Social Science Our Environment Class 7 Chapter 1 Questions and Answers - Free PDF Download
FAQs on NCERT Solutions For Class 7 Social Science Our Environment Chapter 1 Our Environment - 2025-26
1. How do you correctly answer the NCERT question on the major components of the environment for Class 7 Social Science Chapter 1?
To answer this question as per the CBSE guidelines for the 2025-26 session, you should first state that the environment has two main components. Then, explain each one:
- Natural Environment: This includes everything that exists naturally without human interference, such as land (lithosphere), water (hydrosphere), air (atmosphere), and living organisms (biosphere).
- Human-Made Environment: This includes all things created by humans, such as buildings, roads, bridges, parks, and industries.
Clearly separating these two components is key to scoring full marks.
2. What is the correct way to define 'environment' and distinguish between its biotic and abiotic components for an exam?
According to the Class 7 NCERT syllabus, the environment is defined as our basic life support system, encompassing the place, people, things, and nature that surround any living organism. To distinguish its components correctly in an answer, you should explain them as:
- Biotic Components: These are the living elements of the environment, such as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.
- Abiotic Components: These are the non-living elements, which include land, water, air, and sunlight.
This distinction is fundamental to understanding how ecosystems function.
3. How should a Class 7 student explain the concept of an 'ecosystem' with examples to get full marks?
A complete answer should start with the definition: An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of all living organisms with each other and with the physical and chemical factors of the environment in which they live. After defining it, you must provide examples to show you understand the concept. For instance, you could mention a large rainforest, a grassland, a desert, or even a small pond as examples of different ecosystems.
4. What are the four major domains of the natural environment as per the Class 7 NCERT textbook?
The four major domains of the natural environment are:
- Lithosphere: The solid crust or the hard top layer of the Earth, made up of rocks and minerals and covered by a thin layer of soil.
- Hydrosphere: The domain of water, comprising various sources like rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans.
- Atmosphere: The thin layer of air that surrounds the Earth, consisting of a mix of gases that protect us from the sun's harmful rays.
- Biosphere: The narrow zone of the Earth where land, water, and air interact with each other to support life.
5. Why is providing specific examples important when answering questions about the lithosphere or hydrosphere in NCERT solutions?
Providing specific examples, such as 'mountains and plateaus' for the lithosphere or 'rivers and oceans' for the hydrosphere, is crucial in CBSE exams. It demonstrates a deeper understanding beyond just memorising definitions. It shows the examiner that you can apply the concepts to real-world features, which often leads to higher marks. Simply defining the term is often not enough for a complete answer.
6. How do human activities modify the environment? How can this be structured for a long-answer question?
Humans modify the natural environment to fulfil their needs, such as growing crops, building homes, and setting up factories. For a long-answer question, structure your response like this:
- Introduction: Briefly state that humans interact with and modify their environment.
- Body Paragraphs/Points: Give specific examples of modification, like cutting down forests for agriculture (deforestation), building dams on rivers to harness water, and constructing roads and buildings on land.
- Conclusion: Conclude by summarising that these modifications, while necessary for development, can also have a significant impact on the natural balance.
7. What is a common mistake students make when explaining the 'barter system' from this chapter?
A very common mistake is to simply define the barter system as 'a system of exchange'. A complete and correct definition must include the crucial detail that it is a trade in which goods are exchanged without the use of money. Forgetting to mention the absence of money is the most frequent error, which can lead to a loss of marks as it misses the core concept of the system.
8. How are the natural and human-made components of the environment interdependent?
The natural and human-made components are highly interdependent. Humans use natural resources from the environment to create human-made things. For example, we use soil and water (natural) to grow crops (human activity), and we use wood from trees (natural) to build houses (human-made). In turn, human-made activities like pollution from factories can directly affect the natural environment's air and water quality. Understanding this two-way relationship is key to the chapter.






















