plain and is drained by the three rivers – Ob, Yenisei and Lena. These plains are formed mainly by the deposition brought by these rivers. As the rivers are flowing northwards their lower course and delta remain frozen during the winter. Rivers that drain eastwards into the Pacific Ocean—The eastflowing rivers have formed a great plain by the deposition of the rivers Huang He (Hwang Ho), Chang Jiang (Yangtze Kiang) and Sikiang. 2. Aral Sea—The southern part of the Siberian plain which is a lowland around the Aral Sea is called the Turan plain. It is drained by the rivers Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, which TH—Our Earth—8 19 flow into the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea is an inland sea and this land-locked area forms an area of inland drainage. Persian Gulf—Both the rivers, Tigris and Euphrates drain into the Persian Gulf. This river valley is known as the Mesopotamian lowlands. 3. Pamir Knot—To the south of the northern lowlands lies a complex system of young fold mountains with plateaus in between extending from the east to west. The entire ranges seem to converge on the nodal uplift known as the Pamir Knot on the Pamir Plateau. From here several south central Asian mountain ranges branch out in all directions. Armenian Knot—lies west of the Elburz mountains. (B) 1. Asia extends between latitudes 10°N and 80°N and from longitudes 26°E to 170°W. 2. Russia and China are the largest countries. Maldives and Singapore are among the smallest. 3. Eurasia—The combined land mass of Asia and Europe. 4. River flowing into the Pacific Ocean—Huang He (Hwang Ho), Chang Jiang (Yangtze Kiang) and Sikiang Arctic Ocean—Rivers Ob, Yeimesi and Lena. Indian Ocean—Rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra. 5. East of the Pamir Knot, between the Kunlun mountains and the Himalayas, lies the Tibetan Plateau. This plateau is the highest plateau in the world and is called the "roof of the world". 6. An archipelago is a group of islands lying near the coast of a continent. The Indonesian archipelago, the largest in the world extending for 5120 km, consists of five large islands– Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali and Timor and 30 groups of small islands. (C) 1. Most of these rivers bring down large amounts of alluvium and deposit them to form extensive depositional plains. 20 TH—Our Earth—8 2. Its wide variety of relief, climate, natural vegetation, religion and cultures gives it this unique identity. 3. The water coming from their upper course, which is in the warmer south, is thus blocked and spreads over large parts of the plains forming swamps and marshes. (D) 1.Tibet 2. Ural mountain 3. Western Ghats Difference between Rivers draining the Northern Plains and the Peninsular Plateau Rivers of the Northern Plains Rivers of Peninsular India These rivers have their origin in the Himalayas and are fed by the rain and melting snows. They are therefore perennial. These rivers are rain fed as there is no snow in the highlands of the peninsular plateau. These rivers are seasonal. These rivers are long, perennial and slow flowing over the vast plains. They can be used for irrigation as well as navigation. These rivers cannot be used for irrigation or navigation as they are seasonal and dry during summer and fast flowing. These rivers are slow flowing and These rivers are fast flowing and easy to navigate but are prone to have deep valleys and waterfalls floods. along their courses. They are not navigable, but are not prone to floods. Unit 4—Asia Chapter 11: Asia—Climate and Vegetation Exercises (on page 112) (A) 1.summer 3.equatorial TH—Our Earth—8 2.steppes 4.equatorial 21 5.winter 6.equatorial (B) 1. Tropical monsoon climate 2. Mediterranean climate 3. Cool temperate climate/Taiga region 4. The Great Panda 5. Tropical monsoon (C) 1. Oceans are much cooler and a high pressure area develops over them. 2. Due to lack of moisture, desert vegetation, known as xerophytes, are found scattered over the region. They have natural adaptation to the harsh climate. They have long roots, spiny leaves and waxy stems to collect and absorb as much moisture as possible. 3 The region experiences short warm summers, long cold winters and light rainfall, in the form of snow, which is heavy during winter, giving rise to several small and medium-sized fur-bearing animals. 