NCERT Class 10 Science Chapter 13 Our Environment
MCQs
- Which of the following is a biotic component of an ecosystem?
(A) Air
(B) Soil
(C) Plants
(D) Water
Answer: (C) Plants - What is the primary source of energy for life on Earth?
(A) Wind
(B) Sun
(C) Water
(D) Soil
Answer: (B) Sun - Which of these organisms are decomposers?
(A) Fungi and bacteria
(B) Herbivores
(C) Carnivores
(D) Autotrophs
Answer: (A) Fungi and bacteria - What is the average energy transfer efficiency at each trophic level?
(A) 1%
(B) 10%
(C) 50%
(D) 90%
Answer: (B) 10% - Which phenomenon causes harmful chemicals to accumulate in the food chain?
(A) Energy flow
(B) Biological magnification
(C) Decomposition
(D) Photosynthesis
Answer: (B) Biological magnification - What is the main function of decomposers in an ecosystem?
(A) Produce energy
(B) Consume plants
(C) Break down dead organisms
(D) Provide shelter
Answer: (C) Break down dead organisms - Which gas is responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer?
(A) Carbon dioxide
(B) Methane
(C) Chlorofluorocarbons
(D) Nitrogen oxide
Answer: (C) Chlorofluorocarbons - Which trophic level has the greatest number of organisms?
(A) Primary consumers
(B) Secondary consumers
(C) Producers
(D) Tertiary consumers
Answer: (C) Producers - Non-biodegradable materials are primarily harmful because they:
(A) Decompose quickly
(B) Persist in the environment for a long time
(C) Provide nutrients to the soil
(D) Generate energy
Answer: (B) Persist in the environment for a long time - What percentage of sunlight is captured by green plants?
