Pre-mid Examination Class XI

Subject: Geohraphy (029)

Answer Key
Time Allowed: 3 hrs. Max. Marks: 70

General Instructions:
 This question paper contains 30 questions. All questions
are compulsory.
 This question paper is divided into five sections. Sections-
A, B, C, D and E.
 Section A - Question numbers 1 to 17 are Multiple Choice
type questions carrying 1 mark each.
 Section B - Question numbers 18 and 19 are Source based
questions carrying 3 marks each.
 Section C - Question numbers 20 to 23 are Short Answer
type questions carrying 3 marks each. Answer to these
questions shall be written in 80 to 100 words.
 Section D - Question number 24 to 29 are Long Answer
type questions carrying 5 marks each. Answer to these
questions shall be written in 120 to 150 words.
 Section E - Question number 30 is Map based questions.

SECTION-A
Multiple Choice Questions (Q 1 to 17) (1X17 = 17)
1. The major issue for Environmental Geography is (1)
i) Scientific study of the habitats.
 ii) Pollution, land degradation, and conservation of the
environment.
iii) Geographic characteristics of animals and their habitats.
iv) Population explosion.
Options: -
a) i and ii b) Only ii
c) Only iii d) ii and iii
Answer: Option b) Only ii.
2. Look at the picture and choose appropriate option (1)

Which of the following is a branch of Geography?

