SST Practice Paper 2 Answer key

PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, VASTRAL

Grade – 8                                                                                          Subject – SST

Marks – 80                                                                                        Practice Test - 2

ANSWER KEY

1.  Why is it important to have skilled population?                              1

A skilled population is the key to growing jobs, improving family economic independence and ensuring the development of the country.

2.    What is colonization?                                                                                                   1

The process in which one country acquires control over another leading to various kinds of political, economic, social and cultural changes in the former is called colonization.

3.    How does film as source of history help us?                                1

Films made on historical personalities are of immense help not only to understand their

personal lives but also to study their contribution in the struggle of Independence.

4.  Name the two rival troops of the Battle of Buxar.                         1

Company forces and joint forces Mir Qasim and his allies.

5.  Which continent faces highest degradation due to extensive industrialisation?1

Europe faces highest degradation due to extensive industrialization.

6.  How does arable farming affect natural vegetation?                        1

It causes deforestation and clearing of forest to develop land for agriculture.

7.  Why is Republic Day important?                                             2

The Republic Day of India commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into force. It replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950. It is also celebrated to honour the memory of the declaration of independence in 1930.

8.  Law and dissent are like two sides of the same coin. Explain.          2

If people agree to most of the laws made by the government, there will be times when people will not agree to the law made by them. Dissent also means refusal to conform to a particular authority. Dissent can sometimes bring about a change in society or the political situation of the country.

9.  Explain how climatic conditions act as a factor influencing soil formation

with an example.                                                                2

Climatic conditions such as temperature and rainfall govern the rate and the type of weathering. For example, chemical weathering is prominent in the areas of high rainfall and monsoon climate. Decomposition of organic matter is rapid in humid climate.

10.  Name any three NGOs that work towards the conservation of wildlife.        2

PETA (Prevention of Extreme Treatment to Animals), SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature)

11.      Why is it important to conserve animals?                                2

·         Animals give us various products such as meat, hide, wool, milk,etc.

·         Animals are a part of the food chain of the ecosystem.

·         Insects like bees etc. help in pollination.

12.      Where was opium exported and Why was this crop cultivated in India? 2

It was exported to China in exchange for Chinese tea. The cultivation of opium yielded huge revenue in India.

13.      Explain any two features of the Industrial Revolution.                   2

·         The use of new materials such as iron and steel.

·         The invention of new energy sources such as the steam engine which revolutionised cotton textile weaving. Cloth began to be produced in abundant quantity and cheaply powered by steam. Later, electricity came to be used.

14.  Write a short note on cantonments.                                          3

The colonial period witnessed separate administration of civil and military stations. These were known as civil lines and cantonments, respectively. The cantonment is a military garrison or a camp. This British military settlement was initially established as a military base to Collage station the British army. Subsequently people associated with servicing the military began to settle down there. This led to the development of a full-fledged town.

15.      Explain the Right to Constitutional Remedies.                            3

The Right to Constitutional Remedies gives us the right to approach the judiciary if our rights are violated. If anyone is found guilty of violating other’s rights, he/she is asked by the government not to do so. This right empowers the Supreme Court to issue orders or writs to enforce the fundamental rights.

16.  How is electricity generated from water?                                                          3

Hydroelectricity or hydel power is generated when rain water or river water stored in dams is made to fall from a height. Water flows through pipes inside the dam over moving turbine blades at the end of the dam. The moving blades turn the generators and electricity is produced. Electricity thus produced is known as hydro electricity.

17.      Why does the depth of the water table vary from place to place?          3

Water tables are influenced by many factors - topography, geology, weather, ground cover, and land use. An area's water table can fluctuate as water seeps downward from the surface. It filters through soil, sediment, and rocks. This water includes precipitation, such as rain and snow. Irrigation from crops and other plants may also contribute to a rising water table. Light, porous rocks can hold more water than heavy, dense rocks.

18.      Explain the Dual System of Government.                                 3

Under this system, administration was divided between the Nawab and the Company. The Nawab had the responsibilities of law and order and the administration of criminal justice; on the other hand the Diwan’s office being separate was responsible for the collection of the revenues and dealt with the administration of civil justice. This system helped the Company to remain free from real responsibility of the administration of Bengal and still they held their power safely in Bengal. The Nawab had all the responsibilities but no resources to discharge it.

19.      Which was more insulting for the Indian rulers- Lord Wellesley’s system of Subsidiary Alliance or Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse?                  3

According to the System of Subsidiary alliance the Indian ruler could not interfere in to any alliance with any other ruler. He had to declare the British as the supreme power and had to have a British officer in the court and pay for the maintenance. According to the Doctrine of Lapse in the Indian rule had no heir to the state would lapse and or be taken over by the British government.