4. The Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean are much cooler and a high pressure area develops over them. Winds, therefore, blow from sea to land and bring heavy rain to many parts of south Asia. 5. Due to its long severe winters and frozen sub-soils, the tundra is a black and treeless place. 6. In the drier regions, with moderate rainfall, the forests become less dense and scattered. (D) 1. Factors influencing the climate of Asia: (i) Distance from the equator, (ii) Distance from the sea, (iii) Relief and altitude, (iv) Winds, (v) Ocean currents. 2. Due to the rise in temperature a low pressure develops over this area. The Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean are much cooler and a high pressure area develops over them. Winds, 22 TH—Our Earth—8 therefore, blow from sea to land and bring heavy rain to many parts of South Asia. These winds are known as the south-west monsoons. 3.Table 11.1 Major climatic regions: Flora and fauna 1. Equatorial Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Philippines No marked seasons. Normal temperatures of 28 to 30°C 4 o'clock shower throughout the year Dense evergreen forest. Mahogany, ebony, rosewood, coconut and rubber Monkeys, apes, elephants, wild cats, colourful birds and reptiles 2. Tropical monsoon Indian subcontinent Hot wet Cool dry Rainfall by monsoon winds Tropical deciduous/ monsoon forest. Teak, sal, shisham and mango Elephants, bears, deer, apes, lions, tiger and leopard 3. Tropical hot desert Arabia, Thar desert and Iran Hot dry Cool dry Less than 25 cm of rainfall Bushes, shrubs, cacti, clumps of dry grass Camels, horses, mules and insects 4. Temperate mild latitude desert Gobi plateau and Plateau of Tibet Very hot Very cold with temp. below 0°C Very little rainfall Tufts of coarse short grass and thorny bushes Yak, lizards, insects and rodents 5. Mediterranean West Asia, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria Warm dry Cool wet In winter due to shifting of wind belts Oak, chestnut, walnut, olive and fruit trees Donkey, sheep and cattle 6. Warm temperate East coast/ China type China, Japan and Korea Hot wet summer Cool dry winter Rainfall in summer Mixed forest Oak, beech, fir, chestnut and bamboo Monkey, foxes and birds 7. Temperate Grassland (Steppe) Caspian Sea of Russia and eastern Mongolia Hot dry Cold dry Rainfall from 25 to 75 cm Short grasses, wheat, barley and other food grains Donkey, horse and cattle 8. Cold Temperate/ Taiga Sub-arctic region of Syria Short cool Long cold Snowfall Coniferous Trees – Pine, fir, spruce and cedar Sable, fox, bear and mink 9. Arctic / Tundra Region beyond Arctic Short cold Long severely cold Heavy snowfall Mosses and lichen Polar bear, deer, foxes, seals and walrus TH—Our Earth—8 23 4. Equatorial Natural Vegetation – Due to the heat and plentiful moisture, the vegetation grows abundantly rapidly. This makes it impenetrable. The trees do not shed their leaves and gives an evergreen appearance. The forests have large variety of trees scattered all over; they are dense with broad-leaved trees. The trees are tall and their branches form canopy and do not allow sunlight to penetrate thus making the forest dark. Tropical deciduous or monsoon forests grow here which are influenced by the seasonal amount of rain. Vegetation is thick and mainly deciduous type. They shed their leaves in the dry winter season. Areas with heavy rain have evergreen and deciduous type and the forests are quite dense. The trees are hardwood and broad-leaved. The tropical monsoon forests also have trees like acacia, tall grasses and scrub vegetation. 5. Due to the heat and plentiful moisture, the equatorial vegetation grows abundantly and rapidly. The growth of dense vegetation makes the forests impenetrable. The forests have a large number of species scattered all over. The trees are tall and their branches form a canopy and do not allow sunlight to penetrate, thus making the forests quite dark and impenetrable. Unit 4—Asia Chapter 12: Asia—Resources and Utilisation Exercises (on page 127) (A) 1. It connects St. Petersburg and Moscow in Western Russia in Europe to Vladivostok in Eastern Russia. 2. Two main races of Asia—Aryans and Dravidians 3. Natural resources and technical expertise 4. China and India 24 TH—Our Earth—8 5. Exports industrial goods as computers, TV sets, clocks, watches, cameras, ship, automobiles and textiles. (B) 1.False 2.True 3.True 4.True 5.False (C) 1. Coal and petroleum. Coal – raw material for chemical industry Petroleum – petrochemical industry. 