India : The Great Indian Desert
(PRACHI Excellence in Social Studies)
EXERCISES
A. Multiple choice questions (MCQs).
Choose the correct answer from the given options :
1. It lies in the western part of India.
(a) Sahara desert. [ ]
(b) Namib desert. [ ]
(c) Kalahari desert. [ ]
(d) Thar desert. [✓]
2. Which of the following statements regarding the Thar desert is wrong?
(a) It is a hot and dry region. [ ]
(b) It receives maximum rainfall in India. [✓]
(c) Sand dunes are the main features of the Thar desert. [ ]
(d) Hot and dry wind 'loo' blows in this part. [ ]
3. Which of the following vegetation is found in the Thar desert?
(a) Lichens. [ ]
(b) Mosses. [ ]
(c) Thorny shrubs. [✓]
(d) None of these. [ ]
4. It is the most significant canal of the Thar desert.
(a) Panama Canal. [ ]
(b) Suez Canal. [ ]
(c) Indira Gandhi Canal. [✓]
(d) Bhakra Canal. [ ]
5. Which of the following tribes is shown in the adjoining picture?
(a) Bhil. [ ]
(b) Banjara. [✓]
(c) Santhal. [ ]
(d) Negro. [ ]
B. Very short answer type questions.
1. Define the term 'desert'.
= Desert is a flat land covered with a thick sheet of loose sand.
2. Name the cities covered by the Thar desert.
= The cities covered by the Thar desert are - Barmer, Jaislmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Suratgarh and Ganganagar.
3. What type of climate is found in the Thar desert?
= The Great Indian desert experiences extremes of climates i.e. hot during summers and cold during winters. It receives scanty rainfall. Annual temperature can range from 0℃ in the winter to over 50℃ in the summer.
4. What is an Oasis?
= At a few places in the desert, the underground water reaches the surface through springs. As such places one can see date palm trees and grasses grow on land. Such places are known as an oasis.
5. At which place our government has set up country's largest wheat farm?
= At Suratgarh, our government has set up country's largest wheat farm.
6. Name the plants found in the desert.
= Date palm trees, cactus, thorny shrubs, keekar, babool and grasses are the plants found in the desert.
C. Short answer type questions.
1. What makes the sand dunes move?
= The sand dunes are the main feature of the Thar desert. The strong winds in the desert can move the sand dunes from one place to another. Dust storms are also common in the deserts. It forms an important part of western India and covers an area of 2,00,000 to 2,38,700 km2
2. Why is camel known as the ship of the desert?
= People in the desert travel on camel or in carts pulled by the camel. That is why camel is popularly known as the ship of the desert.
3. Write down a short note on the Indira Gandhi Canal of the Thar desert.
= The government of India has constructed the Indira Gandhi Canal in the desert. It takes the water from the Satluj river to some parts of the desert and helps the desert to look green with trees and crops of many types.
4. Describe the people of the Indian desert.
= People in the Thar desert have learned to cope with the extreme harsh weather conditions where some places are as hot as fire and some are cold as ice. People inhabit the lands wherever little water is available to practice agriculture and other activities.
Life in the desert region is very hard and difficult. People rear sheep, goats, camels and cattle. Some people travel from one place to another in search of food for themselves and their animals. Such people are popularly called banjaras.
5. What do you know about the capital city of the Thar desert?
= Jaipur is the capital city of the Thar desert. It is called the 'Pink City'.
D. Read the following statements carefully and mark (✓) on the true and (X) on the false one.
1. The summers are hot and winters are cold in deserts. [✓]
2. Many big rivers pass through the Indian desert. [X]
3. Sand dunes are actually hills of loose sand. [✓]
4. Nature is fully responsible for the creation of the deserts. [✓]
5. Indira Gandhi Canal brings water from the Satluj river. [✓]
E. Give reasons.
1. The Thar desert experiences hot summers and cold winters.
= The Thar desert experiences hot summers and cold winters because it receives scanty rainfall. Annual temperature can range from 0℃ in the winter to over 50℃ in the summer.
2. Camel is called the ship of the desert.
= Camel is called the ship of the desert because camels are commonly used in the desert for transportation.
3. Desert areas are thinly populated.
= Desert areas are thinly populated because life in the desert region is very hard and difficult due to the harsh weather conditions, unfavourable geographical feature and scanty rainfall.
4. There is greenery near the Oasis.
= There is greenery near the Oasis because at these places the underground water reaches the surface through springs.
F. Correctly match List I with List II.
=
|
List I |
List II |
|---|---|
|
i. Sand dunes |
(a) India’s largest wheat farm. [iv] |
|
ii. Oasis |
(b) Pink City. [v] |
|
iii. Indira Gandhi Canal |
(c) The mounds of sand. [i] |
|
iv. Suratgarh |
(d) Underground water. [ii] |
|
v. Jaipur |
(e) The only source of river water. [iii] |