Aware_GK_Grade_7

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About This Book Aware empowers learners with general knowledge, awareness of global developments, functional competencies and the 21st-century skills essential for life today. The book covers learning across eight key themes:

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Navigate the Rapidly Changing World

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7 General Knowledge Textbook

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21st Century Skills

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AWARE Navigate the Rapidly Changing World

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Fo re wo rd

In the dynamic and ever-changing world of the 21st century, knowledge is a beacon that guides us through the myriad challenges and opportunities that come our way. In this age of information, possessing a keen sense of general knowledge and awareness has become more critical than ever before. This awareness becomes a compass that helps us navigate through the complexities of our modern existence, allowing us to make informed decisions, think critically, and appreciate the world’s diversity.

On that note, we are delighted to present to you this comprehensive and engaging General Knowledge book, designed specifically for learners in grades 1 to 8. This book, which spans eight thoughtfully curated themes, will serve as your constant companion in your quest for knowledge and awareness.

The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and it’s crucial that young minds are well-informed about the happenings around them. Topics in The Year Gone By theme offer insights into the significant events and milestones of the current year.

In Science and Technology, learners explore groundbreaking innovations and discoveries that are actively defining and shaping our future.

In Earth and Environment, learners explore topics related to sustainability and environmental conservation.

Recognising the delicate balance in our planet’s ecosystem and the paramount importance of preserving it are vital 21st-century skills.

In International Affairs, learners explore landmark global events of the past and the present, and developments across the world.

The theme Incredible India will help learners to explore the rich tapestry of our nation’s history, culture and heritage.

In Sports, Entertainment and Culture, we explore human creativity and athleticism that transcend borders.

Life Skills and Financial Literacy provide learners with valuable practical skills essential for navigating through their lives with confidence and competence.

This book is crafted to offer informative and enjoyable learning experiences, incorporating clear explanations, visuals, and abundant questions for interactive classroom engagement.

QR codes in each topic facilitate digital learning, ensuring compatibility with smart classrooms. The digital resources include topic-specific videos for classroom playback and at-home viewing, enhancing the learning environment with engaging audio-visual experiences.

Welcome to the world of General Knowledge! We wish everything of the best to all the teachers and learners!

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K ey El emen t s o f a To pi c — a Q u i c k G lanc e

Topic Number

Topic Title

QR Code

Cyberworld and Ethics

3

The cyberworld is the online space for people to communicate, learn, shop and do much more. It is a vast network where information flows freely and communication is boundless. Let us learn more about this virtual world and how to stay safe in it.

Uses of the Cyberworld

Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the responsible use of technology and find out what netiquette is.

Let’s Practise ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

The internet has made our lives easier, from banking and education to healthcare and everything else. In the cyberworld, communication with everyone is easy because of social media platforms and tools like video calls. Knowledge sharing and learning new skills have become much easier.

1 Write ‘G’ if it is a good use and ‘M’ if it is a misuse of the cyberworld. a Streaming movies, music and entertainment content.

Buying and selling things on the internet is convenient, and finding information online is simple. Online businesses create jobs and contribute to economic growth.

According to the World Economic Forum, Coursera, an online learning platform saw 2 crore new registrations in 2021.

b Access to educational resources and online learning. c

In 2018, e-commerce sales were around 284 crore and they grew to 345 crore in 2019.

According to Lt Gen. (Dr) Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Coordinator, cybercrimes in India resulted in loss of approximately ₹1.25 lakh crore in 2019.

A report by cybersecurity firm McAfee in 2022 reveals that 85% of Indian children have experienced cyberbullying, the highest rate globally.

e

Spreading viruses through emails.

f

Access to news and information from around the world.

g Sharing information that may be false.

Using social media excessively, watching too many videos, or mindlessly scrolling can consume time. Constant notifications and the urge to check social media can hinder concentration. Engaging in online harassment, making hurtful comments, and watching inappropriate material are all concerning behaviours.

The Melissa Virus in 1999, created by programmer David Lee Smith, caused severe damage to many companies, including Microsoft, with an estimated repair cost of 8 crore.

Viewing and sharing of explicit content from unknown sources.

d Efficient online banking and financial transactions.

Misuse of the Cyberworld

Sharing too much personal information on social media leads to the risk of our privacy and data misuse. Additionally, unauthorised data access or theft can compromise our computers’ security.

Explore More QR Code

Science and Technology

h Engaging in online hate speech and groups. i

Unable to leave your device, resulting in excessive screen time.

j

Online support groups and communities for sharing advice.

k

Participating in schemes that are not from a reliable source.

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Access to government services and information.

m Expressing ourselves through blogs, videos and social media.

2 Fill in the blanks. a The b Always use

Cyber Ethics Cyber ethics are internet manners about being good and responsible online. It helps make the internet a safe and respectful place for everyone. The following are some of the ways to stay safe online: • Do not disclose your identity to strangers online.

• Be careful while sharing your electronic devices.

• Protect your and others’ privacy. Avoid sharing sensitive information and use strong passwords.

• Do not click on links in emails, attachments, or messages from unknown sources.

• When shopping or working online, stick to well-known and secure websites.

• Update your computer systems with protective antivirus software. You may also install spam filtering or blocking software.

• Stay informed about cyber laws in your country.

c

(cyberlaw/cyberworld) has made banking accessible to all. (easy/strong) passwords to keep your information safe.

When online, be cautious about sharing details with a

d To reduce

(stranger/teacher).

, (cyberbullying/cyber network) we should not post any harsh messages.

e

Being a responsible digital citizen means respecting others’

f

To stay safe online, we must avoid clicking on any

(privacy/pincode). (spam mail/social network post).

3 What is netiquette? Write in 1 or 2 sentences.

Topic 3 • Cyberworld and Ethics

6

7

Themes 11

The Year Gone Discoveries andByInventions

Explore More A discovery is finding something that already exists for the first time. An invention is creating something new with a new idea. Let’s read about some recent discoveries and inventions around the world.

Scan this QR code to find out more about Khelo India Youth Games 2023 and watch its opening ceremony. Also, find out all events in Athletics.

Earth and Environment Exoplanets Webb Telescope Wonders of the James World 22 The Discovery7of New In 2015, The National In December 2021, Let’s Practice

Aeronautics and Space NASA launched events took place in 2023.

1 Name the place where the given Administration (NASA) the James Webb Explore Morethe New 7 Wonders all. They are home to a large On 7-07-2007, Foundation (an official partner of the UN now) declared the new 7 wonders of the confirmed the discovery of Telescope (JWST) Australia from 8 to 29 a ICC T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup: world. These wonders are chosen by the votesplanet of more than 10 crore people across the world. a near-Earth-sized to conduct space nis title for a record tenth Scan this QR code to explore more about the amazing animals of the named Kepler-22b that research. JWST Special Olympic World Games: b tropical rainforests. exists beyond our solar and Space Launch Toucans are found The Taj Mahal The Colosseum c Asian Athletics Championship: system and is therefore, System (SLS) in the rainforests of Incredible India Agra, India Rome, of Italy an exoplanet. By August 2023, NASA scientists have rocket NASA America. They do not fly India Youth Games: d Khelo Let’s Practice

declared the discovery over 5,500 were named TIME Inventions of theItYear It isexoplanets. made of white much but spend most is the2022. largest ary, marble and is located of their time living high amphitheatre ever e inFIFA World Cup: number. theWomen’s box with the correct 1 Fill on the banks of the in the forests. They take built. It could host Explore More f Hockey Men’s World Cup: sportriver is a widely popular in India.

It is played by Sloths Hockey have about inches longmain claws.

Yamuna.

The shelter in hollowed-out about 80,000 people a two QR teams ofto 11 learn players each.

The playersclassical use four J-shaped structure has pillars forms. trees, usually created by at once. It was built by Scan this code more about Indian dance The Australian Open Tournament: Anacondas grow as big as g sticks b to hit acan ball intoTennis the opposite team’s goal. it. It metres (minars) around was have largeManipuri bills that can be the Romans to be an Agricultural Robots World’s Largest Waterlily dance is from Manipur. builtof byup Emperor Shah ir This head! entertainment venue c Orangutans can have an armspan to metres.

Robots for agriculture In 2022, scientists at the Name the player or countries that won these events.

2 m It10shows to 26 February 2023. dramas based Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. So, it is and for hosting human fights and animal hunts.

Life but Skills were first thought Royal Botanic Gardens, Okapi sleep for about minutes many times in a day. d viewed cup. on love between Radha a symbol of love.

ICC T20as Women’s Cricket World Cup: Kingdom a Practice Let’s

of in the year 1920.

United and Krishna using calm, e Sloths can swim times than they move on land.

Since then, many declared the faster discovery Slow lorises are found in Single inGreat Wimbledon Championship: graceful movements b Women’s the classical dance formWall of the following The of Chinastates.

1 Name Christ the Redeemer robots have been of the world’s largest the rainforests of Southeast and often includes story f Money The bills of toucans can be part in fulfilling our day-to-day times the size of their Explore More plays an important needs.

So,heads. it is important to know howinvented to manage it. by various waterlily Asia. They walk slowly, FIFA Women’s World Cup: China species. It Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ac Kerala chanting and chorus companies to is named Victoria making almost no noise.

Scan this QR code to learn more about yoga and its popularity in India.

Also, rfirst wears a crown adorned with mentioned in the Hindu Where do I live?

This about 21,196 km This 30 m tall statue 2 d Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup: b perform nearly all Boliviana.

Its huge, They sleep during the day Earning Money explore the yoga poses that you can do easily practice male dancers wear a dolla Sutra of Patanjali. long walland is the largestevery day. of Jesus Christ with Major Dhyan Chand Singh is known as the father activities of disc-shaped pads can and walk at night. They have Orangutans are found in rainforests of a Men’s Arun‘s dad got hisinsalary today. He is happy and so is Arun. farming i, worn by a Manipuri bride.

Single in Australian Open Tennis Tournament: human-made thing openOlympic arms stands ce Assam Indian hockey. irrigation He was a and three-time gold on such as sowing, harvesting. grow up to 3 m in diameter. large eyes and an excellent theArun: world.Dad, Itofspreads the top of Corcovado why is it that only you get a salary but I don’t? b Slow lorises are mostly found in rainforests medallist.

On 29 August every year, his birthday is Asanas vision for their nightly walks.

Andhra Pradesh d Practice a reason for this statement.

Let’s

3 Give from the(laughed eastern and explained): You need to earn it, Arun! We work Mountain.

It is viewed Dad to earn the celebrated as the National Sports Day. Malaysian Hockey Team Indian Hockey Team mals.Kuchipudi They produce venom (a c Toucans are mostly found in rainforests of seaside to we theget western a or symbol of run money as salary. When you grow up, you can work, like as I do, you can ondon, UK. It is the oldest ea West Athletes with a sentences special disability compete with each other in this event: the Bengal following and write if it is for Yoga or Meditation.

1 Read eir armpits, so their bite can kill. desert northern hope for yourinown business, like your mother. Doing these things will help you and earnpeace money. ce is from Andhra h Republic won thePradesh. title in d Sloths are mostly found in the rainforests of China.Pradesh The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered humanity after World fa Uttar was performed only by Arun: Oh, I see!

All these are different ways to earn money.

It has different asanas.

New Species World’s first Wireless Television India has 4Octopus National Hockey TeamsIt construction to protect people from War I. e its Okapi are only found in thehis rainforests of nomads. ow it is mainly performed by The Hockey Team Dad: That is right. Now, let us get ready.

WeMen’s have toNational go to the market, remember lifemen’s is vast and time in 2023: Scientists are Water were in •Ocean this event for the team first over 2,000included yearsthoughts. ago. this, you monitor your b was •In Men’s team Junior dobuilt I sports live?

The male dancers wear a 2 Where Dhanurasana Natarajasana Virikshasana Nickname: Men in Blue Okapi are found only inwear thePose) every year, scientists innovating many (Tree features.team Write the names the animals of the tropical rainforests.

3 Read le the female dancers • the Women’s • of Junior women’s team Some International Achievements It is quite time for the mind. dance is performed by men for female roles.

Rainforest of Ituri, includes Democratic areeven making discoveries advanced machines ac This The performance •the It istrees: the most successful team in the Olympics with It is a slow-moving animal that spends most of the time clinging to a Spending Money Republic of The the Congo, about it. On 28 June Machu Picchu each year.

In August dian Machu Picchu Machu Picchu h dancing. dance also c This Germany won and Belgium played in the finals in which Germany won the event: nternational Yoga Day. 8 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. After 6 gold It is the union of body andmany mind. dance includes songs sung in Sanskrit and bd Arun and his dad bought things.

They payMalayalam. for those Africa. have holy stripes like researchers of 2023, LG launched with large eyes: b It is a small, venomous animal2023, uch asThey sprinkling water, medals in the ‘Golden Era’, the team won again in things at the billing counter.

Arun is surprised. zebra on their legs, body like the Schmidt Ocean the world’s first c in nd praying to God. This dance includes wearing bells around the ankles. the blanks.

1964 and 1980.

A Golden Era in Hockey 2 Fill c It is the most poisonous poisonInstitute, dart frog: a horse but they actually wireless television. This Arun: Dad, why are we paying so much California money? The salary From 1928 to 1956, the Indian hockey team6won 6medals in this event: • They won medals in many other events: Indian athletes won 27 medals, including belong to Giraffe family.

(US) announced the television can be taken dance isdo performed by male monks. dd that you had earned finish, in this way.in gold The first text in which yoga was mentioned. a These birds not flywill much but live high the rainforest. d This consecutive medals atof the Olympics.

- World Cup: Gold in 1975 silver in attach 1973. to s long enough to clean its discovery of gold a new species octopus in a rare anywhere and has a part thatand allows it to Dad: Oh, don’t worry, Arun!

We have to pay when we buy U24GK Book Grade e7.indb Kathakali 023. It was jointly hosted by of this dance includes a headgear and e The Theymake-up are3 the largest non-venomous snakes: The text in which the earliest record of meditation wasmask. found. b - Asian Games: Gold in 1966, 1998 and 2014. eck. ‘octopus nursery’ in Costa Rica.

The discovery of this almost any things. Mostly, this is how we spend our earned money. Do not

a

Theme Title

26

35

Hockey in India

Manage Your Money

Science and Technology Explore More Scan this QR code to explore more discoveries and innovations.

International Affairs Let’s Practice 1 Is it a Discovery or an Invention?

Explore More

a A new species of catfish was found in January 2023.

Scan this QR code to learn more about the selection campaign of A robotic Also, drone built tomore understand voice commands. theb7 wonders. explore about Chichen Itza.

c Thomas Edison built the very first bulb.

Sports, Entertainment and Culture Let’s Practice

July 2023, the most distant supermassive black hole was seen for the first time with JWST. d In CITIES new wonders located?that store heat energy.

1 Ine which Finland builtare thethese world’s first sand batteries

Explore More a Taj Mahal

b The Colosseum f Scientists first identified the coronavirus in 1965.

Scan QRthe code to learn more about the hockey field and the c this Christ Redeemer In this 2011,game.

Google created the first smart glasses. g of rules

2 In which COUNTRIES are these new wonders located?

Financial Literacy Picchu a Chichen Itza b Machu Let’s Practice 2 Write the names of these inventions/discoveries. h In 1900, Karl Landsteiner identified three groups of human blood. c Petra

in the boxes with the correct answer.

1 Fill a The world’s largest waterlily: Fill the blank with the correct name of the wonder of the world.

More 3 Explore a The number of players in a hockey team:

b The first near-Earth-sized exoplanet: a 30-metre-tall statue. and ways to a this QR code to learnismore Scan about importance teams: b The number of Indian hockey c money. save The telescope launched

by NASA in around December has four pillars it. 2021: b c The shape of a hockey stick is like this letter: c in the blanks. has a famous temple pyramid.

