Chapter 1, Water — The Essence of Life, looks at where our fresh water comes from, how the water cycle keeps it moving, and why we must use it carefully. These extra questions revisit the key ideas.
Practice Questions
Q1. Name three sources of fresh water.
Rivers, lakes, and groundwater (wells and borewells) are common sources; rain refills all of them.
Q2. Describe the water cycle in brief.
Water evaporates from oceans, rivers and lakes, forms clouds through condensation, falls back to Earth as rain, and flows into rivers and seas again — a cycle that repeats endlessly.
Q3. Give two ways to save water at home.
Turning off the tap while brushing teeth, and reusing water left over from washing vegetables to water plants.
Q4. Why is fresh water called a precious resource even though oceans cover most of Earth?
Because most of Earth’s water is salty ocean water; only a small fraction is fresh water fit for drinking, and even less of that is easy to access.
Q5. What could happen to a village if its only river dried up in summer?
Drinking water, farming and daily washing would all be affected, forcing people to travel further or dig deeper wells to find water.
Why These Help
Understanding where water comes from and how limited fresh water really is builds the habit of using it carefully, which matters more every year as demand for water keeps growing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why shouldn’t we waste water even in places that get a lot of rain?
Because rainfall varies from season to season, and the water stored in the ground and in reservoirs needs to last through the dry months too, so wasting it now can cause shortages later.
See the Chapter 1 Solutions and Revision Notes for the full walkthrough.