a) Zoogeography b) Human Geography
c) Environmental Geography d) Climate Geography
Answer: (d) Human Geography
3. What do we study under physical geography? (1)
a) Weather b) Soil
c) Atmosphere d) All of the above
Answer: (d) All of the above
4. Expansion of universe means? (1)
a) Increase in the number of stars.
 b) Increase in space between the galaxies.
c) Discovery of new celestial bodies.
d) Increase in the speed of rotation of planets.
Answer: (b) Increase in space between the galaxies.
5. The wrong statement in relation to terrestrial planets is? (1)
i) They are formed at quite a distant location.
ii) They have high gravitational pull.
iii) They could not hold the escaping gases.
iv) They are made up of rocks and metal, and have relatively
high densities.
Options: -
a) i and ii b) iii and iv
c) Only i d) ii and iii
Answer: (a) i and ii
6. What is the thickness of the crust below the Himalayas? (1)
a) 70 km b) 20 km c) 40 km d) 5 km
Answer: a) 70 km
7. In weathering ________ (1)
a) No motion of material takes place
b) Materials move from one place to another
c) The deposition of material takes place
d) None of the above
Answer: (a) No motion of material takes place
8. Which one of the following processes is a degradational
process? (1)
a) Deposition b) Diastrophism
 c) Volcanism d) Erosion
Answer: (d) Erosion
9. Which is the smallest Union Territory in India? (1)
a) Daman and Diu b) Lakshadweep
c) Delhi d) Puducherry
Answer: (b) Lakshadweep
10. Purvanchal hills are situated in the (1)
a) South b) South- East c) North-East d) East
Answer: (c) North-East
11. India lies: (1)
i) Mainly in the northern hemisphere
ii) Entirely in the northern hemisphere
iii) Between Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator
iv) More in the southern hemisphere
Options: -
a) Only i b) i and ii
c) Only ii d) ii and iii
Answer: (a) Only ii
12. Choose the State in India through which the Standard
Meridian of India, as well as the Tropic of Cancer, passes
covering the longest distance. (1)
a) Odisha b) Madhya Pradesh
c) Bihar d) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: (b) Madhya Pradesh
13. The total area of India is: (1)
a) 3.75 million sq. km b) 3.90 million sq. km
 c) 3.00 million sq. km d) 3.28 million sq. km
Answer: (d) 3.28 million sq. km
14. The general relief is the oldest in the (1)
a) Himalayan mountain system b) Indus-Ganga plain
c) North-eastern hills d) Peninsular plateau
Answer: (d) Peninsular plateau
15. The Nilgiris are part of the? (1)
i) The Eastern Ghats
ii) The Western Ghats
iii) Vindhyachal
iv) Tamil Nadu Hills
Options: -
a) Only ii b) ii and iv
c) Only i d) ii and iii
Answer: (a) Only ii
16. The oldest landmass of India is (1)
a) The Himalayan Mountain System b) Islands
c) The Peninsular Plateau d) The Indus-Ganga Plain
Answer: (c) The Peninsular Plateau
17. Which one of the following rivers is known as the Sorrow of
Bengal? (1)
(a) Gandak (b) Kosi (c) Son (d) Damodar
Answer: (d) Damodar
Section B - Question no. 18 and 19
(Source based questions)
18. Read the given paragraph and answer the given questions:
It is appropriate to know the importance of this branch of
geography. Physical geography includes the study of
lithosphere (landforms, drainage, relief and physiography),
atmosphere (its composition, structure, elements and controls
of weather and climate; temperature, pressure, winds,
precipitation, climatic types, etc.), hydrosphere (oceans, seas,
lakes and associated features with water realm) and biosphere
(life forms including human being and macro-organism and
their sustaining mechanism, viz. food chain, ecological
parameters and ecological balance). Soils are formed through
the process of pedogenesis and depend upon the parent rocks,
climate, biological activity and time. Time provides maturity
to soils and helps in the development of soil profiles. Each
element is important for human beings. Landforms provide
the base on which human activities are located. The plains are
utilised for agriculture. Plateaus provide forests and minerals.
Mountains provide pastures, forests, tourist spots and are
sources of rivers providing water to lowlands. Climate
influences our house types, clothing and food habits. The
climate has a profound effect on vegetation, cropping pattern,
livestock farming and some industries, etc. Human beings
have developed technologies which modify climatic elements
in a restricted space such as air conditioners and coolers.
Temperature and precipitation ensure the density of forests
and quality of grassland. In India, monsoonal rainfall sets the
agriculture rhythm in motion. Precipitation recharges the
 ground water aquifers which later provide water for
agriculture and domestic use. We study oceans which is the
store house of resources. Besides fish and other sea-food,
oceans are rich in mineral resources. India has developed the
technology for collecting manganese nodules from oceanic
bed. Soils are renewable resources, which influence a number
of economic activities such as agriculture. The fertility of the
soil is both naturally determined and culturally induced. Soils
also provide the basis for the biosphere accommodating
plants, animals and micro-organisms.
A. How Human beings interact with Nature? (1)
Answer: Human beings interact with Nature with the help of
technologies.
B. Define the term Pedogenesis. (1)
Answer: It is a process of soil formation.
C. Give the importance of Oceans for man. (1)
Answer: Oceans are the store house of resources. They
provide fish and other sea-food, and mineral resources.
19. Read the given paragraph and answer the given questions:
The Himalayan drainage system has evolved through a long
geological history. It mainly includes the Ganga, the Indus
and the Brahmaputra river basins. Since these are fed both by
melting of snow and precipitation, rivers of this system are
perennial. These rivers pass through the giant gorges carved
out by the erosional activity carried on simultaneously with
the uplift of the Himalayas. Besides deep gorges, these rivers
also form V-shaped valleys, rapids and waterfalls in their
mountainous course. While entering the plains, they form
depositional features like flat valleys, ox-bow lakes, flood
plains, braided channels, and deltas near the river mouth. In
the Himalayan reaches, the course of these rivers is highly
tortous, but over the plains they display a strong meandering
tendency and shift their courses frequently. River Kosi, also
known as the ‘sorrow of Bihar’, has been notorious for
frequently changing its course. The Kosi brings huge quantity
of sediments from its upper reaches and deposits it in the
plains. The course gets blocked, and consequently, the river
changes its course. Why does the Kosi River bring such huge
quantity of sediments from the upper reaches? Do you think
that the discharge of the water in the rivers in general and the
Kosi in particular, remains the same, or does it fluctuate?
When does the river course receive the maximum quantity of
water? What are the positive and negative effects of flooding?
A. Name some important rivers that have origin from
Himalayas. (1)
Answer: Ganga, Bhrahmputra and Indus.
B. Why Himalayan Rivers are called perennial rivers? (1)
Answer: Because they flow throughout of the year.
C. Why rivers change their course? (1)
Answer: The course of rivers gets blocked by sediments from
its upper reaches and deposits.
Section C - Question no. 20 to 23
 (Short Answer type questions)
20. Explain different types of boundaries that form as a result of
tectonic plates. (3)
Answer:
1) Transform Boundaries: - When the tectonic plates move
horizontally side by side this type of movement is called
transform movement and the plates are called transform plate
boundaries. In this movement the crust is neither produced
nor destroyed.
2) Convergent Boundaries: - When tectonic plates come close
to each other this type of movement is called convergent
movement and the plates are called convergent plate
boundaries. In this movement the crust is destroyed as one
plate dived under another. The area where a plate dived is
called subduction zone.
3) Divergent Boundaries: - When tectonic plates slowly move
away from each other this type of movement is called
divergent movement and the plates are called divergent plate
boundaries. The new crust is formed by volcanic activity. The
area where new crust forms is called spreading site.
21. Explain different types of Earthquakes. (3)
Answer:
1) Tectonic Earthquake: - The most common ones are the tectonic
Earthquakes. These are generated due to sliding of rocks along a
fault plane and the movement of tectonic plates.
2) Volcanic Earthquake: - A special class of tectonic Earthquake is
sometimes recognised as volcanic Earthquake. These are found on
the areas of active volcanoes.
3) Collapse Earthquake: - In the areas of intense mining activity
sometimes the roofs of underground mines collapse due to seismic
waves produced from the explosion of rock on the surface. These
are called collapse Earthquakes.
4) Explosion Earthquake: - Ground shaking may also occur due to the
explosion of chemical or nuclear devices. Such tremors (झटके) are
called explosion Earthquakes.
5) Reservoir Induced Earthquake: - The Earthquakes that occur in the
areas of large reservoirs are referred to as reservoir induced
Earthquakes. Sometimes Earthquakes also occur in mines due to
mining processes. Sometimes Earthquakes also occur below the
oceans on surface of the ocean causing tsunamis.
22. What are the difference stages of a volcano? (3)
Answer: -
1) Active Volcano: - An active volcano is a volcano that has
had at least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. An
active volcano might be erupting or dormant.
2) Erupting Volcano: - An erupting volcano is an active
volcano that is having an eruption.
3) Dormant: - A dormant volcano is an active volcano that is
not erupting, but supposed to erupt again.
23. Explain the main features of Narmada River System. (3)
Answer: -
 1) Origin: - The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in
Madhya Pradesh and flows towards the West in the rift valley
formed due to faulting.
2) Tributaries: - All the tributaries of the Narmada are very
short and most of these join the main stream at right angles.
3) Size: - Narmada basin extends over an area of 98,796 sq.
km. which is nearly 3% of the total geographical area of the
country.
4) Length: - The Narmada Basin covers parts of Madhya
Pradesh and Gujarat with the total length of 1,312 km.
{Any other relevant points}
Section D - Question no. 24 to 29
(Long Answer type questions)
24. What are the differences between Terrestrial Planets and
Jovian Planets? (5)
Answer: -