3 Fill d The only side of the hockey stick that should touch the ball: is the largest amphitheatre ever built. d Practice Let’s The only idea shoot of robots in agriculture dates to the the knee: year . a in which the ball can goback above e The e the longest of all the wonders the brackets and7fill in the blank.

1 Choose the correct wordisfrom of years which TIME the men’s national hockey team won consecutive .

NASA’s JWST wasin named Inventions in the Year of f The number b f is made with white marble.

Olympic gold medals: money as salary. (spend/earn) a When we work, we c World’s largest waterlily’s disc-shaped pad can grow up to metres. was a part of Maya City. g g The number of times Major Dhyan Chand won Olympic gold medals: money. (save/spend) b When we buy grocery, we h In , 2023 company launched the world’s first wireless television. was built over 2000 years ago. d h The number of Olympic gold medals won by the men’s national hockey team: c Keeping money aside for future needs is money. (saving/lending) was part scientists of an Arabdeclared kingdom. ei By , NASA the discovery of over exoplanets.

YEAR did Indian National Teamsinachieve this?

2 Indwhat at home a . (gullak/bank account) j Children can save money was built by an emperor in the memory of his late wife. f In 2022, scientists at the , UK declared the discovery of the world’s largest waterlily. a India won its first Olympic gold. e k You when your of parents give you pocket money (lend/earn) is a ruined stone money city in the middle the forest.

June 28, 2023, researchers at the , US declared the discovery of a new species of octopus. g Men’s national hockey team won the Asian Games. b On is half-built and half-carved into rock.who need and repay it. (lend/borrow) fl A bank can money tothe people c Women’s national hockey team won the Asian Games. is located on the bank of a river. m 17/11/23 for the shopkeepers when they sell things. (earning/lending) g It is d Women’s national hockey team won the Asian Championship Trophy.

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C o nt e nt s

1 Wealthiest Personalities, 2023 �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 2 Environmental Conservation ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 3 Cyberworld and Ethics ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6 4 The Road to Indian Independence ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 5 World War I ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 10 6 Sporting Events ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12 7 Providing Life Support ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14 8 The Natural Disasters of 2023 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 16 9 The Deadliest Animals ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 18 10 Artificial Intelligence ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 20 11 Roads in India ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 22 12 Global Human Crises ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 24 13 Tennis Tournaments �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 26 14 We Are What We Eat �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 15 G20 Summit, 2023 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 30 16 Climate Change: Causes and Effects ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 32 17 Types of Artificial Satellites ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 34 18 Young Entrepreneurs of India ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 iv

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19 The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor ������������������������������������������������������������� 38 20 The Censor Board of India ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 40 21 New Age Exercises ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 42 22 Space Missions, 2023 �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 44 23 SDGs: Progress Reports ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 46 24 Artificial Intelligence of Things �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 48 25 Traditional Painting Forms in India �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 50 26 The Earth Summits ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 52 27 Renowned Plays and Playwrights ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 54 28 National Schemes for Innovation and Digitalisation ��������������������������������������������������������� 56 29 Sports Events, 2023 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 58 30 Natural Disasters �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 60 31 Vaccines and Immunisation Drives �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 62 32 Global Indices and Rankings ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 64 33 Pathbreaking Films and Awards ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 66 34 Indian Nobel Laureates ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 68 35 A Savings Account ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 70 Answers ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 72

Contents

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1

Wealthiest Personalities, 2023

Every year, the Forbes Magazine presents a list of the World’s Most Powerful People. The people included in the list are considered on different factors such as their financial wealth and global influence. Here are some of the wealthiest personalities from the list of 2023.

Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American businessperson who founded the e-commerce giant Amazon in 1994 from his garage in Seattle, USA. In 2021, Bezos stepped down as the CEO of his company to become its executive chairman. Besides Amazon, he owns Blue Origin, an aerospace company that develops rockets. Recently, he made the headlines for going to outer space as a commercial astronaut in July 2021.

William Henry Gates III is an American entrepreneur, and co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, which was established on 4 April 1975. He helped popularise personal computers, turning Microsoft into a huge tech company. He is also known for his generous contributions to global issues like health, education and poverty.

Lawrence Larry Page is an American computer scientist and industrialist, who co-founded the Google search engine in 1998. He was the CEO of Google from 2011 to 2015. He then became the CEO of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. He stepped down from his post in 2019. In 2023, he was the 8th richest person in the world according to Forbes, with a net worth of $89.1 billion.

Elon Reeve Musk is the co-founder of six companies. In 2002, he launched SpaceX, a company that makes space launch vehicles and rockets. He also founded The Boring Company and Neuralink Corporation in 2016. He is the CEO of Tesla, an electric car company, and the co-founder of PayPal and OpenAI. In 2022, he acquired the popular social media platform Twitter, which is now known as X.

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg founded the popular social media platform Facebook in 2004, at the age of 19. He launched Facebook for public use in 2006. Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. In October 2021, the company rebranded to Meta to include its other products and services. Mark Zuckerberg is the chairman, chief executive officer and the controlling shareholder of Meta.

Sergey Mikhailovich Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998. Together they are often called the ‘Google Guys’. Sergey was the president of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., from 2015 to 2019.

In 2023, he was ranked as the 8th richest person in the world.

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani has been the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited since 1977. The company has businesses in petrochemicals, oil and gas, oil refining, chemicals, telecom, retail and many other sectors. Some of the subsidiaries of Reliance are Jio Platforms, Reliance Retail, Network 18 Group and Indiawin Sports. As of 2023, Ambani remains the richest person in Asia and has become the first Asian to be included in the Forbes list of the top 10 richest people in the world.

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The Year Gone By Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the wealthiest personalities in the world. Also, find out about some of the wealthiest personalities in India.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the table.

Personalities

Name of any one company they have founded/co-founded.

Year when the company was founded.

a Jeffrey Preston Bezos b Elon Reeve Musk c Lawrence Larry Page d William Henry Gates III e Mark Elliot Zuckerberg

2 Name the person who owns the following companies in 2023. a SpaceX: b Instagram: c The Boring Company: d Jio Platforms: e WhatsApp: f

The Blue Origin:

g Network 18 Group:

3 Fill in the blanks. a

is the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited.

b

is also known for being a commercial astronaut in 2021.

c Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook to include his other products. d

in

to

started e-commerce platform in 1994 from his garage in Seattle, USA.

Topic 1 • Wealthiest Personalities, 2023

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2

Environmental Conservation

Environmental conservation is about protecting plants and animals, as well as the rights of the people who depend on them for survival. Let us read about some of the major movements, groups and laws that have worked for the environment.

The Chipko Movement This movement started in 1973 in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. It is also called the hugging movement, as the people—particularly women, hugged the trees to protect them from being cut down by companies. They did this because they believed that the trees were important for the survival of their communities. This movement also initiated discussions about the rights of communities over the forests. The movement achieved a major success in 1980 when the Indian government issued a 15-year ban on cutting down of trees for commercial purposes in the Himalayan region. It has inspired similar movements in other parts of the world.

The Silent Valley Movement The Silent Valley Movement started in 1973 in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.

This movement was led by the Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) and a group of school teachers in order to protect the valley from being flooded by the construction of a dam. This valley is home to many unique ecosystems and a variety of endangered species, including the lion-tailed macaque. The movement gained popularity around the world in 1983, following which the construction of the dam was stopped. In 1985, the Silent Valley was declared as a National Park by the then prime minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. It is now one of the most guarded forests in India.

The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) It is an environmental organisation based in San Francisco, California, United States. It was founded in 1985 and promotes the conservation of the natural world. RAN works to conserve forests and its communities, aiming to reduce deforestation and reverse climate change. They do this by standing up to big companies and unfair systems with the help of local groups and various campaigns.

The Greenpeace It is a global environmental group founded in 1971 in Vancouver, Canada. It supports various environmental causes, including the conservation of forests. Over a couple of decades, it was successful in gathering many communities to protest deforestation, and influencing nations to change their policies for the protection of forests and their rights.

Nature Conservation Laws in India The Biological Diversity Act, 2002: This law ensures that biodiversity in India is treated wisely, so that the people depending on various natural resources for their survival get a fair share of rights and benefits.

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006: This law aims to safeguard the rights of the forest-dwelling communities and promote the fair utilisation of forest resources.

It is renowned for being the first Indian law to acknowledge and safeguard the traditional forest rights of these communities.

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Earth and Environment Explore More Scan this QR code to learn the importance of protecting biodiversity and explore more environmental movements.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the table with the correct information about the following environmental movements and groups.

Movements in India

Location

Year

a The Chipko Movement b The Silent Valley Movement c The Greenpeace d The Rainforest Action Network

2 Fill in the blanks. a The FRA stands for

.

b The RAN stands for

.

c The KSSP stands for

.

d The FRA was passed in the year

.

e The Biological Diversity Act was passed in the year

.

f

The Chipko Movement is also known as the

.

g The Silent Valley Movement aimed to stop the construction of a h

forest-dwelling communities.

.

was the first Indian law to acknowledge the traditional forest rights of the

i

As a result of the Chipko Movement, a trees in the

j

The Silent Valley National Park was inaugurated by the then prime minister of India,

region.

year-long ban was imposed on cutting .

3 What was the event that ended the following environmental movements in India? a The Chipko Movement:

b The Silent Valley Movement:

Topic 2 • Environmental Conservation

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3

Cyberworld and Ethics

The cyberworld is the online space for people to communicate, learn, shop and do much more. It is a vast network where information flows freely and communication is boundless. Let us learn more about this virtual world and how to stay safe in it.

Uses of the Cyberworld The internet has made our lives easier, from banking and education to healthcare and everything else. In the cyberworld, communication with everyone is easy because of social media platforms and tools like video calls. Knowledge sharing and learning new skills have become much easier.

Buying and selling things on the internet is convenient, and finding information online is simple. Online businesses create jobs and contribute to economic growth.

According to the World Economic Forum, Coursera, an online learning platform saw 2 crore new registrations in 2021.

In 2018, e-commerce sales were around 284 crore and they grew to 345 crore in 2019.

Misuse of the Cyberworld Using social media excessively, watching too many videos, or mindlessly scrolling can consume time. Constant notifications and the urge to check social media can hinder concentration. Engaging in online harassment, making hurtful comments, and watching inappropriate material are all concerning behaviours.

Sharing too much personal information on social media leads to the risk of our privacy and data misuse. Additionally, unauthorised data access or theft can compromise our computers’ security.

The Melissa Virus in 1999, created by programmer David Lee Smith, caused severe damage to many companies, including Microsoft, with an estimated repair cost of 8 crore.

According to Lt Gen. (Dr) Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Coordinator, cybercrimes in India resulted in loss of approximately ₹1.25 lakh crore in 2019.

A report by cybersecurity firm McAfee in 2022 reveals that 85% of Indian children have experienced cyberbullying, the highest rate globally.

Cyber Ethics Cyber ethics are internet manners about being good and responsible online. It helps make the internet a safe and respectful place for everyone. The following are some of the ways to stay safe online: • Do not disclose your identity to strangers online.

• Be careful while sharing your electronic devices.

• Protect your and others’ privacy. Avoid sharing sensitive information and use strong passwords.

• Do not click on links in emails, attachments, or messages from unknown sources.

• When shopping or working online, stick to well-known and secure websites.

• Update your computer systems with protective antivirus software. You may also install spam filtering or blocking software.

• Stay informed about cyber laws in your country.

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Science and Technology Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the responsible use of technology and find out what netiquette is.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write ‘G’ if it is a good use and ‘M’ if it is a misuse of the cyberworld. a Streaming movies, music and entertainment content. b Access to educational resources and online learning. c Viewing and sharing of explicit content from unknown sources. d Efficient online banking and financial transactions. e Spreading viruses through emails. f

Access to news and information from around the world.

g Sharing information that may be false. h Engaging in online hate speech and groups. i

Unable to leave your device, resulting in excessive screen time.

j

Online support groups and communities for sharing advice.

k Participating in schemes that are not from a reliable source. l

Access to government services and information.

m Expressing ourselves through blogs, videos and social media.

2 Fill in the blanks. a The b Always use

(cyberlaw/cyberworld) has made banking accessible to all. (easy/strong) passwords to keep your information safe.

c When online, be cautious about sharing details with a d To reduce

, (cyberbullying/cyber network) we should not post any harsh messages.

e Being a responsible digital citizen means respecting others’ f

(stranger/teacher).

To stay safe online, we must avoid clicking on any

(privacy/pincode). (spam mail/social network post).

3 What is netiquette? Write in 1 or 2 sentences.

Topic 3 • Cyberworld and Ethics

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4

The Road to Indian Independence

India remained under the control of the British for around 200 years. Many freedom fighters sacrificed their lives to ensure that our country gained its independence. Let us learn more about the key events of the freedom struggle.

In 1757, the British began to gain power in India after winning the battle of Plassey against the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies. This allowed the East India Company to take control of a part of India.

In 1885, The Indian National Congress (INC) was formed. It became the most important group in India’s fight for freedom.

The Revolt of 1857 It is also known as India’s First War of Independence. It was the first time that Indians united against the British. It put an end to the East India Company and transferred all the power to the British crown.

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, 1919 On 13 April 1919, thousands of people gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi. Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on them for 10 minutes, killing hundreds of people. British records claim that there were 350 casualties of the massacre while the Congress party said that around 1000 people were martyred that day.

The Non-cooperation Movement, 1920–1922 In 1920, the Non-cooperation Movement was launched by the Indian National Congress party under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. It was a non-violent movement that aimed at boycotting British goods. The movement came to an end because of a violent protest at the Chauri Chaura police station in 1922.

The Dandi March, 1930 In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led a peaceful march of about 400 km from the Sabarmati Ashram to the Dandi Beach. The march was a protest against the high salt tax imposed by the British government. Indians were not allowed to make or sell it. This march forced the government to take back the law.

The Quit India Movement, 1942 In 1942, the Quit India Movement was launched by the INC, demanding an end to British rule in India. It was also known as the Bharat Chhodo Andolan. Many leaders from the INC were arrested and imprisoned. Around 600 protesters lost their lives due to the violent efforts of the government to stop the protests.

1946 By early 1946, the British released all the Indian leaders who were in jail. They started discussing India’s independence with the INC. This happened as the British Empire became weak in terms of money, political power and military strength due to World War II.

The Partition and Independence, 1947 The Indian Independence Act was passed by the Parliament of the UK and signed by King George VI, on 18 July 1947. The act divided British India into two countries. Pakistan got its independence on 14 August 1947 and India on 15 August 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of independent India and served in this role until his death in 1964.

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Incredible India Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the various movements in the Indian independence struggle. Also, learn more about the freedom fighters of India.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the correct year in which these events took place. a The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre b The Quit India Movement c The Non-Cooperation Movement d The Dandi March e The First War of Independence f

The Chauri Chaura violence

g The establishment of the INC

2 Name the correct person or event. a The leader who led the Dandi March. b The act that made India independent. c The first prime minister of Independent India. d A movement launched by the INC to end British rule in India. e An international conflict that made the British empire weak. f

The British officer who opened fire on the people in Jallianwala Bagh.

3 Fill in the blanks. a The INC stands for

.

b The company with which the British started controlling India is called c The Dandi March started from

.

and ended at

d Indians united against the British Raj for the first time during e People gathered at Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate the festival of

. . .

4 Name any 2 freedom fighters who helped India gain independence from the British.

5 Write the aim of each of these important historical movements. a The Non-cooperation Movement: b The Dandi March:

Topic 4 • The Road to Indian Independence

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World War I

5

World War I was a global conflict that started in 1914 and ended in 1918. The war resulted in about 20 million deaths and left almost 21 million people wounded.

