Class IX – Employability Skills | Unit 5: Green Skills – Questions & Answers
Class 9 · Artificial Intelligence
Unit 5: Green Skills – Questions & Answers
This question bank is based on Unit 5: Green Skills of Class IX Employability Skills. It covers important concepts related to the environment, natural resources, pollution, conservation, sustainable development and the green economy.
Section A – Very Short Answer Questions
Questions 1–12 | 1 Mark Each
Q1. What constitutes our environment?
Answer: Everything around us, including the community of living plants and animals (flora and fauna), constitutes our environment.
Explanation: Human beings depend on the surrounding natural systems for their survival and well-being.
Q2. Mention one negative impact of modern high-input agriculture on the soil.
Answer: Modern high-input agriculture can cause soil degradation due to the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Explanation: Although such methods increase food production, excessive use of chemicals can harm soil quality and the environment.
Q3. Define inexhaustible resources.
Answer: Inexhaustible resources are natural resources that cannot be exhausted by human consumption.
Examples: Solar radiation, wind and water power.
Q4. What are biodegradable pollutants?
Answer: Biodegradable pollutants are pollutants that can be decomposed naturally by moisture and bacteria into harmless substances.
Explanation: Such materials can naturally break down and return to the environment.
Q5. Which gases are associated with the formation of holes in the ozone layer?
Answer: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Explanation: CFCs damage the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from harmful solar radiation.
Q6. Define conservation of natural resources.
Answer: Conservation is the proper management of natural resources to prevent their exploitation, destruction or degradation while using them efficiently.
Q7. State one practical way to save energy while cooking.
Answer: We can use a pressure cooker or keep cooking vessels covered with a lid to save fuel.
Q8. What does the 'Reduce' step in the 3Rs mean?
Answer: Reduce means using fewer resources and avoiding unnecessary waste.
Example: Avoiding unnecessary use of paper while writing.
Q9. Define a green economy.
Answer: A green economy is an economy that uses fewer resources, produces less pollution and promotes human well-being and social equity.
Q10. Which gas in biogas is primarily responsible for its use as a fuel?
Answer: Methane.
Explanation: Methane burns easily and therefore makes biogas a useful source of clean fuel.
Q11. Give one example of a socio-cultural element in a school environment.
Answer: Respect for each other's caste, religion and creed.
Q12. Why are minerals such as gold and silver considered non-renewable resources?
Answer: They take thousands of years to form naturally and cannot be easily replaced after being used.
Explanation: Their formation takes place over a very long period through natural geological processes.
Section B – Short Answer, Case-Based & Competency-Based Questions
Questions 13–25 | 2 Marks Each
Q13. Differentiate between the physical and socio-cultural environment of a school.
Answer:
| Physical Environment | Socio-Cultural Environment |
|---|---|
| Includes buildings, classrooms, libraries and other physical facilities. | Includes teaching climate, social behaviour, discipline and inclusivity. |
Explanation: A healthy school environment requires both safe physical facilities and positive social interactions.
Q14. Case-Based: A steel factory burns firewood and charcoal in its furnaces. Identify two possible environmental impacts.
Answer:
- It can increase air pollution because burning solid fuels releases smoke and harmful gases.
- It can contribute to an increase in global temperature through the release of greenhouse gases.
Explanation: Burning solid fuels releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
Q15. List any four of the five fundamental sources of energy mentioned in the textbook.
Answer:
- Nuclear fusion in the Sun (solar energy)
- Gravity of the Earth and Moon
- Nuclear fission reactions
- Energy in the interior of the Earth
Explanation: These are among the fundamental natural sources from which usable energy originates.
Q16. How does growing vegetation in catchment areas help in water conservation?
Answer: Vegetation holds water in the soil, prevents rapid runoff and allows water to percolate into deeper layers to form groundwater.
Explanation: Vegetation helps retain water and supports the replenishment of groundwater resources.
Q17. Competency-Based: You have several old notebooks with many blank pages. How can you apply the 'Reuse' principle?
Answer: The blank pages can be removed and bound together to make rough pads for practice work, calculations or notes.
Explanation: Reusing materials for another purpose increases their useful life and reduces paper waste.
Q18. Explain the concept of sustainable development.
Answer: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without destroying the environment or depleting resources needed by future generations.
Explanation: It promotes responsible use of resources so that development today does not harm future generations.
Q19. Competency-Based: Mention two green skills required to support a green economy.
Answer:
- Ability to assess environmental impact.
- Ability to design and adopt technologies that reduce resource consumption.
Explanation: Such skills help individuals manage natural resources efficiently and support sustainable development.
Q20. Case-Based: Ritesh travels alone in his car every day. Suggest two ways he can conserve fuel.
Answer:
- He can use public transport such as a bus.
- He can join or organise a carpool with people travelling in the same direction.
Explanation: Sharing transportation reduces fuel consumption and vehicle emissions.
Q21. How does the Modern DEEP Chulha benefit health and the environment?
Answer: The Modern DEEP Chulha reduces wood consumption by 50% and smoke by 80%.
Explanation: Lower wood consumption helps conserve forests, while reduced smoke improves indoor air quality and reduces health risks.
Q22. Describe the technology and benefits of the biotoilets developed by Green Solution Foundation.
Answer: The biotoilet uses a bio-digester tank in which bacteria convert human waste into water that can be reused for purposes such as irrigation.
Explanation: This technology provides an environmentally friendly method of waste treatment and helps recycle water.
Q23. Differentiate between land pollution and water pollution with one cause of each.
Answer:
| Land Pollution | Water Pollution |
|---|---|
| Damage or degradation of land due to harmful substances. | Contamination of rivers, oceans and other water bodies by harmful substances. |
| Example: Plastic waste. | Example: Chemical waste entering water bodies. |
Q24. Competency-Based: Why is learning through the environment considered an effective educational process?
Answer: Learning through the environment provides hands-on experience and opportunities for problem-solving in real-life situations.
Explanation: Direct interaction with the environment makes learning practical and helps students understand the importance of conservation.
Q25. Case-Based: Describe the unique ownership model of the Swachh Cooperative in Pune.
Answer: The Swachh Cooperative is wholly owned by waste pickers. It integrates informal waste workers into the city's waste management system with dignity.
Explanation: The initiative provides employment opportunities while contributing to effective urban waste management and environmental protection.