Here is a new blog post in Class 7th English. “The Desert” is Chapter 3 taken from the newly introduced textbook Let’s Read English textbook for students of Class 7th of JKBOSE and An Alien Hand English for NCERT students. This post concerns The Desert Chapter 3 Summary and Question Answers. In my previous post, you read about Bringing Up Kari Chapter Summary and Question Answers. So, let’s not waste any more time and get started with today’s post.
The Desert Chapter 3 Summary and Question Answers
Introduction
The chapter “The Desert” describes the lives of people in deserts, how they survive and what challenges they face while living in deserts. There is a detailed account of the geographical formation of deserts, climate, vegetation and animals found in deserts and how they adapt to the extreme weather conditions found here.
The Desert Chapter 3 Word Meaning
Word | English Meaning | Hindi Meaning | Urdu Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Humid | containing moisture | नम | مرطوب |
Regions | areas | क्षेत्रों | علقه |
Surrounded | covered | से घिरा | گھرا ہوا |
Burrow | moving underground by digging | मांद | ماند |
Absorb | taking in completely | सोखना | جذب کرنا |
Adapt | change | अनुकूल बनाना | موافقت |
Bloom | grow and open | खिलना | کھلنا |
Moisture | wetness | नमी | نمی |
Mounds | big heaps | टीले | ٹیلے |
Oasis | a fertile spot in the deserts where water is found | शाद्वल | نخلستان |
Retain | continue to have something | बनाए रखना | برقرار رکھنا |
Shelter | a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger | आश्रय | پناہ گاہ |
Sight | scene | दृष्टि | نظر |
Survive | continue to live or exist despite hardships | जीवित रहना | زندہ رہنا |
Variations | changes | परिवर्तन | تبدیلی |
Variety | different kinds | विविधता | تنوع |
The Desert Chapter 3 Summary in English
Many people think deserts are just vast, dry, and hot stretches of land with no water or shelter. However, experts see deserts as beautiful places full of diverse people, animals, and plants. While deserts may not always have grass and rarely see rain, when it rains they become stunning landscapes, resembling tropical gardens.
Deserts can have mountains, hills, and even an oasis. Some deserts are hot, like the Thar, while others are cold, like Ladakh. In general, a place with little water and vegetation is considered a desert. Deserts with minimal water may have shifting sand dunes.
All living things need water, but desert animals and plants have adapted to survive on less. For example, camels can go without water for days because they can drink a lot at once and don’t sweat, retaining water for a long time. Smaller desert animals get water from the moisture in their food, and some eat other animals for the water they need. Plants and seeds provide water to those animals that don’t consume meat.
Unlike our cities and villages, where the climate is humid, deserts lack a moisture blanket in the air. This absence leads to significant temperature variations between day and night in deserts. During the day, temperatures rise sharply, and at night, they drop significantly. This is unlike the more stable temperatures we experience with the protective cover of moisture in our surroundings.
Intext Exercises
Comprehension Check Page No. 14
- From the first paragraph
(i) Pick out two phrases which describe the desert as most people believe it is;
(ii) Pick out two phrases which describe the desert as specialists see it.
Which do you think is an apt description, and why?
Ans. (i) an endless stretch of sand; hot, dry, waterless and without shelter.
(ii) a beautiful place; full of a variety of people, animals and plants.
The description given by specialists seems apt because the desert contributes in maintaining the ecological balance of the Earth.
- The phrases on the left in the following box occur in the text. Match each of them with a phrase on the right.
(i) an endless stretch of sand | fertile place with water and plants in a desert |
---|---|
(ii) waterless and without shelter | not visible because the grass is thick |
(iii) an oasis | nothing but sand as far as one can see |
(iv) hidden by a cover of grass | no water and no shade. |
Ans.
(i) an endless stretch of sand | nothing but sand as far as one can see |
---|---|
(ii) waterless and without shelter | no water and no shade. |
(iii) an oasis | fertile place with water and plants in a desert |
(iv) hidden by a cover of grass | not visible because the grass is thick |
Comprehension Check Page No. 19
1. A camel can do without water for days together. What is the reason given in the text?
Ans. A camel can do without water for days together because it drinks a lot of water at a time and stores it in the body and also camel sweats very little. It can therefore retain the water it drinks for long periods.
2. How do the smaller desert animals fulfil their need for water?
Ans. The smaller desert animals stay in underground burrows during the day to escape the heat. Some of them eat other animals and get the water they need from the moisture in the flesh of the animals they prey upon. Others eat plants and get the water they need from plant juices.
3: In a desert, the temperature rises during the day and falls rapidly at night. Why?
Ans. In humid climates, the air has moisture that protects the earth’s surface from the heat of the sun. Deserts do not have a blanket of humidity which helps in regulating temperature, they heat up rapidly during the day and cool off rapidly at night.
Textual Exercises Page No. 19
Do the following activities in groups.
1. Describe a desert in your own way. Write a paragraph and read it aloud to your classmates.
Ans. A desert is a hot and dry area with minimal rainfall, although it’s not completely devoid of moisture. An oasis, on the other hand, is like a green island within the desert, where a well or spring provides water to the surrounding plants. Camels are able to store water for extended periods, allowing them to thrive in deserts for extended periods. This is why camels are often referred to as the “ships of the desert.”
2. Go to the library and collect information about the lifestyle of people in desert areas their food, clothes, work, social customs, etc. Show this information to the group.
Ans. Nomads are individuals without a permanent home, living in desert regions. They constantly move to areas where they can find food and fodder, leading a challenging life. Camels serve as their primary mode of transportation. Their diet primarily consists of meat and dates. They craft their clothing from camel or sheep wool, maintaining a straightforward lifestyle. Relying on the sky for rainwater, nomads have developed their own customs over time.
That’s it about The Desert Chapter 3 Summary and Question Answers. Hope it has helped. Do share your views about this post in the comment section below.
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