The Major Powers in World War I The countries that fought in World War I were divided into two groups—the Central Powers and the Allies. The Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. The Allies included France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union (Russia), Italy, Japan and the United States. The Allies won the war.

The Major Events of the World War I 1914

1915

World War I began when the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated by the Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, on 28 June 1914. AustriaHungary declared war on Serbia a month after their assassination.

On 22 April 1915, The Second Battle of Ypres started. In this battle, the German army used chemical weapons for the first time against their enemies. Their chlorine gas attacks on the Allies killed about 1,100 people and left more than 7,000 injured.

By the end of August 1914, Germany had declared war on Russia, France and Belgium. Montenegro and France had declared war on Austria. Britain had declared war on Germany and Austria. Montenegro and Japan had declared war on Germany. Austria had declared war on Belgium and Russia. By November, Britain and France had declared war on the Ottoman Empire.

On 7 May 1915, the British ship, Lusitania, was destroyed by a German submarine near the southern coast of Ireland. It sank in just 18 minutes, and nearly 1,200 people were killed, including 128 US citizens.

1916 On 21 February 1916, the Battle of Verdun started. Over the next ten months, the French and the German armies at Verdun, France, suffered over 7,00,000 casualties. By the end of the battle, entire French villages had been wiped from the map.

On 1 July 1916, The First Battle of the Somme began.

Around 20,000 men were killed on the first day of the war, marking it as the single bloodiest day in history.

1917 The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917.

On 20 November 1917, the British army started the large-scale use of tanks for the first time in the war.

The British captured around 7,500 German prisoners.

1918 The Soviet Union declared peace with the Central Powers on 3 March 1918 when it signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

On 11 November 1918, Germany signed an armistice (agreement to stop fighting) with the Allies in Rethondes (in France). This formally ended World War I.

A peace treaty called the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919. The treaty put harsh penalties on Germany. It destabilised Europe and eventually led to World War II.

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International Affairs Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the events of World War I. Also, learn about the use of chlorine gas as a weapon in the war.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the correct dates of these events of World War I. a Start of World War I b The Second Battle of Ypres c The Battle of Verdun d The destruction of a British ship e The First Battle of the Somme f

World War I came to an end

g The Treaty of Versailles was signed h The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed

2 Fill in the blanks. a The people whose assassination started the World War I.

and

b The gas used as a weapon by Germany in The Second Battle of Ypres. c The battle that wiped out entire French villages. d The ship that was destroyed by a German submarine in May 1915. e The Battle that killed almost 20,000 men in one day. f

The place where Germany signed an armistice to end World War I.

g The treaty that eventually led to World War II.

3 Name the countries that belonged to these groups. a The Central Powers

b The Allies

Topic 5 • World War I

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Sporting Events

6

Many sporting events are held around the world, where athletes and teams participate in various games.

These events promote unity and the spirit of healthy competition. Let us read about two major sporting events.

The Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, or the CWG, is a multisport event for countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. There are 56 Commonwealth countries.

Commonwealth Sport

The CWG is held every four years. 71 member nations and overseas territories participate in the CWG. They are grouped into six regions: Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

The first CWG was held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The event was formerly known as the British Empire Games. Today, it is often referred to as the Friendly Games.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), now known as the Commonwealth Sport, is an international organisation responsible for managing and organising the Commonwealth Games.

The 22nd Commonwealth Games were held in Birmingham, England, from 28 July to 8 August, 2022. It was the 3rd CWG hosted in England. The mascot of the 2022 Commonwealth Games was Perry the Bull.

Australia topped the medal tally of the 2022 CWG, winning a total of 178 medals, while India secured the 4th position with a total of 61 medals.

The 23rd Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in July-August, 2026.

The Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as the Asiad, is held every four years. In this event, athletes from 45 eligible Asian countries come together to compete in various sports.

The games were governed by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from 1951 to 1978. Since 1982, the games have been organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

The first Asian games were held in 1951 in New Delhi, India, with 11 participating nations.

The 19th Asian Games were held in Hangzhou, China, from 23 September to 8 October, 2023. The event was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The People’s Republic of China topped the medal tally with a total of 383 medals.

India won a record 107 medals.

The 20th Asian Games will take place in the cities of Aichi and Nagoya in Japan. It is scheduled to take place from 19 September to 4 October, 2026.

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Sports, Entertainment and Culture Explore More Scan this QR code to watch the opening ceremonies of the 2022 CWG Birmingham and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the correct year and location of the following events.

Sporting Event

Year when it was held

Location

a The first Asian Games b The first CWG c The latest CWG d The latest Asian Games e The next Asian Games

2 Fill in the blanks. member nations and overseas territories participate in the CWG.

a b Only

nations participated in the first Asian Games.

c The CWG is organised by an international organisation called

.

d The Asian games are organised by

1982.

e The mascot used in the 2022 CWG was called f

.

Before 1982, the Asian games were organised by

g The Asian Games are also called the

.

h The CWG is often referred to as the i

The first CWG was known as the

j

In the 19th Asian Games, India won a record

k In the 2022 CWG l

. games. medals. topped the medal chart with a total of

In the 19th Asian Games, medals.

m In the 22nd CWG, India secured the n The 23rd CWG are scheduled to be held in July-August,

Topic 6 • Sporting Events

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 13

.

medals.

topped the medal chart with a total of position with a total of

medals. .

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Providing Life Support

7

Basic life support is the type of care that first-responders and healthcare professionals provide to someone who needs immediate attention to save their life. The basic first aid includes clearing the airway and performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR. Let us learn about it.

CPR is an emergency intervention used to restore normal breathing and heart rate in victim. CPR is needed when a person has the four signs of cardiac arrest: •

The person has collapsed.

• Breathing has stopped.

•

The person is non-responsive.

• There is no pulse.

Performing CPR can increase the survival chances of victim by two or three times.

Steps of CPR Guidelines

Call emergency

Check breathing and heartbeat

Perform CPR

Proper Techniques for CPR for Adults and Children Above 8 Years 1. To perform chest compressions, place one hand in the middle of the person’s chest.

2. Then, place your other hand on top and lock your fingers together.

3. Use your body weight and push firmly with the heel of your hand. Remember to keep your arms straight and compress the chest to a depth of about 2 inches.

Aim at a rate of 100-120 compressions in a minute.

If you are confident enough and comfortable, you can give mouth-to-mouth respiration (rescue breath). To do so, you can give 30 seconds of chest compressions, then 2 rescue breaths, and then repeat. If this does not help, just keep doing chest compressions without the rescue breaths.

Rescue breaths

While doing mouth-to-mouth respiration, you can ask another person for help if you feel tired. But make sure that you continue the process until medical help arrives or the person revives.

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Life Skills Explore More Scan this QR code to learn how to perform CPR and how it helps to save lives.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 What does CPR stand for?

C P R

2 Sequence the steps of first aid (1-6) in the correct order.

Perform CPR. Repeat CPR until help arrives.

Call the emergency number.

Provide rescue breathing.

Lift the chin to clear airway.

Check for vital signs like breathing and heartbeat.

3 Write Do and Don’t for the given steps. a If there is an emergency, you should call an emergency number first. b You should do CPR immediately if the victim is not breathing. c Chest compression should be as fast as 100-120 compressions in a minute. d You should give rescue breath only if the victim is breathing. e To check if the victim is breathing, touch the side of their neck. f

To perform CPR, you can use either of your hands.

g It is not necessary to lock your fingers of both hands while giving CPR. h We must check the breathing of the victim, after calling the emergency number. i

You should compress the chest to a depth of about 4 inches.

j

Chest compression should not be done without giving rescue breath.

k Chest compression should be done for 30 seconds at a time. l

We must perform 2 rescue breaths after every 30 seconds of chest compression.

Topic 7 • Providing Life Support

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8

The Natural Disasters of 2023

Natural disasters cause a lot of damage to lives and property. There were several natural disasters that occurred in the world in 2023. Let us read about some of them.

Earthquakes The Turkey-Syria Earthquakes: 6 February 2023

Marrakesh–Safi Earthquake: 8 September 2023

Two large earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 occurred near the Turkey-Syria border on 6 February 2023. These led to the death of more than 50,000 people and large-scale destruction of property.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco’s Marrakesh–Safi region. It originated in the High Atlas Mountains and caused the deaths of more than 2900 people. Several buildings in the Medina of Marrakesh, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were damaged.

Cyclones, Storms and Floods Cyclone Mocha: 14 May 2023

Storm Daniel: 10 September 2023

The North Indian Floods: July 2023

The Cyclone Mocha brought with it destructive winds with a speed of about 280 km/hr. It affected parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh. It caused huge damage to property and killed hundreds of people.

The Mediterranean storm, Storm Daniel, caused strong winds and heavy rainfall in Libya, Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. This led to floods and a lot of damage. In Libya, two dams and many bridges were destroyed, leading to the death of thousands of people.

Heavy rainfall in Northern India caused flash floods and landslides. Roads were submerged, buildings washed away and hundreds of people died.

The government declared red alert for Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Forest Fires

Droughts

The Chilean Wildfires: 30 January 2023

The South American Droughts: April 2023

A series of wildfires that started in January in Chile, South America, grew into a large outbreak, with several individual fires. These fires burnt over 430,000 hectares of land and damaged over 4,000 buildings. More than 26 deaths were reported.

By the end of March 2023, the lack of rain and high temperatures started causing loss of vegetation in Uruguay, northern Argentina, and southern Patagonia.

Thousands of people were left with no drinking water.

By October 2023, the drought had affected the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, influencing thousands of lives.

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The Year Gone By Explore More Scan this QR code to learn about more disasters in the year 2023. Also, learn about the droughts in Europe.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name the places associated with the following natural disasters of 2023. a Two earthquakes that caused more than 50,000 deaths occurred at this location: b The wildfires that burnt over 430,000 hectares of land: c The earthquake that damaged a UNESCO World Heritage site: d The countries affected by Cyclone Mocha:

and

e The areas affected by drought in South America in 2023: and f

The Mediterranean storm, Storm Daniel, affected these countries: ,

,

and

g States that were under red alert after the North Indian floods in July 2023: ,

,

, and

2 Fill the correct number. a The number of dams damaged in Libya by Storm Daniel: b The speed of winds during Cyclone Mocha: c The magnitude of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes:

and

d The magnitude of the Moroccan earthquake: e The area of land destroyed by Chilean wildfires:

3 Fill in the correct month/months of occurrence of the following natural disasters in 2023. a Turkey-Syria earthquake b Marrakesh-Safi earthquake c Storm Daniel d Cyclone Mocha e North Indian Floods f

Chilean Wildfires

Topic 8 • The Natural Disasters of 2023

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9

The Deadliest Animals

There are many deadly animals in the world. Their danger varies depending on their physical features, behaviour and habitat.

The Saltwater Crocodile is one of the largest and most aggressive crocodile species. They weigh over 100 kg. They are found in the brackish and saltwater habitats of the Indo-Pacific region. These reptiles are responsible for fatal attacks on humans who venture too close to their habitat. According to a BBC report in 2023, Indonesia has recorded the highest number of saltwater crocodile attacks in the world.

In the past decade, over 1,000 attacks have been noted, killing more than 450 people.

The African Lions are the apex or the best, predators in their habitat and are known for their strength, speed and cooperative hunting behaviour. They are the second-largest big cat species in the world after tigers. They are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Their largest population is located in Tanzania.

The Golden Poison Dart Frog is often considered the most dangerous frog in the world. These small, brightly coloured frogs are native to the rainforests of western Colombia. Despite their small size and attractive appearance, their skin is incredibly toxic and has enough poison to kill about ten to twenty adults. Its venom rapidly attacks the nerves and muscles, ultimately causing death by respiratory or muscular paralysis.

The Black Mamba is one of the most feared snakes in the world. They are native to sub-Saharan Africa and are found in the savannahs and rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa. They are the longest venomous snake in Africa and the world’s second longest after the cobra, with some snakes reaching lengths of more than 3 metres. If its bite is untreated then it is 100 percent fatal.

The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider is considered the most poisonous spider in the world and is native to southern and eastern Australia. It is named after the funnel-shaped webs they weave.

Since 1920, many deaths have been recorded from the bites of these spiders in the regions surrounding Sydney. An antidote has been developed that is effective against its venom if given to victims soon after they have been bitten.

Komodo Dragons are the world’s largest lizards and have a powerful bite. The adult males can reach lengths of up to 3.3 metres and weigh around 70 to 150 kg, while females are generally smaller. They are native to Komodo and the nearby island of Indonesia. They have shark-like teeth and the venom in their fangs that can kill a person within hours of a bite.

Great White Sharks are among the largest predatory fish in the ocean. They can grow to an average length of 4 to 6 metres. They are known for their ability to breach the surface of the water when attacking prey. This behaviour is known as “breaching”. According to the 2023 World Animal Foundation Report, 59 fatal human bites and 351 unprovoked shark bites have been recorded over the centuries.

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Earth and Environment Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the dangerous animals in the world and India.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the blanks with the correct name. are the second longest snakes in the world after the cobra.

a

are known for their behaviour of breaching.

b c

are the largest big cat species in the world.

d

are the second largest big cat species in the world.

e As of 2023, the world.

has recorded the greatest number of saltwater crocodile attacks in venom rapidly attacks the nerves and muscles of humans.

f

2 Name the location where these animals are found. a African Lion b Black Mamba c Komodo Dragon d Saltwater Crocodile e Golden Poison Dart Frog f

Sydney Funnel-Web Spider

3 Fill in the blanks. a Male komodo dragons weigh around

kilograms.

b A saltwater crocodile can weigh over

kilograms.

c The length of an adult black mamba can reach more than d The great white shark can grow to an average length of e The bite of a black mamba is usually f

metres. to

percent fatal.

The black mamba is the longest venomous snake in

g The largest population of African lions is located in h According to a report in 2023, saltwater crocodiles have killed more than decade.

Topic 9 • The Deadliest Animals

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 19

metres.

. . people over the

19

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10

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence or AI refers to the software that can perform tasks that usually require human intelligence to accomplish.

While the idea of a machine being able to function on its own is an old one, it was first thought of seriously in the 1900s and it became a reality in the 1950s. In 1955, American computer scientists John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky held a workshop, where the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was first used. Because of this, they are regarded as the founding fathers of AI. Between 1955 and 1975, many successful experiments were conducted to develop AI. Even today, it continues to be innovative and has now become an important part of our lives.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence

Healthcare: AI can be used for managing medical data, helping doctors diagnose diseases, aiding in monitoring heart and other organs and assisting in surgery.

Gaming: AI in gaming is transforming this industry by building more creative, engaging and accessible gaming experiences.

Agriculture: AI improves agriculture by enabling accuracy in steps like sowing and irrigation.

It helps to reduce agricultural waste, detect diseases and create smart farming plans.

Education: AI helps students study and learn more efficiently by providing personalised learning, intelligent tutoring systems, virtual classrooms and educational chatbots.

Finance: AI usage in this field includes automated trading, fraud detection, and chatbot-driven customer services in institutions like banks.

Shopping: AI suggests to us what we can buy based on our shopping history and helps us compare the prices of various products. It also helps to detect fraud while shopping online.

Entertainment: AI can analyse one’s viewing history and provide suggestions based on one’s likes.

Transportation: AI can help guide and maintain self-driving cars. It can also ensure better traffic control which increases safety while traveling.

A chatbot is a program that can talk like a human being through text or sounds.

Some Advantages of AI • Use of AI in space missions can aid in data analysis and reduce risking human lives.

•

AI can benefit business processes by creating better plans and structures.

• Collaboration between humans and AI will increase in various fields such as healthcare and education, leading to the improvement of humanity.

