Natural Resources and Their Use — Mastery

Q1. 'obvious' natural resources from 'not-so-obvious' ones. The chapter's set of OBVIOUS natural resources is

• A. water, air and soil
• B. coal, petroleum and precious stones
• C. metal ores and timber
• D. plastic, cement and glass

Q2. India has 'a wide variety of materials' such as wood, marble, coal and gold. The chapter ties this variety to

• A. the country's geographical diversity
• B. the country's population size
• C. imports from neighbouring countries
• D. the country's monetary policy

Q3. Food comes from soil through cultivation. The chapter's reason for placing SOIL in the 'essential for life' category is that soil

• A. is used to manufacture cement and bricks
• B. is non-renewable and very rare
• C. is the largest natural resource by volume
• D. gives us the food we eat through cultivation, which humans cannot make in factories

Q4. The condition under which a renewable resource stays renewable. A village panchayat allows villagers to cut only as much firewood from the community forest as the forest grows back each year. By reasoning, the firewood here

• A. automatically becomes a non-renewable resource
• B. loses its value as a resource
• C. remains a renewable resource because the natural rhythm of restoration and regeneration is not disturbed
• D. depends on imports for replenishment

Q5. On, the chapter says a cut on the skin healing is an example of 'restoration'. The chapter uses this everyday example to make the point that

• A. human bodies are renewable resources
• B. the human body works on the same principles as a wildfire
• C. wounds always need medicines to heal
• D. Nature has an inherent ability to heal itself and return things to their original healthy state

Q6. On Fig. 1.11 , Amarkantak, Katni and Koraput are marked with the orange diamond symbol. According to the legend, this symbol stands for

• A. coal
• B. iron ore
• C. bauxite
• D. oil

Q7. The Brahmaputra is called Yarlung Tsangpo before it enters India. The chapter brings up this fact to illustrate that

• A. natural resources like river water are sometimes shared across international borders, which can lead to cooperation or to conflict
• B. the Brahmaputra is the longest river in India
• C. Tibetan and Indian names for rivers are always identical
• D. rivers are non-renewable resources

Q8. 'Don't miss out' box gives: a mature tree produces about 275 litres of oxygen per day, and a human being needs about 350 litres of oxygen per day. From these figures, the BEST inference is that

• A. one mature tree is enough to meet one human's daily oxygen need
• B. humans do not really need oxygen from trees
• C. more than one mature tree is needed per person — so even one human's oxygen need explains why forests must be preserved
• D. trees produce more oxygen than humans require

Q9. We must act as 'stewards' of natural resources. According to the chapter, acting as a steward means working towards

• A. restoration, regeneration and sustainability
• B. import, export and trade
• C. industrialisation, urbanisation and modernisation
• D. extraction, utilisation and consumption

Q10. Pema's family in the Sikkim caselet. The crops their farm grows are

• A. wheat, paddy and sugarcane
• B. cotton, jute and tea
• C. large cardamom, ginger and vegetables
• D. coffee, rubber and bananas

Q11. Combining and 8, consider a deep-sea petroleum deposit which India currently cannot access economically. Which BEST describes its status as per the chapter?

• A. It is already a renewable resource for India
• B. It is an artificial resource created by humans
• C. It is a substance in Nature, but not yet a 'resource' for India because its exploitation is not technologically accessible or economically feasible — and even when accessed, it will remain non-renewable
• D. It is a cultural resource

Q12. Ms. Sneha is teaching Class 7 students the three 'use-based' categories of natural resources (life, materials, energy). Which is the BEST FIRST activity to begin the class with?

• A. Lecture students on the definitions of 'renewable' and 'non-renewable' resources
• B. Show a 30-minute documentary on coal mining
• C. Ask students to list everything they have used since waking up (water, breakfast food, school bag, electric fan) and then sort the list into the three categories
• D. Give a written test on the names of major minerals

Q13. A Class 8 student writes: 'Solar energy is non-renewable because the sun will one day burn out.' Diagnosing this answer against of the chapter, the teacher should explain that the student has

• A. correctly applied the definition of non-renewable
• B. Confused the human time-scale (within which solar energy renews daily without depletion by use) with the cosmic time-scale (the sun's eventual death), whereas lists solar energy among renewables
• C. discovered a new category of resources
• D. given a factually wrong claim about the sun

Q14. Reflecting on the whole chapter, four students argue about what India should do about coal — a non-renewable resource that India holds in significant quantity but whose reserves may last only ~50 more years. Which student's view is BEST supported by the chapter as a whole?

