Important Questions for CBSE Class 7 Science Our Environment Chapter 9 - Life in The Deserts

Very Short Answer Questions:                                                                    1 Mark

1. Fill in the blanks:

i. The Sahara Desert is located in the northern part of the continent of ____.

Ans: The Sahara Desert is located in the northern part of the continent of Africa. 

ii. The Sahara Desert is the ____hot desert in the world.

Ans: The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world.

iii. ___vegetation is a characteristic feature of all types of deserts.

Ans: Scanty vegetation is a characteristic feature of all types of deserts.

iv. ____ is grown abundantly in Egypt.

Ans: Cotton is grown abundantly in Egypt.

2. State true and false:

i. Lamayuru monastery dates back to$10$th century.

Ans: True

ii. Mainly Buddhists and Muslims are the inhabitants of Ladakh.

Ans: True

iii. Cotton is grown abundantly in Egypt.

Ans: True

iv. Thar is a desert of Pakistan and China.

Ans: False

3. Match the following:

Ans: 

4. Choose the correct option:

i. In Ladakh, Hemis is famous for____.

1. Monastery

2. Temple

3. Church

4. None of the above

Ans: a. Monastery

ii. The categorisation of the deserts is done by____.

1. Heavy precipitation

2. Scanty vegetation 

3. Low evaporation

4. None of the above

Ans: b. Scanty vegetation 

5. Define the following:

i. Hottest Desert

Ans: Hottest desert of the world is the Sahara Desert of Africa.

ii. Coldest desert

Ans: Coldest desert on earth is Antarctica. It covers $99\% $ of the continent.

Short Answer Questions:                                                                                 2 Marks

6. What is an oasis?

Ans: Oasis can be defined as follows:

i. Oasis are depressions in deserts filled with water.

ii. These are formed when the surface sand is blown away by winds, a depression is formed which then naturally gets filled with underground water.

Morocco’s Tafilalet Oasis is a significant example in this regard. 

7. What are Bedouins?

Ans: Bedouins can be defined as follows:

i. Bedouins are a group of nomadic Arab people inhabiting the North African Deserts.

ii. Their main occupation is livestock rearing. 

8. Where is the Gangri glacier located?

Ans: The Gangri glacier is located in Ladakh, a cold desert of the Great Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir.

9. Where is Lamayuru located?

Ans: Lamayuru is a well-known monastery which is located on the Srinagar - Leh highway of the Leh district, India.

10. Why is Ladakh called a desert?

Ans: Ladakh is regarded as a cold ‘desert’ because of the following reasons:

i. Ladakh experiences extreme cold conditions due to its high altitude. In winters, the temperatures are usually as low as $ - 40$ degrees Celsius. Even during the summer season, night temperatures remain lower than $ - 30$ degrees Celsius. 

ii. The area experiences icy cold winds, very little rainfall, and has very thin air.

Short Answer Questions:                                                                     3 Marks

11. Why is Ladakh a very attractive place?

Ans: Ladakh is a very attractive place because of the following reasons:

i. It has natural beauty. The scenic beauty, sights of birds like raven and Tibetan snowcock, the fruit trees plantations attract many. 

ii. People are also attracted to visit the Buddhist monasteries or ‘gompas’ and experience the rich culture and festivities.

iii. The place is also attractive for adventure-loving people who often visit there to take part in trekking and experience the beauty of glaciers and meadows. 

12. Define the two types of deserts. 

Ans: The two types of deserts are as follows:

1. Hot Deserts: Hot deserts are deserts experiencing high temperatures (around $40$ °C), higher rates of evaporation and very scanty rainfall. These are generally covered with sands and have dry, rocky, arid conditions. There is practically no such cold season in these deserts. The Sahara desert of the African continent is the largest hot desert in the world. 

2. Cold Deserts: These are deserts experiencing lower temperatures (often below $0$°C), lower rates of evaporation, a mildly hot summer season, and a long extremely cold winter. These regions get comparatively more precipitation, mostly in the form of snow. Instead of sand, the ground surface remains covered with snow and ice. Example – Ladakh in India. 

13. Why is Ladakh very freezing and what do the people of Ladakh grow? 

Ans: Ladakh desert is freezing because of the following reasons:

1. Its high altitude makes the region experience extreme cold and freezing conditions. In winters, the temperatures are usually as low as $ - 40$° C. Even during the summer season, night temperatures remain lower than $ - 30$°C. 

2. The region experiences icy cold winds, very little rainfall, and has very thin air.

Poplars, groves of willows, walnuts, apricots, and apples are grown by the people of Ladakh.

14. Name some floras and faunas of the Sahara desert. 

Ans: Some floras and faunas of the Sahara desert are as follows:

1. Floras: The vegetation in the Sahara desert are date palms, acacia, and cactus. 

2. Faunas: The animals found in the Sahara desert are hyenas, camels, foxes, jackals, snakes, scorpions, etc.

15. What are the winter and summer activities of Ladakh? 

Ans: The winter and summer activities of Ladakh are as follows:

1. Summer Activities: People of Ladakh involve themselves in agriculture during the summer season and grow crops like barley, peas, potatoes, beans, etc. They grow barley, peas, potatoes, beans, and turnips. Women also work in the fields and side by side manage houses, shops, and other small businesses. 

