CHAPTER 3: CLIMATES OF INDIA
1. What is weather?
A. The long-term pattern of weather in a region
B. The condition of the atmosphere experienced over an hour or a day
C. The movement of tectonic plates
D. The distribution of minerals
Answer: B. The condition of the atmosphere experienced over an hour or a day
2. What is climate?
A. The atmospheric condition at one particular moment
B. The amount of rainfall on one day
C. The pattern of weather experienced by a region over several decades
D. The temperature recorded in one afternoon
Answer: C. The pattern of weather experienced by a region over several decades
3. Which of the following is a season mentioned in the chapter?
A. Monsoon
B. Earthquake
C. Cyclone
D. Drought
Answer: A. Monsoon
4. Why do seasons occur?
A. Because the Moon revolves around Earth
B. Because Earth revolves around the Sun
C. Because oceans stop moving
D. Because mountains change height
Answer: B. Because Earth revolves around the Sun
5. How many traditional seasons, or ritus, are described for many parts of India?
A. Three
B. Four
C. Five
D. Six
Answer: D. Six
6. Which of the following is NOT one of the six traditional Indian ritus listed in the chapter?
A. Vasanta
B. Grishma
C. Varsha
D. Monsoon depression
Answer: D. Monsoon depression
7. Which traditional ritu refers to spring?
A. Vasanta
B. Grishma
C. Hemanta
D. Shishir
Answer: A. Vasanta
8. Which traditional ritu refers to the rainy season?
A. Sharad
B. Varsha
C. Hemanta
D. Vasanta
Answer: B. Varsha
9. Which statement about climate is correct?
A. Climate changes completely every hour.
B. Climate describes only one day’s rainfall.
C. Climate usually remains stable over long periods, although changes can occur.
D. Climate is unrelated to human activities.
Answer: C. Climate usually remains stable over long periods, although changes can occur.
10. Which type of climate is found in the Himalayan mountains of northern India?
A. Arid
B. Alpine
C. Tropical wet
D. Equatorial
Answer: B. Alpine
11. What are the winters like in the alpine climate of the Himalayas?
A. Hot and humid
B. Cold and snowy
C. Warm and dry
D. Mild and rainless everywhere
Answer: B. Cold and snowy
12. Which climate is often found in lower Himalayan areas and many hilly regions of India?
A. Temperate
B. Arid
C. Polar
D. Desert
Answer: A. Temperate
13. What type of climate is found in the northern plains of India?
A. Alpine
B. Subtropical
C. Polar
D. Tundra
Answer: B. Subtropical
14. Which climate characterises the Thar Desert?
A. Tropical wet
B. Alpine
C. Arid
D. Temperate
Answer: C. Arid
15. Which region of India has a tropical wet climate with heavy monsoon rainfall?
A. Western coastal strip
B. Thar Desert
C. High Himalayan peaks
D. Northernmost cold deserts
Answer: A. Western coastal strip
16. What type of climate is found in the central Deccan Plateau?
A. Semi-arid
B. Alpine
C. Polar
D. Extremely wet throughout the year
Answer: A. Semi-arid
17. Which of the following is a factor determining India’s climate?
A. Latitude
B. Altitude
C. Proximity to the sea
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
18. Why are places near the Equator generally warmer?
A. The Sun’s rays are more direct and their energy is concentrated over a smaller area.
B. They are always closer to the Sun than other places.
C. They receive no atmospheric radiation.
D. They have no clouds.
Answer: A. The Sun’s rays are more direct and their energy is concentrated over a smaller area.
19. Why do polar regions receive less heat than equatorial regions?
A. The Sun’s rays are more concentrated at the poles.
B. The Sun’s rays are inclined and spread over a larger area.
C. The poles have no atmosphere.
D. The poles are closer to the Earth’s core.
Answer: B. The Sun’s rays are inclined and spread over a larger area.
20. Which place is mentioned as being warm or hot almost throughout the year because of its location near the Equator?
A. Srinagar
B. Kanniyakumari
C. Shimla
D. Leh
Answer: B. Kanniyakumari
21. What generally happens to temperature as altitude increases?
A. It increases continuously.
B. It decreases.
C. It remains unchanged everywhere.
D. It immediately reaches 100°C.
Answer: B. It decreases.
22. Why are hill stations generally cooler than the plains below?
A. They are at higher altitudes.
B. They are always closer to the sea.
C. They receive no sunlight.
D. They have higher atmospheric pressure.
Answer: A. They are at higher altitudes.
23. Which of the following is identified in the chapter as a hill station?
A. Ooty
B. Nagpur
C. Chennai
D. Patna
Answer: A. Ooty
24. Why do coastal regions generally experience less extreme temperatures?
A. The sea heats up and cools down more slowly than land.
B. The sea prevents all sunlight from reaching the coast.
C. Coastal areas have no winds.
D. The land near the sea never loses heat.
Answer: A. The sea heats up and cools down more slowly than land.
25. Mumbai and Nagpur are located at similar latitudes. Why does Mumbai generally have milder temperatures?
A. Mumbai is closer to the sea.
B. Mumbai is in the Himalayas.
C. Nagpur is on an island.
D. Nagpur receives no sunlight.
Answer: A. Mumbai is closer to the sea.