20.      What are the factors on which the development of resources depends?      3

Needs of people force man to discover new ways to utilize resources.  Resources should be economically viable and should exist in sufficiently large number of quantity. Resources should be accessible. People should have knowledge about the presence and the utilization of resources. The level of technology. More advance the technology, more efficient the use of resources. The cost of generation of resources should not be very high. The importance of the resource changes with time.

21.  Write three things to keep in mind while storing records.                  3

Records must be stored in such a way that they are accessible and safeguarded against environmental damage. A typical paper document may be stored in a filing cabinet in an office. Employ file rooms with specialized environmental controls including temperature and humidity. Vital records may need to be stored in a disaster-resistant safe or vault to protect against fire, flood, earthquakes and conflict.

22.                      Mention three reasons for India's water scarcity.                3

·         India is the second most populous country in the world, with more than 1 billion citizens. Roughly half of India’s population, a staggering 569 million, practice open defecation. 

·         The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are linked to unsafe water and the lack of hygiene practices. Further, more than 500 children under the age of five die each day from diarrhea in India alone. 

·         With its strong microfinance sector and extensive need for improved water and sanitation solutions, India provides a great opportunity for Water.org to scale our WaterCredit solution. Monitor Deloitte estimates that the rural sanitation market in India is worth US $25 billion.

23.      The most important source of information comprises administrative records, that is, official documents. Explain.                                          4

The British officials not only believed in keeping a record of every official proceeding but also carefully preserved the important documents and papers. They set up specialised institutions such as archives and museums to preserve the records. Most of these materials are available in the National Archives of India at New Delhi and the India Office Records in London. The India Office Records are administered by The British Library; over 300 collections and over 3000 smaller deposits of private papers are a significant source of the British experience in India.

24.      Write a short note on Nomadic Herding.                                4

Nomads are people who migrate with their herd from one place to another in search of pasture land and water. They do not have a permanent house. Their seasonal movement along with their herds to warmer places in winter and cooler highlands in summer is called as transhumance. It is practised in arid and semi-arid lands of Sahara, Central Asia and in India where cultivation is not possible. Different animals are reared in different regions of the world, for example, camel in Arabia, goats in Central Asia, cattle in East Africa and mixed herd of cattle such as sheep, goats, buffaloes, and yak in South Asia.

25.      Mention any three results of the Great Uprising of 1857.               5

The Great Uprising of 1857 was the great struggle of the Indians for freedom from the British. The result of the uprising marked the end of the Mughal dynasty. By the end of 1859, the British regained their control over the country. They could not carry on ruling the land with the same policies and introduced major changes in British policies and in the administrative setup of India. Lord Canning was the Governor- General during the time of the uprising. He was to continue but was thereafter given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the crown. The British Government also proclaimed to abstain from all interference with the religious and social customs of the Indian subjects.

26.      Different climatic regions of the world show variations in plant and animal

life. Explain with an example.                                                   5

Distribution of natural vegetation depends upon various factors such as latitudinal extent, altitude, sunlight, temperature, soil type, terrain type, type of precipitation, etc. Climate (rainfall and temperature) causes a particular type of natural vegetation to develop. Wild life shows close relationship with climate and vegetation. For example, grasslands will support small eaters such as deer and antelope and thick forests will support large animals

such as elephants, giraffe, etc.

27.      What are the major uses of multipurpose projects?                     5

They generate electricity. They control floods as they store water in the reservoir and control the flow of water. Canals are constructed from dams for the purpose of irrigation during dry season. A good infrastructure of waterways supports inland navigation and

 reduces the load on roadways and railways. Pisciculture can be practiced in the reservoir of the dams. Afforestation can be practiced in the catchment areas of the dams resulting in soil conservation and increase in the water table. The dams can be the best recreational spots encouraging tourism.

28. Explain the Significance of the Forty Fourth Amendments to the Constitution of India.                                                                 5

The 44th amendment of the Constitution was enacted by the Janata Government mainly to nullify some of the amendments made by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. It made wide scale changes to the Indian Constitution to make the Indian polity more democratic. Some of the changes introduced by the Act are as follows:

·         Constitutional protection to publication in newspaper of the proceedings of the Parliament and State Legislatures.

·         The President may only once send advice of the Cabinet for reconsideration.

·         Restoration of some powers of the Supreme Court.

·         Fundamental Rights Guaranteed by Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended during a national emergency.

·         The Right to Property was deleted from the list of fundamental right. It is now only a legal right under the Constitution.

29.      Mark the following on the map of India.                                 5

·         Regions producing bauxite – Orissa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh

·         Regions producing mica - Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh

·         States producing copper -  Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand

·         Commercial crops were grown - Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra Silent Valley National Park – Kerala