2. Plantation farming is a highly specialised method – farming is carried out on huge farms called estates. A large capital is required, modern scientific techniques are incorporated. All the work of growing, harvesting, processing and packing are carried out on the premises. Much work is done manually, so a large number of labourers are employed. Production is also on a large scale as these cash crops are chiefly grown for export. 3. The long rivers in South and South-east Asia are some of the important inland waterways. The Rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong are some of the busiest waterways. 4. Family planning measures are being spread throughout rural and urban areas. Health care centres are coming up in remote parts, so that all are able to plan their families. 5. Today, the United Nations Organisation (UNO) along with the governments of different countries is taking steps to control the rapid growth of population. Among the steps undertaken are: (i) Education for all, especially women. (ii) Family planning. (iii) Abolition of child marriage. 6. The long coastline of Asia and the opening of the Suez Canal have led to the development of many ports which has helped to connect East Asia and South Asia to America by the Pacific Route and South – East Asia and West Asia to parts in Europe and Africa by the Suez Canal Route. TH—Our Earth—8 25 Aden (Yemen), Mumbai. 7. Rice and wheat are the major staple food for the entire continent. The high temperatures and precipitation levels of South-east Asia are the perfect conditions for the production of rice. 8. Shifting agriculture is harmful for the environment because the burning of the forest creates pollution. Another name for this agriculture is known as slash-and-burn agriculture. (D) 1. –Of the extreme climatic conditions. 2. – Railways are the cheapest means of transportation of bulky goods over long distances. 3. – European countries—The British, Dutch, Portuguese and French—all had trading posts in many Asian countries. Their whole idea of coming to Asia was trade and commerce. 4. – To avoid the stagnation of water. 5. – The land is covered with thick snow. 6. – Therefore Japan imports most of the industrial goods required. 7. Varied geographical conditions – soil, climate, water resources and economic conditions – have led to various types of agricultural methods. Crop Climatic conditions Areas (at least 2) Rice Hot and wet climate, India and China heavy rainfall Wheat Cool, moderate rainfall Northern China, India Tea H i g h t e m p e r a t u r e , India, Bangladesh heavy rainfall Sugar cane Hot and moist climate, India, Java Bright sunshine. Cotton High temperature, sunshine, frost-free days China and Pakistan Rubber High temperature, heavy rainfall Malaysia, Indonesia 26 TH—Our Earth—8 (G) 1. Shifting agriculture 2. Plantation agriculture Unit 5—India Chapter 13: Location, Extent & Physical Features Exercises (on page 143) (A) 1. b. Himachal Pradesh 2. c.Kerala 3. b. Sri Lanka 4. c. Zaskar Range 5. d.Jhelum 6. b.Godavari 7. b.Kosi (B) 1. Western Ghats 2.Indus 3.Karakoram 4. Khasi Hills 5. Aravalli Range 6. Andaman and Nicobar Islands (C) 1. 8° 4' N and 37° 6' N 2. Tropic of Cancer 3. Yarlung Tsangpo 4.Sahyadhri 5.Kanyakumari 6.K2 Godwin Austen (D) 1. Aravalli Range 2. Ten Degree channel 3.Godavari TH—Our Earth—8 27 4. Himadri or the Greater Himalayas 5. Narmada River 6.Karakoram (E) 1. (i) Acts as a climatic barrier. (ii) Glaciers and snow fields are sources of many perennial rivers. (iii) Fertile alluvial soil. (vi) Tourist centre. (v) Mineral resources. (vii) Numerous hill stations. 2. Fertile alluvial soil deposited by the rivers and the perennial rivers provide easy transport/good network of roads helping to make the area have a dense population. 3. They depend on the monsoon rain for water. They are less suitable for irrigation and are not easily navigable. (F) 1. Eastern Ghats (i) They are broken by the valley of rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal extending from the Mahanadi valley to the Nilgiris. (ii) They are much lower with their average height being about 450 m. (iii) They have gentle slopes and rise from much wider eastern coastal plain. Western Ghats (i) They are continuous, extending from the Tapi River to Kanyakumari. (ii) They are much higher, their average height being around 1200 m, but rising to 2500 m in some parts. (iii) They are steep and rise abrupetly sharply from a narrow western coastal plain. 