26. According to the chapter, what is the approximate temperature range at Mumbai in the example provided?
A. 5°C
B. 14°C
C. 24°C
D. 34°C
Answer: B. 14°C
27. Which states are mentioned as often receiving hot, dry winds from the west?
A. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
B. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Karnataka only
C. Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram only
D. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland only
Answer: A. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
28. What can winds coming from the sea bring over land?
A. Moisture that may result in rainfall
B. Only dry dust
C. No change in humidity
D. Permanent snowfall everywhere
Answer: A. Moisture that may result in rainfall
29. What does the term “topography” refer to?
A. The totality of physical surface features of an area
B. The daily temperature of a city
C. The amount of rainfall in one year
D. The movement of planets
Answer: A. The totality of physical surface features of an area
30. How do the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges influence India’s climate?
A. They protect the Indian subcontinent, to some extent, from cold desert winds from Central Asia.
B. They cause every part of India to have the same climate.
C. They prevent all monsoon rainfall.
D. They eliminate seasonal changes.
Answer: A. They protect the Indian subcontinent, to some extent, from cold desert winds from Central Asia.
31. What is a microclimate?
A. The climate of the entire planet
B. A climate localised in a small area that differs from its surroundings
C. The climate of the ocean only
D. A climate that lasts for one hour
Answer: B. A climate localised in a small area that differs from its surroundings
32. What can create an urban heat island?
A. Many buildings and concrete structures combined with very little vegetation
B. Large areas of untouched forest only
C. A complete absence of buildings
D. A region covered entirely by snow
Answer: A. Many buildings and concrete structures combined with very little vegetation
33. What does the word “monsoon” originally mean?
A. Mountain
B. Season
C. Ocean floor
D. Desert
Answer: B. Season
34. What creates the seasonal pressure difference that helps drive the summer monsoon?
A. Land heats up faster than the ocean.
B. The ocean always becomes hotter than land.
C. The Sun stops heating Asia.
D. Mountains disappear during summer.
Answer: A. Land heats up faster than the ocean.
35. During summer, where do monsoon winds generally travel from?
A. The cooler, high-pressure ocean towards the hot, low-pressure land
B. The hot land towards the colder ocean only
C. The poles directly towards the Equator only
D. The Himalayas towards the Moon
Answer: A. The cooler, high-pressure ocean towards the hot, low-pressure land
36. What happens when moisture carried by monsoon winds condenses over land?
A. It falls as rain.
B. It becomes underground rock.
C. It stops the water cycle.
D. It permanently lowers sea level.
Answer: A. It falls as rain.
37. When do monsoon rains typically begin advancing over India from its southern tip?
A. Early January
B. Early June
C. Late September
D. Mid-December
Answer: B. Early June
38. By approximately when do monsoon rains usually cover the entire Indian subcontinent?
A. Mid-July
B. Early February
C. Late March
D. Mid-December
Answer: A. Mid-July
39. Why do the western slopes of the Western Ghats receive heavy monsoon rainfall?
A. The Western Ghats act as a natural barrier to the moisture-bearing winds.
B. The western slopes are far from the sea.
C. The region receives no winds.
D. The mountains prevent clouds from forming anywhere.
Answer: A. The Western Ghats act as a natural barrier to the moisture-bearing winds.
40. What is the winter or northeast monsoon?
A. Winds that reverse direction and blow from land towards the ocean
B. Winds that always blow from the ocean towards land in winter
C. Winds that occur only in the Himalayas
D. Winds that never carry moisture
Answer: A. Winds that reverse direction and blow from land towards the ocean
41. Which place in Meghalaya is mentioned as receiving the highest average annual rainfall in the world?
A. Shillong
B. Mawsynram
C. Tawang
D. Darjeeling
Answer: B. Mawsynram
42. What is one economic consequence of monsoon failure?
A. Agricultural production always increases.
B. Food prices may rise.
C. Water becomes unlimited.
D. Industries no longer need water.
Answer: B. Food prices may rise.
43. Which organisation tracks cyclones and provides information about their development and landfall?
A. India Meteorological Department (IMD)
B. National Museum of India
C. Archaeological Survey of India
D. Election Commission of India
Answer: A. India Meteorological Department (IMD)
44. How can an intense low-pressure system over the sea develop into a cyclone?
A. Moist air moves towards the low-pressure area, and strong winds and clouds develop.
B. The sea becomes completely dry.
C. Air stops moving around the system.
D. Atmospheric pressure becomes identical everywhere.
Answer: A. Moist air moves towards the low-pressure area, and strong winds and clouds develop.
45. What is the cloudless centre of a cyclone called?
A. The eye
B. The tail
C. The ridge
D. The front
Answer: A. The eye
46. What is a flood?
A. Water overflowing onto normally dry land
B. The sudden collapse of rock and soil
C. An uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetation
D. A long-term rise in temperature only
Answer: A. Water overflowing onto normally dry land
47. What is a landslide?
A. The sudden collapse of rock, soil or debris
B. The seasonal reversal of winds
C. The gradual formation of clouds
D. The movement of seawater caused by tides only
Answer: A. The sudden collapse of rock, soil or debris
48. Which human activities can increase the risk of landslides?
A. Cutting down forests and building without following approved methods
B. Protecting forests and maintaining natural drainage
C. Planting trees on slopes
D. Keeping waterways clear
Answer: A. Cutting down forests and building without following approved methods
49. Which of the following is identified as a major human cause of climate change since the 19th century?
A. Burning fossil fuels
B. The natural movement of tides alone
C. The yearly change of seasons
D. The daily rising and setting of the Sun
Answer: A. Burning fossil fuels
50. What is one important way to mitigate climate change mentioned in the chapter?
A. Increasing fossil-fuel consumption
B. Cutting greenhouse-gas emissions and planting trees
C. Removing all vegetation
D. Increasing wasteful consumption
Answer: B. Cutting greenhouse-gas emissions and planting trees