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Science and Technology Explore More Scan this QR code to explore more real-life applications of AI and some of its amazing tools.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the blanks. a AI stands for

. and

b

are the founding fathers of AI.

c The term AI was first coined in the year

.

d Although the idea of AI was old, its demonstrations started developing between

and

.

2 Write the fields in which these applications of AI are used. a Helping in fraud detection. b Guiding self-driving cars. c Managing medical data. d Providing students with educational chatbots. e Navigating through traffic. f

Assisting doctors with surgery.

g Helping with timely irrigation and cultivation. h Planning traffic routes. i

Informing us about new music based on our listening history.

j

Helping with disease detection.

3 Name the AI tool. a

tool generates AI presenters for videos.

b

tool changes voices with AI.

c

tool converts your text into high-quality videos.

d

tool removes background from videos.

e

tool converts your text into AI art.

Topic 10 • Artificial Intelligence

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 21

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Roads in India

11

India has the second-largest network of roads in the world, which plays an important role in the country’s transportation system. Here are some of the important roadways of India.

The National Highways

The State Highways

• National Highways are important roads in India that connect cities, states and important landmarks of a region such as the harbours, the airports and the railway stations.

They are crucial for transportation.

• They are built and maintained by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

• State Highways are roads within Indian states that connect towns or cities.

• There are more than 500 National Highways with a total length of over 1,43,000 km. A code like NH-1, NH-2, etc represents them.

• They are built and maintained by the state governments. The Public Works Department (PWDs), or similar agencies in the states handle the construction and maintenance of these highways.

• The NH-44 is the longest highway in India. It connects Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari and covers over 3,745 km.

• The state of Maharashtra has the longest network of state highways—which is over 50,151 km in length.

•

India has over 1,86,528 km of state highways.

The Expressways • Expressways are high-speed, controlled-access highways in India for faster and more efficient travel between cities. Expressways help reduce traffic congestion and shorten travel times. They are also built and managed by the NHAI. • The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is the longest expressway in the country, stretching about 1,386 km.

• The Delhi-Meerut Expressway is the widest expressway in the country, with 14 lanes.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway 3

• The maximum speed limit on expressways in India is 120 km/h for most passenger vehicles.

•

Slow-moving vehicles, overloaded vehicles and tractors are not allowed on expressways.

The Green National Highways • The Green National Highways Corridor Project (GNHCP) is a big futuristic project to build eco-friendly highways in India. It aims to promote green energy and the use of e-vehicles.

• It is estimated to cover about 781 kilometres in four states: Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

•

The World Bank granted the Indian government $500 million for this project.

•

It is India’s first green and safe highway, to be developed in Rajasthan.

•

The project also aims to create jobs for the local people and reduce pollution in India.

• The government plans to build 26 green highways and improve India’s road infrastructure, making it like the US by 2024.

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Incredible India Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the top 10 national highways of India. Also, explore more about the upcoming Greenfield Expressways.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the full forms of the following. a NHAI b PWD c GNHCP

2 Which road is it? a It is the longest National Highway in India. b It is the longest expressway in India. c These road aims to promote green energy. d It is the widest expressway in India, with 14 lanes. e These roads will be completed by 2025. f

These are maintained by the PWD of a state.

g The World Bank granted India $500 million for this project.

3 Fill in the blanks with the correct number or name. , India has the largest network of state highways.

a b NH 44 covers over

km from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

c The first GNHCP will be developed in the state of

.

d The total length of national highways in India is about e As of 2023, India has over f

km. km of state highways.

The longest expressway in India stretches over

g The GNHCP will cover about

km. km in four Indian states.

h Expressways in India are built and maintained by the

.

i

The maximum speed limit on expressways in India is

.

j

The GNHCP will cover these four states – ,

Topic 11 • Roads in India

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 23

, and

.

23

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12

Global Human Crises

A global human crisis affects the well-being, stability and security of the global community. It is not limited to a region only, and affects many countries. The refugee crisis and poverty are two major crises that the entire world is dealing with in the 21st century.

The Refugee Crisis A refugee crisis occurs when people are forced to leave their own countries due to war, internal conflicts, natural disasters or any other unfavourable situations.

Due to this, refugees seek safety in other countries.

They suffer not just physically, but also face mental health issues while struggling to build a better life with education, healthcare and enough food to feed their families.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by May 2023, over 11 crore people were forced to leave their homes around the world. The majority of the world’s refugees, approximately 85%, seek shelter in developing countries. The leading host nations include Turkey, Colombia, Pakistan, Uganda and Germany. The World Bank says that over 70% of refugees live in poverty, on less than ₹270 a day.

The World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June every year.

The theme for the World Refugee Day 2023 was ‘Hope Away from Home’. This theme symbolises how refugees keep going, even after losing almost everything, because they hope for a better future.

Poverty Poverty refers to a situation where people do not have enough money or possessions to meet their basic needs like food, water, shelter, clothing, healthcare and education.

South Sudan is the poorest country in the world in 2023, as estimated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the UNICEF, 22,000 children die every day due to poverty. 160 crore people live without electricity. Almost 280 crore people use wood chips, crop waste or animal dung for cooking and providing heat. About 30% of the world’s extremely poor live in India.

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed every year on 17 October, a date designated by the United Nations in 1992.

The 2022-2023 theme for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was ‘Dignity for all in practice’.

The Factors Contributing to Poverty •

The lack of education and skills leads to unemployment or a low income.

•

Wars and conflicts that displace people and disrupt economies.

•

Not having enough government support for basic needs such as food, water and shelter.

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International Affairs Explore More Scan this QR code to learn about the global responsibility in the refugee crisis and food crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the blanks. a The International Day of Refugees is held on

every year.

b The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is held on

every year.

c The theme for the International Day for Poverty in 2022-2023 was

.

d The theme for the 2023 International Day of Refugees was

.

e The UNHCR stands for

. displace people, disrupt economies and damage infrastructure.

f g By May 2023, over

people were forced to leave their homes around the world.

h According to the World Bank, over

of refugees live in poverty.

i

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was designated by the UN in the year

j

According to UNICEF,

children die each day due to poverty.

k According to the UNHCR, approximately l

About

.

seek shelter in the developing countries.

of the world’s extremely poor live in India, according to UNICEF. is the poorest country in the world in 2023.

m

2 Write whether the following statements are True or False. a The lack of education can lead to unemployment, contributing to poverty. b Poverty is having enough possessions to meet basic needs. c A global human crisis is not limited to a particular country or region. d Poor people do not have a lot of money to meet their basic needs. e Peaceful environments support economic growth and reduce poverty. f

The refugee crisis is always due to natural causes, like earthquakes.

3 Write any 3 common difficulties faced by refugees and people living in poverty.

Topic 12 • Global Human Crises

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13

Tennis Tournaments

Tennis is a racket sport that is played by two opposing players (singles) or pairs of players (doubles). Many popular tennis tournaments are held regularly. The four Grand Slam tournaments are the most prestigious events in tennis held every year. Let us learn about them.

The Major Grand Slam Tournaments

The Australian Open It is the first Grand Slam of the year, played in January every year in Melbourne Park, Victoria, Australia. It was first held in 1905. The matches are played on cushion acrylic hard courts. The tournament is famous for its hot weather, as it is held during the Australian summer.

The Roland Garros This tournament is held during May-June at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France.

It is commonly called the French Open. It was first held in 1891. It is known for being one of the most physically demanding sporting events, as it is the only Grand Slam tournament played on hard clay courts.

The Wimbledon This tournament is played during June-July in Wimbledon, London, England. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world which started in 1877. It is also known as The Championships. It is the only major Grand Slam event still played on grass and is renowned for its lush green grass courts and strict traditions that are followed even today.

The US Open It is the last Grand Slam that is held during August-September in Queens, New York, USA. The first US Open was played in 1881. Like the Australian Open, it is also played on acrylic hard courts, and is known for its lively night-time matches played under the bright floodlights.

Other Highly Esteemed Tennis Tournaments The ATP Finals It is an annual men’s tennis championship, where the world’s top 8 singles players and top 8 doubles teams compete for the title.

The WTA Finals It is an annual women’s tennis championship, featuring the world’s top 8 singles players and top 8 doubles teams.

The Davis Cup It is the largest annual international men’s team tournament that included 155 nations in 2023.

The Billie Jean King Cup It is the largest women’s team tennis tournament involving over 100 nations.

Steffi Graf, a former tennis player from Germany, is the only player who has won all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal in the same year. This honour is known as a Golden Grand Slam. She achieved this feat in 1988.

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Sports, Entertainment and Culture Explore More Scan this QR code to learn about the rules of tennis and a detailed explanation of the Grand Slams.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the table with the correct information about the four Grand Slams.

The Grand Slam

When is it played?

Where is it played?

a The US Open b The French Open c The Wimbledon d The Australian Open

2 Fill in the blanks with the correct years. a Steffi Graf achieved the Golden Grand Slam in

.

b The first French Open tennis tournament was held in

.

c The Championships was first held in

.

d The US Open was first held in

.

e The first Australian Open match was played in

.

3 Fill in the blanks with the name of the correct tennis tournaments. a It is played on hard clay courts. b It is the also known as the Wimbledon. c It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. d It is the only tournament still played on a grass court. e It features the world’s 8 top-ranked female tennis players. f

It features the world’s 8 top-ranked male tennis players.

g It is the largest international men’s team competition. h These two tournaments are played on acrylic hard courts.

Topic 13 • Tennis Tournaments

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 27

and

27

17/11/23 10:32 AM

We Are What We Eat

14

Eating healthy is the key to living a healthy life. It is important to know what, how much and at what times we should eat.

What should we eat?

We must eat a balanced diet consisting of the right amounts of different nutrients—carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruit have dietary fibre that helps in digestion.

The total energy we get from food is calculated in calories.

People need different amounts of calories and nutrients per day according to their age, gender and physical activities.

The list below shows the calorie intake by various age groups: Children (2-8 years): About 1,000-1,400 calories

Healthy Fats

Healthy Proteins

Children and Adolescents (9-18 years): 1,400-3,200 calories

Healthy Dairy Products Healthy Fruits Healthy Vegetables Healthy Grains

Adults (19-60 years): Women: 1,800-2,400 calories Men: 2,200-3,000 calories

Older Adults (61+ years): 1,600-2,400 calories

Why should we eat less at night?

Melatonin is a hormone (a chemical released in the blood) that regulates our sleep cycle. During the daytime, its level in our blood is low. It keeps us alert and awake. During nighttime, its level is high to induce sleep. The melatonin levels start getting higher as the sun sets.

Insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood sugar level. After eating, the glucose level in our blood rises. Insulin sends glucose into cells to be used for energy, or stored for later use. If we eat food in excess of the body’s needs, insulin promotes the creation of fat cells to store the extra glucose.

The Relationship Between Melatonin and Insulin When we are asleep, our body needs less energy. Since we are not eating or digesting enough food while sleeping, our body does not need high levels of insulin. So, as the melatonin level rises, insulin levels become low in the body and vice-versa.

Insulin

Glucose

Blood Vessel Cells

Thus, we must eat more during the day and less at night for proper digestion.

A disturbance in the sleep patterns and diet of a person can disturb the levels of melatonin and insulin in their blood, causing problems like obesity, diabetes and insomnia.

Is this food healthy for me?

Learn to read the nutrition label behind the food packets to know how healthy that food item is.

3

Limit these Nutrients

Start Here

1

2

6

Check Calories

4

Get Enough of these Nutrients

Quick Guide to % DV

• 5% or less is Low

• 20% or more is High

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Life Skills Explore More Scan this QR code to explore why we must avoid sugary foods and learn more about eating the right food items at the right time of the day.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the blanks with information about the relationship between sleeping and eating. a The hormone that regulates our sleep is

.

b The hormone that regulates blood glucose is

.

c At night the level of the hormone

is high and the hormone is low.

d After we eat, the level of blood

rises in our body.

e If we eat food in excess, insulin promotes the creation of the extra glucose. f

We must eat during the night.

to store

during the day and

g During the day, the level of the hormone

is high and the hormone is low.

2 Write the amount of calories that a healthy person of the following age would need per day. a A 5-year-old child b A 20-year-old man c A 25-year-old woman d A 70-year-old person

3 Fill in the correct information about nutrient labels. a The calories indicate the amount of

that we get from food.

b The nutrients that should be consumed in limited amounts are

and

. c Two nutrients that should not be more than 20% are

and

as they may cause toxicity in the body. d The quantity of

should be more than 5% as it helps in proper digestion.

4 Complete the sentence.

The nutrients that should be present in a balanced diet are ,

,

,

and

.

Topic 14 • We Are What We Eat

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15

G20 Summit, 2023

The Group of Twenty, or G20, is an international body created in 1999. It includes nineteen countries and the European Union. It is a platform to form strategies for the financial growth of nations. It also addresses and resolves international economic issues that impact on the world. Finance ministers and central bank governors represent the nations, and the European Union is represented by the European Central Bank. The presidency of the G20 summits changes every year.

The G20 Summit, India In 2023, the 18th G20 summit was held in New Delhi, India. It was held at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, on 9–10 September. In the words of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, “India’s G20 Presidency will work to promote a universal sense of one-ness. Hence our theme–‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.”

India’s G20 Priorities 1.

Green Development, Climate Finance & LiFE: This focuses on climate change, finance and technologies. It introduced the LiFE movement to promote environment-friendly practices.

2.

Accelerated, Inclusive & Resilient Growth: This focuses on areas such as small and medium-sized initiatives in global trade, labour rights and welfare, global skills, agricultural chains and food systems.

3.

Accelerating the progress on the SDGs: This emphasises the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and focuses on addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

4.

Technological Transformation & Digital Public Infrastructure: This promotes knowledge-sharing and a humancentric approach to technology, and focuses on making tech-enabled health and education sectors.

5.

Multilateral Institutions for the 21st Century: It focuses on creating a more accountable, inclusive, and representative international system to address the challenges of the 21st century.

6.

Women-led Development: It emphasises on women’s empowerment and their representation for socioeconomic growth.

The Next G20: India took over the 18th presidency of the G20 from Indonesia—from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023. Then, it was formally handed over to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, who will host the next G20 in his country.

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The Year Gone By Explore More Scan this QR code to watch the host city Delhi during the G20 summit and more about the attending representatives of the G20, 2023 Summit.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name the country that has the G20 presidency for the following years. a 1 December 2021 to 30 November 2022 b 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023 c 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024

2 Fill in the blanks with the details of the 2023 G20 summit. a It was the b It was held in

summit of the G20. , the capital city of India.

c It hosted the representatives of

countries and the European Union.

d The main event was held at the

Centre.

e The theme of the summit was

.

3 Complete the following details about G20. a The G20 stands for

.

b The G20 was founded in the year

.

c The presidency of the G20 summit changes every

.

d At the G20 summits, their member nations.

and

e At the G20 summits, the European Union is represented by

represent .

4 Write the titles of 6 priorities listed for the G20 Summit, 2023.

Topic 15 • G20 Summit, 2023

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Climate Change: Causes and Effects

16

Climate change refers to the long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns of the Earth. Some of them are due to natural causes, but mainly they are caused by human activities.

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. It occurs when gases in the atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat. Some greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour. When the sun’s energy reaches the Earth, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed by greenhouse gases which keeps out planet warm.

More Greenhouse Gases

Several human activities lead to an excess of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It causes enhanced greenhouse effects and a rise in the average temperature of the Earth.

Some of these activities are:

Effects of Enhanced Greenhouse Effect Global Warming: One of the consequences of enhanced greenhouse effect is the rise in the average temperature of Earth, causing global warming.

In 2023, the Earth was about 1.1 °C warmer than it was in the 1800s.

Climate Change: Global warming causes unpredictable changes in the climate, leading to extreme weather conditions. It poses a serious threat to all living beings.