# Terrestrial Planets Jovian Planets

1. Terrestrial planets are made of Jovian planets are made of

solid surfaces. gaseous surfaces.

2. They are found between belt They are found after the belt
of asteroids and the Sun. of asteroids.
 3. They are also called inner They are called outer
planets. planets.

4. They are smaller in size and They are bigger in size and
their lower gravity could not they have more gravity that
hold the escaping gases. could hold the escaping
gases.

5. They have high density. They have low density.

6. They are warm as they are They are cold as they are far
closer to the Sun. away to the Sun.

7. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,

Mars are called Inner Planets. Neptune and Pluto are called
Outer Planets.

{Any other relevant points}

25. What are the evidences in support of the continental drift
theory? (5)
Answer: -
1) The Matching of Continents (Jig-Saw-Fit): - The
shorelines of Africa and South America facing each other
have a remarkable and unmistakable match.
2) Rocks of Same Age Across the Oceans: - The belt of
ancient rocks of 2,000 million years from Brazil coast
 matches with those from western Africa. The earliest marine
deposits along the coastline of South America and Africa are
of the Jurassic age. This suggests that the ocean did not exist
prior to that time.
3) Tillite: - It is the sedimentary rock formed out of deposits
of glaciers. The tillite is found in all the broken parts of
Gondwanaland. This shows that all the southern continents
had similar histories.
4) Placer Deposits: - The occurrence of rich placer deposits
of gold and the absolute absence of source rock in the Ghana
coast accurately matches with same deposits in Brazil. This
shows that these gold deposits of the Ghana are derived from
the Brazil Plateau when the two continents move side by side.
5) Distribution of Fossils: - The distribution of fossils shows
that same species of plants and animals were found in
different parts of the Gondwanaland.
26. What are the difference between physical weathering and
chemical weathering? (5)
Answer: -

Physical Weathering Chemical Weathering

The disintegration of rocks Chemical weathering is defined as

by physical or mechanical the chemically decomposition of
process is called physical rocks by due to reaction of
weathering. chemicals available in the rock
 under the influence of weather and
climate.