2. The Himalayan Rivers—Originate from the snow capped mountains and have drainage basin consisting of the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their many tributaries. 28 TH—Our Earth—8 The Peninsular Rivers—are classified into two as the westflowing rivers and the east-flowing rivers. These rivers are short, swift-flowing rivers. 3. The Eastern Coastal Plains Lie between Bay of Bengal and Eastern Ghats. It is wider and extends from the mouth of River Ganga to Kanyakumari. The northern part of the coast between Rivers Mahanadi and Krishna is known as Northern Circars. The southern part between the Krishna and Kaveri is called the Coromandel Coast. There are several lagoons and lakes – Lake Chilika Kollery. Lake and lagoons are known as the backwaters in Kerala. Lake Vembanad is the largest coastal lagoon. The Western Coastal Plains—Lie between the Western Ghat and the Arabian Sea stretching from Kutch in the north to Kanyakumari. The western coast is known as the Gujarat coast, the Konkan Coast in Maharashtra and the Malabar Coast in Kerala. The Konkan Coast is broader and has the largest seaport. Unit 5—India Chapter 14: India—Climate and Vegetation Exercises (on page 158) (A) 1. b.Ebony 2. b. Evergreen rainforests 3. b.Acacia 4. c.Sundari 5. a. Deltas 6. b. deciduous forests 7. a. coniferous forests 8. a.Sundari TH—Our Earth—8 29 9. a.Kangaroo 10. b. Madhya Pradesh (B) 1.South-westerly 2. Kaal baisakhi 3. Break of monsoon 4. Western depression 5.Biosphere 6. Tropical deciduous forest (C) 1.Mawsynram 2.Mediterranean 3. Peacock, Bengal tiger 4. Teak and Sal 5. Western side of the Western Ghats (D) 1. Windward side The mountain slopes facing the rain-bearing clouds receive rain and are called the windward side. 2. Rain-shadow area Region not receiving much rain as it lies on the leeward side of a mountain barrier. 3. 'Break in the monsoon' The rainy season may not be a continuous one. At times there may be break between spells of rain. 4. National parks These are protected area reserved exclusively for preserving the flora and fauna, landscape and buildings and monuments of historic importance of an area. 5. Natural vegetation Plants that grow on its own under the influence of climate and soil. (E) 1. Due to the lapse rate, the temperature decreases with increase in altitude. For every 1,000 metres of ascent there is a drop of 6°C in temperature. 2. Delhi is away from the sea and has an extreme climate, whereas Mumbai located along the coastal region and have an equable climate. 30 TH—Our Earth—8 3. Due to human activities. 4. The Bay of Bengal branch bring heavy rain to the Garo-KhasiJaintia as they get trapped in the funnel-shaped arrangement of the hills. 5. Due to large-scale cutting down of trees called deforestation. 6. Winters are dry in northern India. When north-east winds blow over the Bay of Bengal they pick up to became northeast monsoons and bring rain to the Coromandel coast. 7. The most extensive tidal forest area is found in the GangaBrahmaputra delta called the Sunderland after the Sundari tree that grows here. (F) 1. Monsoon rains are characteristically irregular. They are irregular in terms of time of occurrence, distribution, amount, which vary from year to year. The rainy season may not be a continuous one. At times there may be break between spells of rain. 2. Himalayas are called a climatic divide – (i) Himalayas stops the moisture-bearing South-westerly winds to go across the Himalayan mountain and shed the moisture at the foothills of the Himalayas. (ii) Himalayas stops the cold Arctic winds from entering into India. 3. Tropical deciduous forest is common in India. The important trees are teak, sal, ebony, mahua, deodar, palash, peepal, sandalwood, etc. 4. Thorn forest is found in areas where the annual rainfall varies between 50 and 100 cm. Mostly thorn bushes, acacia and grasses are found. The vegetation consists of widely scattered and short trees like acacia. The leaves are waxy, spicy and thorny to reduce transpiration and loss of water, their roots are long so that they may go deep in search of water. 