Ways to Prevent Climate Change

Planting more trees

Using bicycles, electric cars and public transport

Deforestation

Improper waste disposal

Emissions from industries and vehicles

Overuse of fossil fuels

Urbanisation

Effects of Climate Change

Melting of Frequent Excessive Soil Erosion Glaciers Storms Floods Floods remove the top layer It is leading to Changes in Rising sea of the soil, a rise in the the weather levels and making the sea-levels and patterns cause frequent land infertile threatening frequent, storms cause and unable to the lives of high-intensity excessive grow anything.

Polar animals. storms. floods.

Using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.

Practising proper waste management.

Hotter Long-Term Forest Fires Loss of Species Temperatures Droughts Extremely high Not all plants temperatures and animals Many High often cause can adapt to countries are temperatures forest fires. the changing experiencing and low climate. prolonged rainfall are heatwaves. causing severe droughts.

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change Signed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 countries in December 2015 and came into force on 4 November 2016. Its main goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 °C, and preferably limit it to 1.5 °C before 2025. By 2030, the treaty aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 43%.

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Earth and Environment Explore More Scan this QR code to find out more about the causes and effects of climate change.

Also, explore what carbon footprint is and how it is related to reducing climate change.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the blanks with details about the greenhouse effect. a The greenhouse gases trap and reradiate the

keeping the Earth warm.

b An excess of greenhouse gases causes c

greenhouse effect.

and

are greenhouse gases.

2 Write the correct information related to climate change. a 2 human activities that increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: , b 2 problems associated with the melting of the glaciers: , c 2 effects of climate change on the weather patterns: , d 2 effects of extremely high temperatures: , e 2 effects of climate change on forests: , f

2 effects of the rise in sea-levels: ,

g 2 ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: , h 2 things to avoid to prevent climate change: ,

3 Fill in the correct number. a The Paris agreement was adopted by

countries.

b The Paris agreement was signed in December

.

c The Paris Agreement came into force in November d The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below e As of 2023, the Earth is about Topic 16 • Climate Change: Causes and Effects

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 33

.

C.

C warmer than it was in the 1800s.

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17/11/23 10:32 AM

Types of Artificial Satellites

17

A satellite is an object in space that orbits, or circles around, a larger object. For example, the Moon is a natural satellite that revolves around the Earth. Human-made or artificial satellites are machines launched into space that orbit the Earth or any other planetary body. Let us read about two types of human-made satellites.

Geostationary Satellites These satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of over 35,786 km directly above the equator.

They complete one orbit in about 24 hours, which is the same as the Earth’s rotation from west to east. Thus, they appear fixed or stationary.

The concept of geostationary satellites emerged in 1945. Engineer Harold A. Rosen, at Hughes Aircraft Company, played a vital role in its invention. He is known as ‘the father of the geostationary satellite’. Syncom 3, a communication satellite, launched on 14 February 1964 from Cape Canaveral, USA, was the first geostationary satellite.

On June 19, 1981, India launched its first experimental communication satellite named the Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment or the APPLE.

Syncom 3 As of 2023, there are over 400 geostationary satellites in Earth’s orbit. Images from them are used for weather forecasting, telecommunications, disaster monitoring, climate research and GPS navigation signals.

GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is a satellite navigation system for pinpointing locations on the ground.

Recent Geostationary Satellites • JUPITER 3 (ECHOSTAR 24), launched on 29 July, 2023 • ARABSAT 7B (BADR 8), launched on 27 May, 2023 • INTELSAT 40E, launched on 7 April, 2023

• SES 19 and SES 18, launched on 17 March, 2023

• CHINASAT-26, launched on 23 February, 2023

Polar Satellite These satellites orbit the Earth in a polar orbit, passing over the Earth’s North and South Poles.

They are typically placed at a low orbit at altitudes between 200 to 1000 km. These satellites provide global coverage and high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface. These are commonly used for land observation, climate monitoring and scientific research.

Discoverer 1 by NASA was the first attempt to launch a satellite into polar orbit.

It was launched on 28 February 1959. However, it was unsuccessful as the signals were not picked up in the orbit.

Recent Polar Satellites • In the Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) series, NOAA-19 was launched in February 2009. It is a weather satellite. In this series, the first satellite, named TIROS 1, was launched on 1 April 1960.

• Joint Polar Satellite System-2 OR JPSS-2, launched on 10 November 2022, is a collaborative effort between NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). This satellite delivers crucial weather and climate data, improving weather forecasting and storm-tracking capabilities.

Discoverer 1

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Science and Technology Explore More Scan the QR code to learn more about the difference between geostationary and polar satellites. Also, learn how artificial satellites stay in orbit.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the table.

Satellite

Which type of satellite is it?

When was it launched?

a APPLE b JPSS-2 c JUPITER 3 d NOAA-19 e CHINASAT-26

2 Read the feature. Write G if it is for Geostationary satellites. Write P if it is for the Polar satellites. a They are used for weather forecasting and disaster monitoring. b They provide high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface. c They spin around the Earth over the equator. d They are low-orbit satellites. e They provide GPS signals. f

They have an altitude of over 35,786 km.

g They have an orbit altitude of about 200 to 100 km. h They pass over the north and south poles of the Earth. i

They are used for closer monitoring of the land and oceans.

3 Fill in the blanks. a The concept of geostationary satellite was introduced in the year

.

b The first geostationary satellite was

.

c The first polar satellite was

.

d The first geostationary satellite was launched on

.

e India’s first geostationary satellite was launched on

.

f

GPS stands for

g Topic 17 • Types of Artificial Satellites

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 35

. is known as the father of the geostationary satellite.

35

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18

Young Entrepreneurs of India

An entrepreneur is someone who has an idea that solves common or emerging problems of the world. They execute the idea by designing a product or a business that people pay to use. India has many young entrepreneurs who started their work on a small scale and now own big companies that have made a mark in their respective fields.

Ritesh Agarwal—OYO Hotels and Homes He is the founder and the CEO of OYO Hotels & Homes. He started this company in May 2013, at the age of 19. He aimed to offer affordable and clean rooms for tourists to stay in across the globe. As of 2023, OYO stands as the world’s third largest hotel chain by room count, with around 8.5 lakh rooms in over 800 cities.

Falguni Nayar—Nykaa She is the founder and CEO of the beauty and lifestyle company, Nykaa. She left her banking job and founded Nykaa in April 2012, at the age of 50. Nykaa sells more than 4,500 brands online through more than 100 stores across India. She was ranked 44th in the Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 wealthiest people.

Bhavish Aggarwal—Ola He started Ola (formally OlaCabs) in December 2010 with Ankit Bhati, and founded Ola Electric in 2017. He came up with the idea to start a cab company when he struggled to get a taxi in Mumbai.

He was included in the Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list of 2018.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma—Paytm He is the founder and the CEO of the mobile wallet app Paytm. He started the company in 2009.

He has also created the Paytm Mall, an e-commerce business and the Paytm Payments Bank. As of 2023, more than 20 million merchants & businesses are powered by Paytm online payment to accept payments digitally, and more than 300 million Indians use it for payment purposes.

Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah—Zomato They are the co-founders of Zomato, a food dining and delivery company. It was launched in 2010. The platform helps users get food delivered from restaurants and also to read customer reviews of those places. As of April 2023, it is one of the biggest food delivery platforms in India with around 32 million monthly active users on its application.

Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal—Flipkart They are the co-founders of the e-commerce platform, Flipkart. They started Flipkart from a small apartment in Bangalore in 2007. As of 2023, the company has a market value of around $40 million with more than 100 million users.

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Incredible India Explore More Scan the QR code to learn about other young entrepreneurs of India, especially the top women entrepreneurs of India.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name the companies owned by these entrepreneurs. a Falguni Nayar: b Ritesh Agarwal: c Vijay Shekhar Sharma: d Bhavish Aggarwal: e Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: f

Vandana Luthra:

2 Name the co-founders of these companies. a Flipkart: b Zomato:

3 Write the year in which these companies were launched. a Zomato:

b OYO:

c Flipkart:

d Ola:

e Nykaa:

f

Paytm:

4 Fill in the blanks. a Falguni Nayar started her company at the age of

.

b Ritesh Agarwal started his company at the age of

.

c Falguni Nayar ranked

in the Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 wealthiest people.

d Flipkart was started in an apartment located in the city of

.

e Bhavish Agrwal founded Ola Electric in the year

.

f

As of 2023, OYO stands as the world’s

g In the year 2018, list of 100 most influential people.

Topic 18 • Young Entrepreneurs of India

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 37

largest hotel chain by room count. , the co-founder of Ola, was included in the Time Magazine’s

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19 The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed transportation route that will connect India, the Middle East and Europe. Let us learn more about this innovative plan.

The IMEC will comprise an Eastern Corridor connecting India to the Gulf region, and a Northern Corridor connecting the Gulf region to Europe. The corridor will span multiple countries and regions, covering a vast distance of thousands of kilometres. The route of the IMEC will have roads, railways, sea ports and airports.

It aims to connect the sea port in Mumbai, India, with two cities in the UAE and three cities in Saudi Arabia, including the capital city of Riyadh. It will further lead to Jordan, Israel and ultimately, Europe.

A partnership agreement on the IMEC was signed by India, USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, European Union, Italy, France and Germany at G20 Summit 2023, New Delhi, India.

The United States will be investing in this ground-breaking venture.

This corridor seeks to boost the trade and economic partnership between India, the Middle East and Europe. It also aims to encourage tourism and cultural interactions.

The European Union is a big trading partner of India, and this agreement can help India do more business with the EU. The IMEC will also improve connectivity and infrastructure that will generate new business prospects and contribute to the overall development and prosperity of the participating countries. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has referred to this corridor as ‘the most direct connection to date that will make trade faster’.

The IMEC will also ease the flow of goods and services. Currently, it takes 18 days for goods from Mumbai to reach Europe using the Suez Canal. With this new corridor, it will only take 10 days.

2 Transit Routes

Commodities such as textiles, electronics, machinery and petroleum products will be transported through this corridor.

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International Affairs Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the advantages of the IMEC. Also, learn about some major international shipping trade routes.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name any four participating countries involved in the planning of the IMEC.

2 Name the two transit corridors of the IMEC and the countries they will connect.

3 Fill in the blanks. a The IMEC stands for

.

b The IMEC will connect the Indian city of

and end at

.

c The Maritime Indian Ocean route ends at d The IMEC will facilitate the export of

energy.

e Shipping can be done at

higher rate than the Suez Canal. is the president of the European Commission.

f g Currently, it takes

days for the goods from Mumbai to reach Europe using the Canal.

h With the IMEC, it will only take Europe. i

The IMEC was signed at the

j

The IMEC will encourage trade,

k

days for the goods from Mumbai to reach , 2023, held in New Delhi, India. and cultural interactions. is supporting the IMEC by investing in it.

4 Name any four global shipping trade routes.

Topic 19 • The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 39

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20

The Censor Board of India

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is commonly known as the Censor Board of India. Films can be released publicly in India only after they have been certified appropriate by the CBFC. Let us read more about it.

The censorship boards were formed in India after the production of India’s first feature film— Raja Harishchandra in 1913. Initially, they functioned only in the major cities like Mumbai and Kolkata.

After India got its Independence in 1947, all the regional boards merged into one—the Bombay Board of Film Censors. It later became the Central Board of Film Censors after the Cinematography Act of 1952. In the year 1983, after the revision of the cinematography rules, the name of the board was changed to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

About the CBFC The CBFC headquarters is in Mumbai, and has regional offices in various cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati.

The CBFC operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. All its members are appointed by the Central Government.

As of 2023, Prasoon Joshi, an Indian screenwriter, poet, writer and lyricist, is serving as the Chairman of the CBFC.

The Functions of the CBFC Certification: The primary function of the CBFC is to certify films and television shows for public release.

Content Review: The CBFC reviews the content of films and television shows to ensure they comply with the Indian laws and guidelines.

Advisory Roles: The CBFC may provide advisory roles in the context of film and television production to help filmmakers understand the guidelines and make necessary changes to their content.

Certification Categories Four types of film certifications are issued by the CBFC: • U (Universal): Suitable for all age groups.

• UA (Parental Guidance): Suitable for children above 12 years with parental guidance.

• A (Adult): Restricted to adult audiences (18 years and above).

• S (Special): Restricted to specialised audiences, such as doctors or scientists.

Film Title Registration: The CBFC also registers film titles to avoid confusion or conflicts with existing titles.

Legal Authority: The CBFC has the legal authority to suggest cuts or make modifications to films to ensure that they follow the certification guidelines.

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Sports, Entertainment and Culture Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the types of film certificates issued by the CBFC, and the key elements of each certificate.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the blanks with the correct answers. a The CBFC stands for

.

b The CBFC is commonly referred to as

.

c The headquarters of the CBFC are located in

.

d The CBFC certifies films in e f

categories. was the chairman of the CBFC in 2023.

The members of the CBFC are appointed by the

g The CBFC functions under the Ministry of h The Central Board of Film Censors was formed after the passing of the

. , India.

Act.

2 Write the correct year. a The Central Board of Film Censors was formed. b The name of the Central Board of Film Censors changed. c The first feature film of India was released. d The regional boards merged to become the Bombay Board of Film Censors.

3 Which category of certificate would be issued for the following? a The content is restricted only to a special audience like lawyers. b The content is restricted to people of age 18 years and above. c The content is suitable for all age groups. d The content is suitable for children aged 12 years and above with parents’ guidance.

4 Write if the statement about the functions of the CBFC is True or False. a The CBFC certifies only films for public exhibition. b A certification by the CBFC means that the film is suitable for all ages. c The CBFC has the legal authority to suggest modifications in the content. d The CBFC has the liberty to choose but not register any film title. e The CBFC ensures that the content is made according to the Indian laws.

Topic 20 • The Censor Board of India

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 41

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21

New Age Exercises

Exercise is not just about moving the body, but is a key part of a healthy life. Let us explore a few examples of modern fitness practices.

Aerial Yoga: People usually practice traditional yoga on the ground. However, in aerial yoga, people practise the exercises in the air, while being suspended by hammocks or silks. It is also known as Anti-Gravity Yoga. It was developed in the city of New York, USA, by an aerial performer and a Broadway choreographer, Christopher Harrison. It is recommended to practice aerial yoga on an empty stomach. People with conditions like glaucoma or high blood pressure should avoid doing this exercise.

Zumba: In the 1990s, a Colombian dancer and choreographer—Beto Perez, founded ‘Zumba’, a unique fitness program that combines dance, aerobic moves and Latin music. It has gained popularity as an energetic workout. Now, Zumba is practised worldwide in more than 180 countries.

There are different types of Zumba programs. ‘Zumbini’ is a special program for ages 0-4, ‘Zumba Gold’ is designed for the elderly and the ‘Aqua Zumba’ is practised in swimming pools.

Pilates: It is a mind-body exercise method developed in the early 20th century by a German physical trainer, Joseph Pilates. It was originally called ‘Contrology’. Joseph Pilates and his wife, Clara, opened the first Pilates studio in New York City in 1926. It was called the ‘Studio for Body Contrology’. Pilates combines elements of yoga, martial arts and gymnastics. It was initially developed as an exercise for physical rehabilitation of the soldiers who served during World War I.

HIIT: It stands for High-Intensity Interval Training, which involves very intense exercises that are done in a short period of time. After that, the person practising it takes quick breaks or follows it up with easier exercises. Due to this, the afterburn effect takes place.

It means your body keeps burning calories at a high rate post-workout. HIIT workouts can be done anywhere, be it at home, in a park or at the gym.

CrossFit: It was founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000. The ‘CrossFit Games’, an annual event that aims to determine the title of the “Fittest on Earth,” was inaugurated in the year 2007. Some CrossFit workouts are named after women, such as Fran, Cindy and Nancy.