In physical weathering there There is not much importance of

is no chemical change in the physical forces but rocks broken
rocks and they break down down due to chemical changes.
due to physical processes.

Physical weathering is more Chemical weathering is more

effective in dry and cold effective in hot and humid areas.
areas.

Rocks affected up to a great Rocks are not affected to greet

depth, strong minerals in the death chemically resistant minerals
rocks are also affected by such as quartz are not much
physical weathering. affected by chemical weathering.

The agents of physical The agents of chemical weathering

weathering are temperature, are oxidation, carbonation,
frost and pressure release. hydration and solution.

{Any other relevant points}

27. Explain the brief description of India. (5)
Answer: -
1) Location: - India is a vast country lying in the Northern
Hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitude 8° 4’ and 37°
6’ North and longitudes 68° 7’ and 97° 25’ East.
2) Line of Latitude: - The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30’ North Latitude)
divides the country into almost two equal parts.
3) Island Groups: - The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lies in the
Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea.
4) Size: - The landmass of India has an area of 3.28 million sq. km
which accounts for or 2.4% total geographical area of the world.
5) Land Bounder: - India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km
and the total length of the coastline of the mainland including
Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands is 7,516.6 km.
6) Mountains: - India’s Northern border is covered by World’s
Highest Mountain series called Himalayan Mountain.
{Any other relevant points}
28. Give the main features of Himalayas. (5)
Answer: -
1) Introduction: - The Himalayas geologically young and
structurally fold mountains lies to the north of India. The
North and Northeastern Mountains consist of the Himalayas
and the Northeastern hills. The Himalayas stand almost like a
strong and long wall between the Indian subcontinent and the
Central and East Asian countries.
2) Location: - These mountain ranges run in the west-east
direction from the river Indus to the river Brahmaputra.
Himalayas in the Darjiling and Sikkim regions lie in an east-
west direction, while in Arunachal Pradesh they are from
 southwest to the northwest direction. In Nagaland, Manipur
and Mizoram, they are in the north-south direction.
3) Length & Width: - The approximate length of the Great
Himalayan range, also known as the central axial range, is
2,500 km from east to west, and their width varies between
160 and 400 km from North to South.
4) Division: - The Himalayas consist of a series of parallel
mountain ranges. Some of the important ranges are the Greater
Himalayan range, which includes the Great Himalayas and the
Shiwalik. The general orientation of these ranges is from
northwest to the southeast direction in the northwestern part of
India.
5) Specialization: - The altitudinal variations are greater in the
eastern half than those in the Western half.
{Any other relevant points}
29. Explain the main features of Indus River system. (5)
Answer: -
1) Origin: - River Indus rises in Tibet from the Bokhar Chu (glacier)
in northern slopes of Mt. Kailash near Mansarowar Lake. In Tibet,
it is known as ‘Singi Khamban; or Lion’s mouth.
2) Length: - River Indus is one of the longest rivers in the world
having length of 2900 (3180) km. (in India 1114).
3) Direction of Flow: - Flowing west it enters India in the Ladakh
union territory.
4) Tributaries: - In Kashmir region it is joined by many tributaries of
Zaskar, the Nubra, the Shyok and the Hunza. The Satluj, the Beas,
 the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum join together to enter the
Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.
5) Get down to Plains: - The Indus flows through Baltistan and Gilgit
Region and leaves Himalayas at Attock in Kashmir region and
enters into Pakistan near Chilas in the Dardistan region.
6) Depositional Feature: - In Pakistan the Indus flows southwards
and forms ‘Sapt Sindhu’ delta in Karachi and drains into the
Arabian Sea.
{Any other relevant points}
Section E - Question no. 30
(Map based questions)
30. A Mark on the political map of India
a. Standard Meridian of India (1)
b. Mt. K2 (1)
c. Anai Mudi (1)
d. Sambhar Lake (1)
e. Chilika Lake (1)