2. Winter Activities: In the winter season, people organise ceremonies and participate in festivals. Agriculture can’t be practiced in this season due to extreme climatic conditions. But the work in small businesses and shops mostly continues in winters too. 

Long Answer Questions:                                                                    5 Marks

16. Deserts have scanty vegetation, why?

Ans: Scanty or scarce vegetation is a characteristic feature of all types of deserts because of the following reasons:

1. Extreme Climates:  Unfavourable and harsh climatic conditions are the primary reason for scanty vegetation in deserts. Extreme hot or cold climates and low rainfall make it difficult for the flora to survive in these areas. 

2. Unfavourable Soils: Hot deserts are dominated by sandy soils which are deficient in organic matter and nitrogen. These are essential for the growth of trees or crops and hence hot deserts lack vegetation. On the other hand, cold deserts are usually covered with snow thus making the land infertile for the growth of vegetation. 

Because of these two reasons desert areas have specially adapted plants like acacia, date palms and cactus. The desert trees usually have trunks with a thick base and leaves with a waxy covering to survive the extreme conditions. 

17. Why do the people of the Sahara desert wear heavy robes?

Ans: People of the Sahara desert, the largest hot desert of the world wear heavy robes because of the following reasons:

1. Hot winds and dust storms are common in the Sahara desert.  Hence, the people of the region wear robes for protection against those hot winds and dust storms. 

2. The temperatures, especially during the daytime, remain miserably high in the region. The sun shines brightly and the insolation received is also higher. Here the robes come into play again to protect the people from the harmful and harsh sun rays. The robes help in cooling the trapped air inside its multi-layered fabric and creates a cool atmosphere in the body of the one wearing the robe. The robes are traditionally white and hence reflect more of the sunlight rather than absorbing it and keeps the people cool.  In these ways, robes save the people of the Sahara desert from the region’s scorching heat and hence people wear them.

3. The robe also doesn’t let the sweat get evaporated rapidly and thus permits the circulation of air. This lets the human body hold on to fluids. This is another reason that the people there favour wearing robes. 

4. The temperature in the region drops after sunset and the desert becomes cool in the evening and night. These robes also protect them from cold.

18. Briefly explain the flora and fauna of the Ladakh desert.

Ans: Ladakh is a hill station in India. It is a union territory located at a very high altitude which makes Ladakh the coldest place in the country. Flora and fauna of Ladakh is discussed as below:

1. Flora: Ladakh has very sparse vegetation due to the extremely dry and arid conditions. There are scanty and scattered patches of shrubs and grasses for animals to graze. In the summer season, fruits like apricots, apples, and walnuts are produced. 

2. Fauna: Many hundred species of birds are found in the Ladakh region. Birds like redstarts, raven, robins, Tibetan snowcock, etc. are very common in Ladakh.  Migratory birds are also spotted. Animals like wild goats, yak, and wild sheep are also found. These animals are generally reared to obtain products like meat, hides, milk, etc. 

19. Explain the life of the people of the Sahara desert. Discuss their activities.

Ans: The extreme and harsh climatic conditions of the Sahara deserts make it difficult for people to reside there. Still, there are many settled people and their life is as discussed below:

1. The main inhabitants of the Sahara desert are nomadic tribes like Tuaregs and Bedouins. 

2. They are mainly settled in regions of oasis in the Nile valley and Sahara due to the easy availability of water.

3. They mostly wear robes, their traditional wear which protects them from harsh sun rays, hot winds and dust storms, and cold. 

These Tribes Pursue Different Activities an Account of which is Given Below:

1. The majority of them rear animals like sheep, camels, goats, horses, etc. and obtain various useful products from them. Such products include milk, wool, meat, etc. which they either consume or use to produce finished goods like leather belts, water bottles, etc.

2. Many of them practice agriculture and grow crops like date palms, rice, wheat, barley, Egyptian cotton, etc. 

3. With the passage of time, modernization and advancements have occurred in the lives of the people. Today, many of them work as tourist guides or are employed in the flourishing oil and gas operation sector. 

20. Map Skills:

Outline the Thar Desert of India and Sahara desert of Africa.

Ans: Thar Desert: The Thar desert of India is in the state of Rajasthan. Pakistan also shares a large part of the Thar Desert.

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Sahara Desert: This is the world's largest hot desert, situated in the northern portion of Africa. The Sahara desert covers almost \[10{\text{ }}\% \]of the total area of the continent.

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What are the Benefits of Important Questions from Vedantu for Class 7 Science Our Environment Chapter 9 - Life in The Deserts

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8. Exam Confidence: By supporting exam preparation with a focus on desert life, these questions instil confidence, empowering Class 7 students for success in Science.

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Conclusion

Reviewing all the crucial questions for Class 7 Science Our Environment Chapter 9 - Life in The Deserts provides students with a solid grasp of the chapter's topics. The extra and important questions for Class 7 Science Our Environment Chapter 9 - Life in The Deserts engage in a concept-focused discussion, encompassing all chapter themes. This question-and-answer method proves time-saving during exam prep, offering an efficient way to revise the chapter and enhance understanding. Practising these important questions streamlines preparation and boosts confidence for the upcoming exams.