Some workouts are also named after fallen soldiers, like Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy. The workout ‘Murph’ was named after him. It involves a 1.6 km run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats followed by another 1.6 km run.

TRX: It stands for Total Body Resistance Exercise. This training method utilises your body weight and gravity to develop strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, core and joint stability. TRX was created in 1997 by Randy Hetrick, an American Navy SEAL Squadron Commander. The very first exercise he developed involved only a jiujitsu belt and parachute webbing. He later brought it to the market in 2001. The basic, yet challenging movements include chest press, row, lunge, squat and planks.

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Life Skills Explore More Scan this QR Code to learn what happens inside your body when you exercise.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name the correct exercise. a This includes very intense exercises for a short period of time, followed by quick breaks. b In this, some workouts are named after women c

involves practising in the air using suspended hammocks.

d It was founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000. e It is a mind-body exercise method developed by a German physical trainer. f

It was developed by a Broadway choreographer, Christopher Harrison.

g It was developed as a rehabilitation method for soldiers during World War I.

2 Fill in the blanks. a Aerial Yoga is also known as

. is a Zumba program designed for kids.

b c The Aqua Zumba is conducted in

.

d The title “Fittest on Earth,” was inaugurated in the year e In f

.

, the body keeps burning calories at a high rate, post-workout.

HIIT stands for

.

g TRX stands for

.

h TRX was created in

by

i j

is a popular form of exercise that is inspired by ballet.

Murph workout is named after Navy Lieutenant

k Pilates combines elements of l

.

The Murph workout involves a ,

Topic 21 • New Age Exercises

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 43

. ,

. run,

squats, and another

and pull-ups, 200 .

43

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Space Mission, 2023

22

In the year 2023, different space agencies launched successful missions to explore the Moon, the Sun, the other planets in the Solar System, asteroids and the dark universe. Let us learn about them.

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)

Agency: European Space Agency (ESA)

Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5

Launch: 14 April 2023; Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana

This mission is set to study the giant gas planet Jupiter, and its three ocean-bearing moons: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. The mission aims to identify these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats. It will also explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth. It will take around eight years to reach Jupiter’s orbit from the launch time.

Chandrayaan-3

Agency: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Launch Vehicle: LVM3 M4

Launch: 14 July 2023; Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota), Andhra Pradesh

This mission demonstrated the capability of safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. It consists of the Lander named Vikram and the Rover named Pragyan. Vikram landed safely near the south pole of the Moon on 23 August, 2023. Pragyan ramped down from the lander and walked on the Moon on 24 August, 2023. Both the lander and the rover went into a sleep mode on 4 September 2023.

Agency: ISRO

Aditya-L1

Launch Vehicle: PSLV-C57

Launch: 2 September 2023; (Sriharikota), Andhra Pradesh

It is India’s first mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft is set to reach an orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Sun–Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. A satellite at this position will help in observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.

OSIRIS-REx

Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Launch: 8 September 2023; Cape Canaveral, Space Launch Complex 41

Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 411

It was the first US mission to collect samples from asteroids. It returned to Earth on 24 September 2023 to deliver collected rock and dust samples from the asteroid Bennu. It did land on Earth though and carried on to undertake another mission to explore the asteroid Apophis.

Agency: NASA

Psyche

Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon

Launch: 12 October 2023; Kennedy Space Centre

NASA sent a spaceship called Psyche to a metal-rich asteroid named Psyche, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spaceship will travel for six years to reach the orbit of Psyche by August 2029. Then, it will spend 26 months studying Psyche’s properties in detail. It will help us find out how planets like our own Earth, rich in metals at the core, are formed.

Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM)

Agency: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), partnered with NASA Launch Vehicle: H-IIA F47

Launch: 6 September 2023; Yoshinobu Launch Complex

SLIM is Japan’s first lunar lander. It is designed for precise Moon landings. XRISM is an X-ray space telescope.

Its aim is to study how the universe was formed and how it is structured now by observing distant stars, clusters of galaxies and black holes. To do so, It will capture X-rays coming from the dark universe to create a map of them.

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The Year Gone By Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the journey of OSIRIS-Rex to the asteroid and back to Earth. Also, learn about other space missions of 2023.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the table.

Space Mission, 2023

When was this mission launched?

Which vehicle was used to launch it?

a SLIM b Aditya L1 c OSIRIS-REx d Chandrayaan-3 e JUICE f

Psyche

g XRISM

2 Name the space agencies that launched these missions in 2023. a Chandrayaan-3: b XRISM: c OSIRIS-REx: d Psyche: e Aditya L1: f

SLIM:

g JUICE: h EUCLID: i

AXIOM-2:

3 Which space mission is it? a This was India’s third mission to the moon. b This mission aims to explore Jupiter’s three ice-moons. c This is to reach an orbit around the Lagrange point 1 of the Sun-Earth system d This mission launched an X-ray telescope in space to study the dark universe. e This spacecraft is sent to study a metal-rich asteroid in the asteroid belt. f

It collected samples from an asteroid and delivered them to Earth on 24 September.

Topic 22 • Space Mission, 2023

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 45

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SDGs: Progress Reports

23

The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations (UN) to address various social, economic and environmental challenges. These goals have 169 targets to be achieved by all 191 UN Member Countries by 2030.

The SDG Report 2023: Since the SDGs were established in 2015, 2 reports have been published to present the current state of each goal. The first report was published in 2016. Listed below are some key points from the report of 2023.

1. By 2030, 575 million people will still be poor. Only 1/3 of countries will have reduced their poverty levels by half.

2. In 2022, about 45 million young kids were suffering from malnutrition, 148 million were underdeveloped and 37 million were overweight. Big changes are needed to meet the nutrition goals for 2030.

3. In the recent years, global health has become better. 146 out of 200 countries are already meeting or going in the right direction to reach the goal of reducing child deaths.

4. Only one in six countries will make sure all kids finish secondary school by 2030. About 84 million children will still not go to school, and around 300 million students won’t have the basic reading and math skills that they need for living a decent life.

5. W ith just seven years left, only about 15.4% of the Goal 5 indicators with data are doing well, 61.5% are doing okay, but not great and 23.1% are falling far behind the 2030 targets.

6. W ater is used more efficiently, but in many places, there is still not enough water. In 2020, 2.4 billion people lived in areas with not enough water. This is made worse by conflicts and climate change.

7. The world is making progress on sustainable energy but at this speed, by 2030, about 660 million people won’t have electricity and nearly 2 billion people will still be using polluting fuels for cooking.

8. The pandemic sped up digital use and made it easier to access banking. Worldwide, 76% of adults had bank accounts in 2021, up from 62% in 2014.

9. The manufacturing industry is still struggling to fully recover from COVID-19. In 2022, global manufacturing growth slowed to 3.3% from 7.4% in 2021.

10. Around one in six people globally have faced discrimination, especially women and those with disabilities. In 2022, a record 34.6 million people became refugees.

11. More than half the world lives in cities now, and by 2050, it’s predicted to be 70%. In 2023, about 1.1 billion people are living in poor, overcrowded city areas, and in the next 30 years, another 2 billion are expected to join them.

12. The material footprint per capita in high-income countries is 10 times the level of low-income countries. The world is also seriously off track in its efforts to halve the per capita food waste and losses by 2030.

13. To keep the Earth from getting too warm, we must start reducing emissions now and cut them in half by 2030.

14. Some progress is being made in protecting the oceans and supporting small-scale fishermen, but we need to do things more efficiently and faster to achieve Goal 14.

15. A new plan called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has set some clear goals to protect the natural world. By 2030, 23 targets are to be achieved for environmental protection.

16.

17.

y the end of 2022, 108.4 million people had been forced to leave their homes, which is 19 million more than in 2021 B and more than double the number from ten years ago.

hile internet access has improved by 65% since 2015, the progress in closing the digital divide has slowed after W the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Earth and Environment Explore More Scan this QR code to understand 17 SDGs in depth and how we can help achieve them together by 2030.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Which number of SDGs is indicated in the following statements? a Clean toilets. b Creating more jobs. c Reducing waste. d Protecting marine life. e Protecting land and forests. f

Cleaner energy resources.

g Global education initiatives.

2 Fill in the blanks with the details of SDGs. a The SDGs were established by the UN in the year b There are a total of

.

SDGs with

c A total of

targets.

UN member countries are working to achieve SDGs by

d Since the SDGs were established, UN has released 2 reports—the first in the year

. and the

.

second in the year

3 Fill in the blanks with the details of SDG reports in 2023. a Since 2015, internet access has improved by

%.

b Amid the COVID-19 situation, global manufacturing growth slowed down to 3.3% in the year c In 2020,

.

people were living in areas that do not have enough water.

d Global health has improved with

out of 200 countries meeting their targets.

e A record

people became refugees in the year 2022. % of adults had bank accounts in 2021, indicating an increase in accessible banking.

f

g It is predicted that about 70% of the world will be living in cities by the year h By 2030, about progress.

children will still not be going to school as per the current

i

In recent years, a new framework named has set some clear goals to help nature.

j

By the end of 2022,

k In 2022, overweight. l

At the current progress rate, about

m By 2030, about Topic 23 • SDGs: Progress Reports

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 47

.

people had been forced to leave their homes. children were facing malnutrition while

were

people won’t have electricity by 2030. people will still be poor, according to the current trends.

47

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Artificial Intelligence of Things

24

Artificial Intelligence or AI is a software program that enables computers to think and learn like human beings. It helps them do things on their own without being told exactly what to do.

The Internet of Things or IoT is a network of smart devices and wireless technologies, like wi-fi, that connects smart devices to the internet, allowing them to communicate with each other.

Artificial Intelligence of Things or AIoTs combines AI and IoT to enhance IoT operations, human-machine interactions and data management. This combination is resulting in many new possibilities in various fields.

Applications of AIoTs Voice Assistants: Devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home use AIoTs to understand and carry out voice commands, and manage other smart-home devices like lightbulbs, locks and appliances. Every day, about 55% of people between the ages of 13 and 18 use a voice assistant on their smartphones.

Health and Fitness Trackers: Wearable devices like smartwatches gather data about your physical movement, sleep and various other health factors, while AI uses this information to offer personalised health advice and monitor your health progress. People who use fitness trackers walk around 2,000 steps more per day than those who don’t.

Smart Homes: AIoTs are making our homes smarter by enabling us to control home appliances and accessories with our phones. We can switch the lights and fans in our homes on and off, adjust blinds when needed and turn our ACs and TVs on and off without being present at home. It makes our lives easier and saves energy too. As of 2023, there are around 30 crore smart homes worldwide.

Security Cameras: When enabled with AIoTs, these devices can distinguish between people, animals and objects, reducing false safety alarms. When they detect something unusual, they send alerts to your phone. As of 2023, there are approximately 2.5 billion CCTV cameras worldwide, and the average person is captured on camera roughly 300 times a day.

Some Advantages of AIoTs • It helps to protect IoT devices from cyber threats.

• It helps us set tasks which saves time and energy and reduces costs.

• It suggests things based on our search history and helps us make smarter choices.

• It helps devices make fast decisions based on the collected data and provides us with useful information.

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Science and Technology Explore More Scan this QR code to explore the possibilities of AIoTs to change the world as we know it.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 What do the following stand for? a AI: b IoTs: c AIoTs:

2 Fill in the blanks using AI, IoTs and AIoTs. a The

is a network of smart devices equipped with wireless technologies. enables computers to think and learn and make independent decisions.

b c The combination of

and

d AIoT combines

and

has the potential to revolutionise many fields. to enhance various aspects of technology.

e CCTV security cameras that can differentiate between people and animals are an application of . f

sleep, and other health factors.

g

enabled smartwatches gather data on your physical activity, is an example of a voice assistant.

3 Name any 6 AIoTs enabled devices and systems that are revolutionising the world.

4 Write any 1 advantage of AIoT.

Topic 24 • Artificial Intelligence of Things

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 49

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Traditional Painting Forms in India

25

Traditional Indian paintings are unique art forms that have been passed down through generations. Many of them are practised even today. Let us read about some of them.

Madhubani Paintings This art form is from the Mithila region of Bihar, India. Thus, it is also called Mithila painting. This art form is one of the most popular forms of Indian folk art. It is practised mostly by women, who decorate the walls and floors of their houses with these paintings to celebrate various occasions. Most of these paintings depict gods, plants and animals.

Warli Paintings It is one of the oldest art forms of India, and was first practised around the 30th century BC by the Warli tribes in Maharashtra.

It uses mainly circles, triangles and squares to depict various figures. The shape of the human body is drawn by a circle, two triangles and lines for hands and legs. These paintings are made on a red or dark background, while the shapes are white in colour. Many paintings depict daily activities like fishing and hunting, while some show the people singing and dancing.

Tanjore Paintings This art form originated in South India, around the late 16th century, by the Nayakas of Thanjavur. Therefore, they are also known as Thanjavur paintings. One of the painting’s unique features is the use of gold foil, which glitters and lends the paintings a grand and royal look. These paintings are painted on panels of wood.

They depict mostly gods, goddesses and saints.

Pattachitra Paintings

Phad Paintings This style of painting originated in Rajasthan. It got its name from the long canvas or cloth called Phad, on which these paintings are traditionally made.

Phad painting is mainly a religious form of scroll painting that depicts the heroic stories of various folk deities. These paintings use colours and paints made from vegetables and other natural things.

Miniature Paintings This art form was first practised in the 16th century, in the courts of the Mughal emperors. It is now a popular practice in Rajasthan. These paintings are known for their miniature size and detailed expressions of the characters. They depict mostly religious stories and epics. The human characters in these paintings are often portrayed with large eyes, a pointed nose and a slim waist. The men are always painted with a turban.

Gond Paintings These vibrantly coloured paintings were first created by the Gondi tribe in Madhya Pradesh. They depict mainly plants and animals that are made up of dots and lines.

The colours used in them were derived from natural things like charcoal, cow dung, leaves and coloured soil.

Today, this art form is practised with acrylic paints.

Kalamkari Paintings Kalamkari means ‘drawings with a pen’.

These paintings are of two types and both originated in Andhra Pradesh, India.

They are:

This art form originated in the 5th century, in Puri and Konark, in Odisha.

1. The block-printed paintings from Machilipatnam, called the Machilipatnam paintings.

The paintings have sharp, angular bold lines, and depict mostly gods, goddesses and various stories from the epics.

2. Srikalahasti from Chitoor, which is a free-flowing art form that is made with a pen on a piece of fabric.

A unique feature about this art form is that the dress style of the characters depicted in these paintings is influenced by the Mughals.

Today, Kalamkari art is painted on sarees and other pieces of clothing. They depict mostly nature or represent stories from the epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

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Incredible India Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the different traditional art forms in India.

Also, learn about the history of Kalamkari paintings.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name the Indian states where the following art forms originated from. a Phad Paintings b Madhubani Paintings c Miniature Paintings d Warli Paintings e Kalamkari Paintings f

Gond Paintings

2 Name the art form that has the following features. a This art form is from Mithila region. b The paints are made from vegetables and other natural things. c The shapes are usually white and the background is either red or dark. d These are cloth-based scroll paintings that use sharp, angular bold lines. e Its unique feature is the use of gold foil, which gives it a royal look. f

In these types of paintings, men are always seen wearing a turban.

g It depicts plants, animals or epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

3 Write the time period when the following painting forms were first created. a Miniature Paintings b Tanjore Paintings c Patachitra Paintings d Warli Paintings

4 What are the unique features of the human figures in Warli paintings? Write in 1 or 2 sentences.

Topic 25 • Traditional Painting Forms in India

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26

The Earth Summits

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) is the largest international conference organised by the United Nations (UN). It is popularly known as The Earth Summit. Let us learn more about it.