5. (i) The summer monsoons—March–June (ii) The winter season—November–February 6. Forests are important (1) because trees produce a large amount of oxygen, (2) Trees act as natural air conditioners. TH—Our Earth—8 31 7.Relief features cause great variations in its distribution. These winds can cause flood in one part and drought in another part simultaneously. Unit 5—India Chapter 15: India—Case Studies Exercises (on page 171) (A) 1. Rabi 2. white sap (latex), Hevea brasiliensis 3. financial capital 4. Information Technology 5.broadcasting/dibbling 6.Kerala 7.Nylon/Terylene 8. Texas Instruments/Lucent Technologies (B) 1. (i)Plantations need large amounts of capital for preparing the land, planting the crops, hiring labour and establishing processing factories. (ii) A large number of workers are employed in administration, technical services and labour. (iii) Advanced technology is used—machines for planting, harvesting and laboratories to check the quality of the products. (iv) Good transport links, especially with ports, are also necessary. 2. Factors favouring wheat cultivation in Punjab: (i)Ideal climatic conditions: The temperatures average about 10°C–15°C during the sowing seasons in OctoberNovember and around 20°C in February–March, the harvesting season. (ii) Ideal rainfall: It has rainfall around 15 cm. Punjab also experiences winter rain which is especially beneficial to the crop. 32 TH—Our Earth—8 (iii) Good irrigation facility: Close network of canals and large number of tube wells. 3. Green Revolution: A package offered to wheat farmers which enables, them to increase their production of wheat many fold. 4. (i) Its strategic location (ii) Easy availability of raw material (iii) Cheap hydroelectricity and soft water for dyeing and bleaching (iv) Cheap unskilled labour (v) Major port (vi) A good network of roads and railways (vi) Humid climate is ideal for spinning of yarn (viii)Parsee and Gujarati merchants provide capital 5. (i) It has the largest and widest availability of skilled managers with work experience. (ii) Large number of educational institution and information technology colleges. (iii) Climate is moderate which attracts foreign companies. (iv) Good transport network, good telecom connectivity advanced infrastructure, better state policy and invester perception. (v) Dust-free with low rent and low cost of living. (vi) The state government of Karnataka was the first to announce an IT policy in 1992. (C) 1. Pepper, cardamom, clove, chilli, ginger, turmeric (any two) 2. Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Firozpur, Patiala, Gurdaspur (any 2) 3. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Kanpur, Ludhiana, Chennai, Panipat (any 2) (D) 1. (i) Mumbai factories had old and obsolete machinery, the production of which was low and the industry became uneconomic and sick. (ii) Mumbai faced stiff competition from other countries like Egypt, Sudan, Kenya Uganda and Tanzania, which grows fine long-stapled cotton and produced quality fabrics. TH—Our Earth—8 33 (iii) Mumbai cotton became expensive. Raw cotton was a light commodity which was quite cheap to transport to other counties that produced better and cheaper cloth. (iv) The increasing demand for synthetic textile like rayon, nylon, terylene, etc. was another cause for the setback of the cotton textile industry in Mumbai. 2. Parts of Worlds— (i) The USA—Cotton (ii) Sri Lanka—Tea (iii) Brazil—Coffee (iv) Kenya—Coffee (v) Ghana—Cocoa (vi) Malaysia, Indonesia—Rubber, coconut (vii) Queensland, Australia—Sugar cane 2. a. Plantation farming is practised in selected parts of the world because large amount of capital, good transport links, skilled and unskilled cheap labour and other favourable conditions are hard to be found everywhere easily. Plantation farming is expensive—It is totally commercial type of farming grown on large farms involving the growing of mainly cash crop. Plantation farming is expensive because it needs large amount of capital for preparing land, planting the crop, hiring labour and establishing processing factories. 3. (i) The largest and widest availability of skilled managers with work experience. (ii) Largest number of educational institutions and information technology colleges. (iii) Climate is moderate throughout the year, which attracts foreign companies. (iv) Good network of transport, good telecom connectivity advanced infrastructure and better state policy and investors perception. (v) It is dust-free with low rents and low cost of living. 4. The western distrubances are beneficial for Punjab average wheat crop because the rain in winter season. Winter rainfall in this region is 15 cm, which is ideal for wheat crop. 34 TH—Our Earth—8
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