(A) 1%
(B) 10%
(C) 50%
(D) 90%
Answer: (A) 1%
Fill in the Blanks
1. Who created the series of prints titled The Dream of Worldwide Democratic and Social Republics?
(A) Andreas Rebmann
(B) Frédéric Sorrieu
(C) Giuseppe Mazzini
(D) Karl Kaspar Fritz Answer
Answer: (B) Frédéric Sorrieu
2. What does the shattered remains of symbols in Sorrieu’s print (Fig. 1) represent?
(A) Absolutist institutions
(B) Religious unity
(C) Industrial progress
(D) Colonial empires Answer
Answer: (A) Absolutist institutions
3. Which term describes a vision of an ideal society that is unlikely to exist?
(A) Absolutist
(B) Utopian
(C) Liberal
(D) Conservative Answer
Answer: (B) Utopian
4. In Sorrieu’s vision, which two nations are leading the procession?
(A) France and Germany
(B) United States and Switzerland
(C) Austria and Prussia
(D) Italy and Poland Answer
Answer: (B) United States and Switzerland
5. What does the statue of Liberty hold in Sorrieu’s print?
(A) Sword and shield
(B) Torch and Charter of Rights
(C) Crown and scepter
(D) Globe and cross Answer
Answer: (B) Torch and Charter of Rights
6. Which term refers to a government with no restraints on power?
(A) Democracy
(B) Absolutist
(C) Republic
(D) Feudal Answer
Answer: (B) Absolutist
7. What does the German flag in Sorrieu’s print symbolize?
(A) Monarchical power
(B) Liberal hopes for unification
(C) Colonial ambition
(D) Religious unity Answer
Answer: (B) Liberal hopes for unification
8. Who symbolized fraternity among nations in Sorrieu’s print?
(A) Kings and queens
(B) Christ, saints, and angels
(C) Peasants and workers
(D) Napoleon Answer
Answer: (B) Christ, saints, and angels
9. According to Ernst Renan, what forms the basis of a nation?
(A) Common language
(B) Shared history and collective will
(C) Geographical boundaries
(D) Uniform religion Answer
Answer: (B) Shared history and collective will
10. What does plebiscite mean in Renan’s essay?
(A) A military alliance
(B) Direct vote by the people
(C) Religious ritual
(D) Colonial treaty Answer
Answer: (B) Direct vote by the people
11. Renan argued that nations are a guarantee of:
(A) Colonial expansion
(B) Liberty
(C) Feudalism
(D) Monarchical power Answer
Answer: (B) Liberty
12. Which principle did Renan reject as a basis for nationhood?
(A) Shared history
(B) Common race or language
(C) Collective will
(D) Heroic past Answer
Answer: (B) Common race or language
13. Renan described the existence of nations as:
(A) Unnecessary
(B) A daily plebiscite
(C) A religious duty
(D) A colonial project Answer
Answer: (B) A daily plebiscite
14. The French Revolution transferred sovereignty to:
(A) The Church
(B) French citizens
(C) Napoleon
(D) Foreign allies Answer
Answer: (B) French citizens
15. Which symbol replaced the royal standard after the French Revolution?
(A) Eagle
(B) Tricolour flag
(C) Cross
(D) Lion Answer
Answer: (B) Tricolour flag
16. What was the purpose of la patrie and le citoyen?
(A) Promote monarchy
(B) Create collective identity
(C) Expand colonies
(D) Suppress dissent Answer
Answer: (B) Create collective identity
17. The French Revolutionaries abolished:
(A) National Assembly
(B) Internal customs duties
(C) Religious institutions
(D) Military conscription Answer
Answer: (B) Internal customs duties
18. What language became common in France post-Revolution?
(A) Latin
(B) Parisian French
(C) German
(D) Breton Answer
Answer: (B) Parisian French
19. The Napoleonic Code established:
(A) Feudal privileges
(B) Equality before the law
(C) Colonial trade
(D) Religious dominance Answer
Answer: (B) Equality before the law
20. Which reform did Napoleon not introduce?
(A) Abolition of guilds
(B) Universal suffrage
(C) Standardized weights
(D) Improved transport Answer
Answer: (B) Universal suffrage
21. Why did local populations turn against French rule?
(A) Economic prosperity
(B) Forced conscription and taxation
(C) Religious freedom
(D) Cultural unity Answer
Answer: (B) Forced conscription and taxation
22. The Habsburg Empire ruled over:
(A) Only German-speaking regions
(B) Diverse ethnic groups
(C) France and Spain
(D) Scandinavia Answer
Answer: (B) Diverse ethnic groups
23. Which class dominated socially in 18th-century Europe?
(A) Peasants
(B) Landed aristocracy
(C) Industrial workers
(D) Clergy Answer
Answer: (B) Landed aristocracy
24. Liberalism in the 19th century emphasized:
(A) Monarchy
(B) Government by consent
(C) Feudalism
(D) Colonialism Answer
Answer: (B) Government by consent
25. The Zollverein aimed to:
(A) Promote war
(B) Unify German economies
(C) Suppress revolutions
(D) Expand colonies Answer
Answer: (B) Unify German economies
26. Who founded Young Italy?
(A) Cavour
(B) Mazzini
(C) Garibaldi
(D) Bismarck Answer
Answer: (B) Mazzini
27. Metternich hosted the Congress of Vienna to:
(A) Promote democracy
(B) Restore conservative order
(C) Unify Germany
(D) Abolish serfdom Answer
Answer: (B) Restore conservative order
28. The 1848 Revolution in France led to:
(A) Colonial expansion
(B) Universal male suffrage
(C) Monarchy restoration
(D) Feudal revival Answer
Answer: (B) Universal male suffrage
29. The Silesian weavers revolted due to:
(A) Religious persecution
(B) Wage reductions
(C) Political censorship
(D) Foreign invasion Answer
Answer: (B) Wage reductions
30. The Frankfurt Parliament failed because:
(A) Worker support
(B) Opposition from monarchy/military
(C) Foreign aid
(D) Religious unity Answer
Answer: (B) Opposition from monarchy/military
31. German unification was achieved under:
(A) Mazzini
(B) Bismarck
(C) Garibaldi
(D) Metternich Answer
Answer: (B) Bismarck
32. Italy’s unification was led by:
(A) Victor Emmanuel II
(B) Cavour and Garibaldi
(C) Napoleon
(D) Wilhelm I Answer
Answer: (B) Cavour and Garibaldi
33. Germania symbolized:
(A) French Republic
(B) German nation
(C) British Empire
(D) Ottoman Empire Answer
Answer: (B) German nation
34. Balkan tensions escalated due to:
(A) Industrial growth
(B) Ottoman decline and Slavic nationalism
(C) Religious unity
(D) Colonial trade Answer
Answer: (B) Ottoman decline and Slavic nationalism
Essay Type Questions
- Explain the components of an ecosystem with suitable examples.
Answer: An ecosystem consists of biotic components such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, and abiotic components such as air, water, soil, and sunlight. For example, a pond ecosystem includes algae (producers), fish (consumers), and decomposers like bacteria. - Describe the process of energy flow in an ecosystem and its significance.
Answer: Energy flows in an ecosystem through the food chain, starting from producers that convert solar energy into chemical energy. This energy is transferred to primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers, with a loss of energy at each trophic level. - Discuss the phenomenon of biological magnification and its impact on the environment.
Answer: Biological magnification is the progressive accumulation of harmful chemicals like pesticides in organisms at higher trophic levels. It can lead to toxic effects, such as diseases in humans and reduced reproductive rates in wildlife. - How does the depletion of the ozone layer affect living organisms, and what steps can be taken to prevent it?
Answer: Ozone layer depletion increases UV radiation, causing skin cancer and other health issues. Steps to prevent this include banning CFCs, using eco-friendly products, and international agreements like the Montreal Protocol. - Explain the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances with examples.
Answer: Biodegradable substances like vegetable peels decompose naturally, while non-biodegradable substances like plastic persist in the environment, causing pollution. Proper waste management is essential to address this issue.