The First World Conference on the Environment, 1972 The protection of the environment began to be taken seriously in the early 1970s. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972, was the first global conference that addressed global environmental issues. This summit led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The second summit was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1982 where the headquarters of UNEP is located. It was held when the threat of the Cold War between the world’s major powers was at its peak. No concrete decisions were made during this summit.

The Earth Summit, 1992 The third conference UNCED was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992 and is popularly known as the Earth Summit. It is considered to be one of the most important conferences on environmental protection. It was attended by political leaders, diplomats, scientists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from 179 countries.

The Achievements of Earth Summit, 1992 • This conference created the first action plan for environmental protection for the 21st century.

It was called Agenda 21. UNCED is responsible for the implementation of Agenda 21.

• The Rio Declaration on Environment: Signed in the 1992 Earth Summit, it is a set of 27 principles for guiding countries on sustainable development. It defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in the areas of environmental protection and sustainable development.

•

Three conventions were signed at the Rio Earth Summit:

1. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): It aims to protect biological diversity.

2. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through international cooperation.

3. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): It aims to establish national action programmes to reduce desertification.

The Following Earth Summits The next summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002. It was also called the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).

After that, the Earth Summit took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012. It was named Rio+20. This conference aimed to create a global vision for 21st-century sustainable development under the theme “The future we want.” A set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established in this session.

The most recent Earth Summit took place in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 2022. 197 countries and the European Union participated in it. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many participants attended the conference virtually. The theme of this conference was “Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity.”

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International Affairs Explore More Scan this QR code to watch the opening ceremony of the Earth Summit, 1992 and listen to an inspiring speech from this summit.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the full forms of the following abbreviations. a UNCED b CBD c UNFCC d UNEP e WSSD f

UNCCD

2 Name the location where the UNCED were held in the given years. a 1972 b 2012 c 2022 d 2002 e 1992

3 Fill in the correct details. a The number of countries that participated in the 1992 Earth Summit: b The number of countries, along with the EU, that participated in the 2022 UNCED summit: c The year in which the first UNCED conference was conducted: d The year of the summit in which the SDGs were created:

4 Write the name of 3 conventions that were framed in the Earth Summit, 1992.

Topic 26 • The Earth Summits

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27

Renowned Plays and Playwrights

Many playwrights have made significant contributions in the field of art and literature. Let us learn about some of the most famous ones who have made a difference through their extraordinary work.

William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet. Although the exact date of his birth is not recorded, his birthday is celebrated on 23 April around the world. He passed away on 23 April 1616.

In his lifetime, Shakespeare wrote a total of about thirty-seven plays, which included various genres such as comedies, tragedies and historical plays. He also coined phrases that are still in use today, such as ‘fashionable’ and ‘All’s well that ends well.’

Famous Plays: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Othello Anton Chekov was a renowned Russian playwright and author of short stories. He was born on 29 January 1860 and passed away on 15 July 1904. In his lifetime, he wrote over 200 short stories and a few full-length plays. One of his renowned works included travelling to the remote Sakhalin Island in Russia to study and document the lives of prisoners.

Famous Plays: A Dreary Story, Ivanov, Peasants, The Bear and The Black Monk Victor Hugo was a French writer, poet and politician. He was born on 26 February 1802 and passed away on 22 May 1885. He is best known for his novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, both of which have been adapted into musical theatre. He wrote a total of around 50 works in his lifetime. When he died, he received an official funeral in Paris at a place called the Panthéon. More than 20 lakh people came to the funeral, making it the largest attended funeral in French history.

Famous Plays: Cromwell, Hernani, Le Roi s’ amuse, Ruy Blas and La Esmeralda George Bernard Shaw was an Irish comic playwright, dramatist and literary critic. He was born on 26 July 1856 and passed away on 2 November 1950. He wrote more than 60 plays in his lifetime.

His play Pygmalion was turned into the stage musical and film My Fair Lady. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.

Famous Plays: Mrs Warren’s Profession, Man and Superman, Major Barbara and Saint Joan

Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. He was born on 13 April 1906 and passed away on 22 December 1989. He wrote in both French and English and is renowned for introducing new forms of novels and dramas. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.

Famous Plays: Human Wishes, Waiting for Godot, Krapp’s Last Tape and All That Fall

Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian poet, playwright, composer and painter. He was born on 7 May 1861 and passed away on 7 August 1941. He was recognised for his plays on social and political issues. His play The Dak Ghar (Post Office) was centred around the liberation of a child. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.

Famous Plays: Chitra, Raja, Chandalika and Prakritir Pratisodh

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Sports, Entertainment and Culture Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about different approaches of playwriting.

Also, learn about Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the nationalities of these playwrights. a William Shakespeare b Rabindranath Tagore c George Bernard Shaw d Samuel Beckett e Anton Chekov

2 Write the dates of birth and death of the following playwrights. a Anton Chekov:

;

b George Bernard Shaw:

;

c Victor Hugo:

;

d Samuel Beckett:

;

e William Shakespeare:

;

3 Write the names of any two famous plays of the following playwrights. a Anton Chekov:

;

b William Shakespeare:

;

c Samuel Beckett:

;

d Rabindranath Tagore:

;

e George Bernard Shaw:

;

f

Victor Hugo:

;

4 Fill in the blanks. a Shakespeare wrote a total of about

plays.

b Anton Chekov wrote over

short stories.

c ‘All’s well that ends well’ was quoted by

.

d

wrote in both French and English.

e

went to Sakhalin Island to document the lives of prisoners.

f

Three playwrights who won the Nobel Prize for Literature are and

Topic 27 • Renowned Plays and Playwrights

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, .

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28

National Schemes for Innovation and Digitalisation

In the last decade, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) of India has launched various programs and initiatives to promote and support innovation and digitalisation in India. Let us learn about some of them.

The Digital India GENESIS Scheme The Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS), or the Digital India GENESIS scheme was launched in 2015 to modernise India through digital empowerment. It emphasised on providing internet access in rural areas, universal mobile connectivity and online government services. It encourages electronics manufacturing, generates IT employment and launches initiatives like e-governance, e-health and e-education. Strategies for promoting the Digital India GENESIS include educational games, art contests, hackathons, social media campaigns and collaboration with influencers.

The Digital India Bhashini The Digital India Bhashini, or Bhasha Interface of India is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based language translation platform launched by the MeitY during the Digital India Week in 2022. It is an initiative under the Digital India GENESIS scheme. This initiative aimed at increasing digital content and services in Indian languages and promoting the use of digital technology in India’s native languages. It offers improved access to information in multiple languages for enhancing digital literacy and preserving Indian languages. This initiative has the potential to reduce the digital divide and empower more Indians in the digital economy.

The CHUNAUTI Challenge The CHUNAUTI is an annual online contest that started in August 2020, under the Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS). It aims to boost start-ups and software products. This challenge invites participants from various sectors like agriculture, education, healthcare and e-commerce.

The contest shortlists around 300 start-ups that will receive seed funds of up to ₹25 lakh. They will also receive mentoring and support from the government through the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

The TIDE 2.0 Scheme The Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) scheme was launched in 2019. It aims to promote tech entrepreneurship by providing financial and technical support to businesses that develop Information and communications technology (ICT) with the help of the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, Robotics, etc. It is aiming to support around 2,000 tech start-ups with a proposed budget of about ₹264 crore over a period of 5 years.

The SAMRIDH Scheme The Start-up Accelerator of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth (SAMRIDH) scheme was launched in August 2021. It aims to provide funding and incentives to Indian start-ups that make software products and have been in business for at least 3 years. A total of ₹99 crores have been provided by the government for this scheme in the last 3 years. A total of 300 start-ups are a part of it. Each selected entrepreneur is given a sum of ₹40 lakh.

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Life Skills Explore More Scan this QR code to learn what innovation is. Also, learn about how the Bhashini is bridging the gap between Indian languages.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 When were these schemes/initiatives launched? a The CHUNAUTI Challenge b The TIDE 2.0 Scheme c The Digital India Bhashini d The Digital India GENESIS scheme e The SAMRIDH Scheme

2 Write the full forms of the following. a SAMRIDH b GENESIS c MeitY d NGIS e TIDE f

STPI

3 Fill in the blanks. a The Digital India Bhashini is an intitive under

.

b The Digital India GENESIS scheme was launched by

.

c The CHUNAUTI Challenge is organised by the

. is another name for the Digital India Bhashini.

d

e The CHUNAUTI Challenge contest includes a total of

start-ups.

4 Which scheme/initiative is it? a The STPI supports this scheme by providing resources and mentoring. b It is an AI-based language translation platform. c It is a scheme that aims to bridge the digital divide in India. d It provides funding to start-ups that make software products. e It supports around 2,000 tech start-ups, especially those that develop ICT. f

This contest provides a chance for emerging start-ups to win up to ₹25 lakhs.

Topic 28 • National Schemes for Innovation and Digitalisation

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29

Sports Events, 2023

2023 was an exciting year for sports, with several major events happening worldwide. Let us read about some of them.

The Men’s Hockey World Cup was hosted in India in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, from 13 to 29 January.

This event is organised every four years by the Federation of International Hockey (FIH). It was the 15th edition of the sport and 16 teams competed in it. Germany won the world cup against Belgium with a score of 5–4 in a shoot-out, following a 3-3 tie in regular time.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament started on March 14 and ended on April 3. This annual event is also known as March Madness, where college teams across USA compete to determine the best team in the country. In the finals, the team of the University of Connecticut secured their fifth national championship by defeating San Diego State by 76–59 in the final game at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Indian Premier League (IPL) was held from 31 March to 29 May. It was the 16th season of this league. Its theme was ‘The more, the merrier!’ This event is organised annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since 2008. The team Chennai Super Kings, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, defeated the Gujarat Titans in the finals by 5 wickets.

The World Aquatics Championships was held in Fukuoka, Japan from 14 to 30 July, 2023. It was the 20th edition of this event. World’s top divers from 194 nations and a team of World Aquatics Refugee participated in different events. China stood out in this event with a record number of medals—20 gold, 8 silver and 12 bronze.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup was held from 20 July to 20 August and jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. It was the 9th edition of this event, featuring 32 teams. It occurs every four years and is organised by International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

The final match was played between Spain and England. Spain won its first-ever world cup with a goal score 1-0.

The very first edition of the UCI Cycling World Championship was held from 3 to 13 August. The event started from Glasgow, Scotland and went across the country over the next 10 days. This event brings all the cycling world champions to one location. It was organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and will be held every four years.

The World Weightlifting Championships was held from 4 to 17 September in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This competition is organised annually by the International Weightlifting Federation.

Winning in this event allows an athlete to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

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The Year Gone By Explore More Scan this QR code to watch the highlights of the UCI Cycling World Championships and Super11 Asia Cup, 2023.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write when these events were held in 2023. a FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup b FIFA Women’s World Cup c The World Weightlifting Championships d NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament e World Aquatics Championships f

UCI Cycling World Championships

2 Name the winning team of these sports events of 2023. a Indian Premier League b The FIFA Women’s World Cup c The Men’s Hockey World Cup d NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

3 Who is the organising body of the following sports events? a The Indian Premier League b The UCI Cycling World Championships c The Men’s Hockey World Cup d The World Weightlifting Championships

4 Fill in the blanks. a IPL stands for b A total of

. teams competed in the Men’s Hockey World Cup, 2023.

c The FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2023, was the

edition of the event.

d The World Aquatics Championship was the

edition of the event.

e The 1st event of UCI Cycling World Championships started from f

, Scotland.

The World Weightlifting Championships was held in Riyadh,

.

g The FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2023 was jointly hosted by h The Men’s Hockey World Cup, 2023 was held in in Odisha, India.

Topic 29 • Sports Events, 2023

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and

.

and

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Natural Disasters

30

Natural disasters are events that occur naturally and unexpectedly. They can cause widespread damage to life and property, and are proof of the destructive power of nature.

Floods It is an overflow of water on land, often caused by heavy rainfall or a rise in the water level of various water bodies due to the rapid melting of snow. Cyclones can also flood coastal areas. Floods can result in property damage, displacement of people and loss of life.

In July 2023, the northern part of India was hit by flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall. The landslides and flash floods submerged roads, washed away buildings and caused hundreds of deaths. A red alert was issued for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana.

Hurricanes, Typhoons or Cyclones The storms that originate over the ocean and move towards the land are called hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones, depending on their geographic location. They have a calm region at the centre, surrounded by high-speed spiral winds and rain.

They are called hurricanes when they form over the North Atlantic and the South Pacific oceans, typhoons when they form over the Northeast Pacific Ocean and cyclones when they form over the Southwest Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

On 14 May 2023, the Cyclone Mocha struck parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh with winds that reached a speed of about 280 kilometres per hour. It caused massive damage to infrastructure. At least 460 people were reported to have been killed and hundreds went missing in this disastrous event.

Tsunami These are unpredictable, giant waves of water caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. These waves can reach a speed of 500 to 1,000 kilometres per hour and can rise as high as 30 metres, creating a huge and scary wall of water. They hit the land with such force that they cause unimaginable destruction, wiping away everything in their way.

On 15 January 2022, the eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano in the south-western Pacific Ocean caused a massive tsunami.

It first affected the coasts of Tonga and eventually affected many coastlines around the world.

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Earth and Environment Explore More Scan this QR code to learn about more natural disasters, including tornados and tsunamis.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 What are the storms that form over these oceans called—hurricanes, cyclones or typhoons? a The North Atlantic Ocean b The Indian Ocean c The Southwest Pacific Ocean d The Northeast Pacific Ocean e The South Pacific Ocean

2 Write the correct name of the natural disasters. a Giant waves caused by underwater volcanic eruptions. b Storms that originate over the sea and move towards the land. c An overflow of water on land. d It forms waves that can rise as high as 30 metres. e A situation where there is excess water on land, caused by heavy rainfall. f

They are named differently, according to the geographic location of the ocean that they originate in.

g When this disaster reaches the coast, it appears to be a wall of water. h The coasts of the Tonga Islands were hit by this disaster in January 2022. i

Often accompanied by landslides, this disaster submerges roads and buildings.

j

In May 2023, this disaster stuck parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh with winds that reached a speed of about 280 kilometres per hour.

k A red alert was issued in five northern states of India due to this disaster in July 2023. l

In this disaster, ocean water rushed towards coasts at a speed of as much as 500 kilometres per hour.

Topic 30 • Natural Disasters

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Vaccines and Immunisation Drives

31

A vaccine is a weakened form of the disease-causing microorganism that makes our bodies immune to that disease.

The spread of diseases is controlled by various immunisation drives or campaigns worldwide that offer vaccines to people at lower rates.

The First Vaccine In 1796, Dr Edward Jenner discovered that a vaccine with the cowpox virus can protect a person from smallpox.

This led him to create the very first vaccine against a disease in the world.

The World’s First Immunisation Drive The Spanish Smallpox Vaccine Expedition, 1803-1813 The Spanish Smallpox Vaccine Expedition was a pioneering public health initiative led by Dr Francisco Xavier de Balmis and his assistant Dr Jose Salvany. From 1803 to 1813, the expedition aimed to introduce the smallpox vaccine globally.

Balmis and his team travelled across Latin America, the Philippines and China, using live cowpox virus to immunise people against smallpox.

The Eradication of Smallpox Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme, 1966-1980 The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched this programme to rid the world of the deadly smallpox virus. It involved mass vaccination campaigns. House-to-house searches, strict surveillance, and ring vaccination strategies were employed, eventually leading to the successful eradication of smallpox by 1980.

The COVID-19 Vaccines The COVID-19 pandemic was a global outbreak of coronavirus that started spreading from December 2019.

Up to October 2023, it has caused about 7 million deaths worldwide.