• A. Aarav: 'We should burn all our coal as fast as possible to develop industries quickly.'
• B. Meera: 'We should stop using coal completely today, regardless of the cost.'
• C. Ishaan: 'We should use coal judiciously to meet current needs while urgently scaling up renewables like solar (Bhadla, ISA) so that the natural resource curse is avoided and we move towards stewardship and sustainability.'
• D. Riya: 'Coal is non-renewable, so its exploitation is pointless and we should let it remain unused underground.'

Q15. Combining and 13, the Punjab groundwater case is BEST explained by which causal chain?

• A. Free power supply → over-pumping → extraction rate greater than replenishment → deficit builds up → groundwater table falls to about 30 metres → higher extraction cost and chemical contamination
• B. Chemical contamination → free power → low rainfall → over-pumping
• C. Falling groundwater → free power → cropping change → higher yields with no cost
• D. Sikkim's organic shift → Punjab's overpumping → ISA launch

Q16. Strategies India has attempted to remedy groundwater depletion. Which of the following groups is named in the chapter?

• A. imports of bottled water from neighbouring countries
• B. traditional practices of water harvesting, rejuvenation of ponds and tanks, cutting down on wasteful consumption, and processing and reusing water
• C. construction of large new dams in every state
• D. compulsory closure of all farms

Q17. 'Don't miss out' box gives the example of tuna fish. The chapter uses this example to illustrate that

• A. fish can never be a renewable resource
• B. commercial over-fishing has disturbed the natural rhythm of regeneration, so even a fish population that keeps the ocean ecosystem in balance is in decline
• C. tuna fish do not eat smaller fish or shrimps
• D. international agreements on fishing are useless

Q18. On, the chapter shows Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan (Fig. 1.18) as 'a mud structure built in the 12th century and refurbished later using sandstone.' The chapter places this picture in the section on cement to make the point that

• A. mud and stone are unsuitable for any large structure
• B. traditional alternative materials such as stone and mud have been used to build durable structures for centuries, and can be alternatives to polluting cement today
• C. cement was invented in the 12th century
• D. Jaisalmer Fort is the only mud structure in India

Q19. A chain by which renewable resources can become threatened. Arrange in the correct causal order: (i) Fossil-fuel-driven industrialisation and cutting down of forests for agriculture (ii) Rising temperatures (iii) Glaciers in some places in the Himalayas melt faster than precipitation can replace them (iv) Implications for water security for populations living in the plains dependent on the 'water tower'

• A. (i) → (ii) → (iii) → (iv)
• B. (iv) → (iii) → (ii) → (i)
• C. (ii) → (i) → (iv) → (iii)
• D. (iii) → (iv) → (i) → (ii)

Q20. What Pema's family in Sikkim actually did during their organic transition. According to the chapter, they

• A. switched to compost, prepared natural pest repellents using neem and garlic, and started growing multiple crops across the year
• B. doubled the use of chemical fertilisers to compensate for falling yields
• C. stopped farming altogether and moved to the city
• D. imported organic seeds from Europe

Q21. Ms. Latha wants her Class 8 students to grasp the distinction between ecosystem 'functions' and ecosystem 'services' . Which lesson plan is the BEST PEDAGOGIC FIT for the chapter?

• A. Read out the definitions twice and ask students to underline them in their textbook
• B. Take students on a walk to a nearby park or grove, list what the trees naturally do (filter water, prevent soil erosion, give habitat), then ask students to identify which of those things humans benefit from — and label that benefit as a 'service'
• C. Show only a numerical figure (275 litres of oxygen per tree) and ask students to memorise it
• D. Tell students that ecosystem services cost money and let them calculate the price

Q22. HOW cement production pollutes. Which of the following effects is NOT listed in the chapter for cement-factory dust?

• A. enters the lungs of humans and animals, damaging them
• B. settles on leaves of plants, decreasing their yields
• C. causes soil and water pollution
• D. raises the average temperature of nearby cities by 10 degrees Celsius

Q23. Asks: 'What can make what is today a renewable resource a non-renewable tomorrow?' Drawing the BEST answer is

• A. There is no way a renewable resource can become non-renewable
• B. If humans extract or use the resource much faster than Nature can restore and regenerate it — for example, harvesting timber faster than forests grow, or over-fishing tuna — the natural rhythm is disturbed and the resource is depleted
• C. Only chemical pollution can change a renewable resource into a non-renewable one
• D. Renewable resources become non-renewable only when imported

Q24. On, the chapter names ecosystem functions performed by a forest. Which set is given there?

• A. filtering water, preventing soil erosion, providing habitat for animals, naturally producing oxygen, supporting clean water and pollinated crops as services to humans
• B. manufacturing cement, building roads, running factories, generating electricity and printing currency
• C. harvesting timber, mining coal, drilling oil, growing wheat and selling minerals
• D. writing books, painting walls, composing songs, weaving cloth and cooking food

Q25. The specific recommendations of Vṛkṣhāyurveda. Which of the following is consistent with the chapter?

• A. It recommends one fixed irrigation schedule for all plants regardless of species
• B. It gives intricate methods for seed collection, preservation and pre-planting treatment, varies irrigation by plant species, growth stage and season, and uses natural repellents and companion plants for pest management
• C. It rejects all traditional knowledge in favour of modern chemical methods
• D. It recommends ploughing in a way that destroys soil moisture and underground organisms

Q26. 'Don't miss out' box (with the Tulasi-puja picture, Fig. 1.6) makes which point?

• A. Nature is a competitor of humans in many indigenous traditions
• B. In many indigenous traditions of the world, Nature is considered sacred — a nurturer and nourisher
• C. Tulasi puja is the only example of Nature-worship in India
• D. Indigenous traditions reject the idea that Nature is sacred

Q27. Combining, 12 and 15, which CAUSE-EFFECT chain BEST captures the chapter's argument about why stewardship of natural resources matters?

• A. Industrial growth → more taxes → cleaner air
• B. Irresponsible treatment of natural resources (e.g., over-pumping groundwater, polluting industrial waste, cement dust) → pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change → loss of ecosystem services on which human life depends → urgent need for stewardship: restoration, regeneration and sustainability
• C. Trade between states → cultural exchange → environmental balance
• D. Cement guidelines → solar parks → free electricity for all

Q28. A Class 8 student writes in her notebook: 'Soil is a resource for energy because it grows trees, and trees are burnt for energy.' Against, the teacher's BEST response is to explain that

• A. the student is fully correct; soil belongs in the energy category
• B. the chapter places soil under 'essential for life' (along with air, water and food) because soil gives us food through cultivation, and humans cannot make soil — the energy category lists coal, water, petroleum, natural gas, sunlight and wind, not soil itself
• C. the chapter only has one category — non-renewable
• D. soil is a man-made resource

Q29. Looking across the WHOLE chapter (pp.2–18), four policy packages are proposed for India. Which is BEST aligned with the chapter's overall argument?

• A. Maximise extraction of coal, oil and iron in the next decade, and let the next generation worry about pollution and climate change
• B. Combine (a) judicious use of non-renewables, (b) traditional water harvesting, organic farming and recycled/plant-based building materials, (c) scaling up renewables via the ISA and solar parks like Bhadla, and (d) acting as stewards of Nature for restoration, regeneration and sustainability
• C. Ban all industries to protect Nature absolutely
• D. Allow free power and free fertilisers in every state to repeat the Punjab Green Revolution everywhere

Q30. Cross-reading, 9 and 10, the chapter argues that uneven distribution of natural resources leads BOTH to cooperation AND to conflict. Which pairing BEST illustrates this dual outcome?

• A. Cooperation: Kaveri water-sharing negotiations among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry / Conflict: displacement of people in resource-rich areas and threats to their sacred places, leading to disputes
• B. Cooperation: World War II / Conflict: Wootz steel trade
• C. Cooperation: Punjab Green Revolution / Conflict: Sikkim organic transition
• D. Cooperation: ISA / Conflict: ecosystem services