In December 2020, the first COVID-19 vaccine was developed by the German companies Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech followed with the development of various other vaccines by companies Moderna and AstraZeneca. A total of 12 vaccines (including 3 Indian vaccines) have been approved for emergency use by WHO and have helped in immunising millions of people against COVID-19.

The Influenza Pandemic and Vaccine The H1N1 influenza pandemic spread across the world from 1918 to 1919. It is often called “the mother of all pandemics” as it caused about 50 million deaths. The first inactivated flu vaccine was developed

by Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk, and was licenced for use in 1945. Since the influenza virus keeps changing, a new flu vaccine is usually developed for it every year.

Polio Eradication In the early 20th century, polio was one of the most feared diseases in various countries, paralysing lakhs of children yearly. The first vaccine to be widely used was called the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). It was developed by an American physician, Jonas Salk, in the early 1950s and licenced for public use on 12 April 1955. By 1960, Dr Albert Sabin had developed the Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV).

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), 1988 This initiative was launched by the WHO, Rotary International, CDC and UNICEF. It aimed to eradicate polio globally. The campaign involved mass vaccination drives, surveillance and immunisation strategies.

As of 2023, poliovirus has been eradicated on all the continents except Asia. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries where the disease is still affecting people. The World Polio Day is observed on 24 October every year, to create awareness of the dangers of polio.

Pulse Polio Programme in India India launched the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme on 2 October 1994. Within two decades, India received ‘Polio-free certification’ from the World Health Organization on 27 March 2014, with the last polio case being reported in Howrah in West Bengal on 13 January 2011.

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Science and Technology Explore More Scan this QR code to explore more about the different COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccines that were developed to eradicate deadly diseases.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the correct year of the following events. a Development of the first smallpox vaccine. b Development of the first influenza vaccine. c The first inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) was licenced. d The development of the first oral polio vaccine (OPV). e The development of the first COVID-19 vaccine. f

The launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

g The launch of the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme in India. h The beginning of the Spanish Smallpox Vaccine Expedition. i

The Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme.

j

The eradication of Smallpox.

k The eradication of polio from India. l

The start of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

2 Write the correct names associated with the following events. a The doctor who developed the first vaccine for smallpox: b The physician who developed the first inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV): c The doctor who developed the first oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV): d The scientists who developed the first inactivated flu vaccine:

and

e The doctors who led the Spanish Smallpox Vaccine Expedition:

and

3 Fill in the blanks. a World Polio Day is celebrated on b By October 2023,

. vaccines had been approved by WHO for emergency use.

c The Polio campaign in India is called the

.

d The pandemic in 1918-1919 was caused by the disease

.

e The 2 companies that first developed the COVID-19 vaccines are

and

.

Topic 31 • Vaccines and Immunisation Drives

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Global Indices and Rankings

32

Global indices and rankings refer to the assessment or evaluation that shows how well countries, groups or people are doing compared to others worldwide. They help us see who is doing better or worse in different areas. Let us read about some of these indices and the rankings.

The Global Innovation Index (GII) is a ranking that tells us how good different countries are at coming up with innovative ideas and using them to improve things. It looks at factors like research, technology, skilled people, infrastructure and business development to figure out which countries are the most innovative. In the 2022-23 report, Switzerland topped the list and India was ranked 40th out of 132 countries.

Published by: World Intellectual Property Organisation The Global Peace Index (GPI) rates how peaceful countries and regions are worldwide. The GPI takes into account various factors such as levels of violence, crime rates, political instability, military growth and overall safety and security of societies. In the 2022-23 report, Iceland emerged as the most peaceful country in the world for the seventeenth consecutive year.

Published by: The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) The Global Firepower Index ranks countries by how strong their military is. For each country, it compares 60 factors such as the size of their military, how much they spend on defence, the number of active soldiers and the weapons they have. In the 2022-23 report, USA secured the 1st rank and India secured the 4th rank out of 145 countries.

Published by: Global Firepower The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) rates how well countries are fighting climate change. It looks at various factors such as the amount of greenhouse gases they produce, their use of renewable energy, how efficiently they use energy and their climate policies. Since no country was doing exceptionally well in the mentioned criteria, the top 3 ranks remained vacant. In the report published in 2023, India ranked 8th out of 60 countries (not including the European Union).

Published by: Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network The Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of the passports of all the nations in the world based on their visa-free travel privileges. It indicates the number of countries that you can visit with that passport, either without a visa or by obtaining one upon arrival. In 2023, the Singaporean passport leads the index with access to 193 countries, while the Indian passport ranks 86th, with 57 countries offering the people carrying it visa-free entry.

Published by: The global citizenship and residence advisory firm, Henley & Partners The World Happiness Index measures how happy people are in different countries. It looks at factors like income, social support, health, freedom, generosity and trust to show how satisfied people feel in each nation. In the 2023 report, Finland topped the chart as the happiest country for the sixth consecutive year. Afghanistan was declared the least happy country in the world.

Published by: The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network

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International Affairs Explore More Scan this QR code to know the ranks of the most powerful countries and personalities by their economic status.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Write the full form of the following. a GPI: b GII: c CCPI:

2 Who publishes the following indices? a The Henley Passport Index b The Global Peace Index c The Global Innovation Index d The World Happiness Index e The Global Firepower Index

3 Write any 2 factors which are considered in these indices to determine the ranks of various countries. a The Henley Passport Index:

;

b The Climate Change Performance Index: c The Global Peace Index:

; ;

d The Global Innovation Index:

;

e The World Happiness Index:

;

The Global Firepower Index:

;

f

4 Name the countries holding the first rank in the following indices in the 2023 reports. a The Henley Passport Index b The Global Peace Index c The Global Innovation Index d The World Happiness Index e The Global Firepower Index

5 Write India’s rank in the following indices of 2023. a The Henley Passport Index b The Climate Change Performance Index c The Global Innovation Index d The Global Firepower Index

Topic 32 • Global Indices and Rankings

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Pathbreaking Films

33

There are some films that are so innovative or path-breaking that they influence the way things are done or are considered in the future. Let us read about some of such works in the world of films.

Forrest Gump (1994)

It is a tale of a simple man named Forrest, player by Tom Hanks, who goes on a journey of self-discovery. He witnesses many important events in American history and realises that his love for his friend, Jenny, had been motivating him every step of the way. Forrest inspires people with his childlike optimism. The film teaches us that life is full of unexpected turns, and one can find happiness in the most unexpected places It won 6 Academy Awards, BAFTA and Empire awards, including one for the Best Picture.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001–2003) Adapted from the famous books written by JRR Tolkien, this series is considered one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. Frodo, a Christlike figure, learns that a ring has the power to control the entire world and also to corrupt its owner. A fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarfs, and men is formed to destroy the ring by casting it into the volcanic fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged. This epic fantasy film won several Academy Awards, including for Best Music, Visual Effects, Makeup and Cinematography.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

18-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) answers the questions on the Indian version of the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and flashbacks in the story show how he got there. Jamal and his brother, Salim, survive on the streets and in the slums of Mumbai. Salim finds the life of crime agreeable, but Jamal tries to escape it with small jobs until he lands a spot on the TV show. This film got several awards including the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe awards, the BAFTA and the Golden Eagle award for best foreign language film. A.R. Rahman got the Academy Award for Best Music for this film.

The Social Network (2010)

A Harvard undergraduate and computer genius Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, begins working on an idea that turns into the global social network known as Facebook. Six years later, he is one of the youngest billionaires ever. However, his success leads to legal issues when he receives two lawsuits, one involving his former friend played by Andrew Garfield. The film is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires. It won several Academy Awards, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, BAFTA and Satellite awards.

Titanic (1997)

This romantic drama film set on the doomed voyage of the ship RMS Titanic that sank in April 1912.

It resulted in the death of over 1,500 people in the ice-cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. At that time, it was the largest and most lavish ship, often called – the ship of dreams. Directed by James Cameron, this film won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Costume Design, Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

Million Dollar Baby (2004) Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a Los Angeles boxing trainer and a loner.

When Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) goes to Frankie’s gym to learn from him, he is reluctant to train the young woman. Eventually, the two form a bond of trust that changes them both.

This sports-drama film won several Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Actress and Director.

Avatar (2009)

This film is about life in the alien world of Pandora where the natives called Na’vi live. They appear primitive but are a highly evolved species. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralysed former Marine, becomes mobile again through an Avatar and falls in love with a Na’vi woman (Zoe Saldana). He goes on to fight for the survival of her world. Directed by James Cameron, this sci-fi film has incredible 3D effects. It won several awards like the Academy Awards in clude, the BAFTA, the Golden Globe.

The Martian (2015)

Astronauts reach Mars but they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon) when going back to the Earth, thinking he is dead after a fierce storm. With only a limited amount of supplies, Mark must utilise his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA, a team of international scientists, and Mark’s crew work tirelessly to bring him home. This sci-fi film won awards like Golden Globe, Empire and Satellite.

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Sports, Entertainment and Culture Explore More Scan this QR code to find out about some of the greatest historical epic films.

Also, find out about some of the best films on natural disasters ever created.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Fill in the table.

Film

Name the one lead actor/actress.

Which year was it released?

a Forrest Gump b Avatar c Slumdog Millionaire d Million Dollar Baby e The Martian

2 Which film is it? a The lead hero inspires people with his child-like optimism. b The hero participates in a TV game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. c It shows the alien world of Pandora where the beings called Na’vi live. d It is about the most lavish ship of its era called the ship of dreams. e It features a ring of power that controls the world. f

The hero must find a way to survive on a hostile red planet.

g The hero is a computer genius who finds a concept, now known as Facebook. h A heroine wants to learn boxing from a Los Angeles boxing trainer.

3 Fill in the blanks with the number or name of awards won by these films. a Forest Gump won b Titanic won

Academy Awards.

Academy Awards.

c A.R. Rehman won an Academy Award for Best d Titanic and Million Dollar Baby both won Academy Awards for the

Topic 33 • Pathbreaking Films

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 67

for Slumdog Millionaire. .

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34

Indian Nobel Laureates

The Nobel Prize is a prestigious international award. It is given annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine, literature, economic sciences and peace. The prizes were established in memory of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, scientist and entrepreneur. After he passed away, he left his wealth to establish the Nobel prizes, which has been honouring people since 1901. Let us read about some Indians who have won this prestigious award.

Kailash Satyarthi—The Nobel Peace Prize, 2014 He is a child rights activist, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to combat child labour and advocate for children’s rights. He shared this award with Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who received this award for her struggle for the right of every child to receive an education.

Amartya Sen—The Nobel Prize in Economics, 1998 He is an economist and philosopher, best known for his work in welfare economics and social choice theory. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his contributions to understanding poverty, famine and human development.

Mother Teresa—The Nobel Peace Prize, 1979 She was a Catholic nun of Albanian descent, who dedicated her life to helping the poor and sick in the slums of Calcutta (Kolkata), India. She was honoured with the Nobel Prize for her selfless dedication to provide care and support to the poor and the dying.

Har Gobind Khorana—The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1968 He was a biochemist, recognised for his contributions in the field of genetics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize jointly with Robert W. Holley and Marshall W. Nirenberg. They were honoured for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis.

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman—The Nobel Prize in Physics, 1930 He was a physicist, known for his ground-breaking work in the field of optics. He was awarded for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him— The Raman Effect.

Rabindranath Tagore—The Nobel Prize in Literature, 1913 Rabindranath Tagore was a renowned poet, philosopher and artist from India. He was awarded the prize for his poetic collection titled Geetanjali (Song Offerings), published in London in 1912.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize because his poetry perfectly captured the beauty of nature and human emotions. His poems explored the themes of love, freedom and unity that made an impact on Western literature as well.

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Incredible India Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about the Indian Nobel Laureates.

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Name the discipline in which the following laureates received the Nobel Prize. a C.V. Raman b Kailash Satyarthi c Rabindranath Tagore d Amartya Sen e Mother Teresa f

Har Gobind Khorana

2 Write the year in which these personalities received the Nobel Prize. a C.V. Raman b Kailash Satyarthi c Rabindranath Tagore d Amartya Sen e Mother Teresa f

Har Gobind Khorana

3 Fill in the blanks. a The year in which the Nobel Prize was first awarded: b The entrepreneur in whose memory the Nobel Prizes were established: c The first Indian to win the Nobel Prize: d The effect for which C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize: e The Indian biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in the field of Genetics: f

The poet who won the Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali:

g The Child’s rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014: h The Catholic nun who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work. i

The Indian physicist whose work in optics earned him the Nobel Prize:

j

The Pakistani activist who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi:

Topic 34 • Indian Nobel Laureates

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A Savings Account

35

A bank account offers us a safe place for keeping our money and easy access to our funds when we need it.

Opening a Savings Account

Samar’s grandpa is going to a bank. He asks Samar to come along with him.

Samar: Grandpa, why do we have to go to the bank today?

Grandpa: I have to open a new savings account, Samar.

Samar: Oh! Why do you need to open this account?

Grandpa: Well, you see Samar, we can keep our money safely in a savings bank account. Then, we can withdraw and use the money as and when we need it.

Samar has so many questions now!

Samar: How can we open a savings account, grandpa? What do you need for it? Can I open an account too?

Grandpa: Good questions, Samar! It is usually a simple process. To open an account, I would need to show the bank professionals a valid document of identity such as my passport, driving license, voter card or Aadhar card. Then, I would need to fill out an application, which includes details like my date of birth, home address, telephone number etc.

And most importantly, one must be 18 years old to open a savings account. You still have some years left before you will be 18. Now, let us go, otherwise we will be late.

Debit Card and Its Uses

A few days later, Samar’s Grandpa receives an envelope from the bank.

Samar: Grandpa, an envelope from the bank has just arrived for you. What is in it?

Grandpa: Let us take a look. (opening the envelope) Oh! It has my debit card.

Samar: What is a debit card?

Grandpa: Well, when we open a savings account with a bank, they issue a debit card. This card is linked to our savings account, and it allows us to access our funds (money) easily.

Samar: How will you use it, Grandpa?

Grandpa: The bank issues us a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for our debit card. We can use it to withdraw cash from an ATM or buy things online or at stores. However, to keep our money safe, we need to be careful and not share the PIN with anyone.

Samar (excitedly): Wow! This debit card seems really useful. Can I also use it sometimes?

Grandpa (laughing): All in good time, Samar! Be a little more patient.

Cheque Book and Passbook Facilities

After a few days, Samar sees his grandpa using two booklets from his new bank. His grandpa reads something from one of the booklets. Then, he writes something in the other booklet and carefully tears one page from it.

Samar: Grandpa, what is this booklet? Why do you tear pages from it?

Grandpa: Well, this is my cheque book, Samar. A bank cheque book contains paper leaflets called cheques, printed in advance with the account details of the account holder. It can be used for making payments or taking out money from the savings account.

Best Bank

Samar: Oh, so that’s another thing we can use to deposit and withdraw money from our bank account! And what is that other book, grandpa?

Grandpa (chuckling): You don’t miss anything Samar, do you? Now, that is a passbook. It keeps a record of the funds we withdraw and deposit in our account, although many banks don’t issue it nowadays.

Samar: Oh, I see! I like that banks make it so convenient for us to keep, save and spend our money. Thank you for sharing all this information with me, grandpa! I’ve learnt so much!

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Financial Literacy Explore More Scan this QR code to learn more about a savings bank account and its benefits.

Also, learn the uses of debit cards.

100

Let’s Practise ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Choose the correct word from the brackets and fill in the blank. a A bank account can offer us financial

. (risks/safety)

b We can keep our money in a

bank account. (savings/spending)

c We need to fill in

to open an account in the bank. (a card/an application)

d The bank issues us a

that is linked to our account. (debit card/ID card)

e We should not share the

with anyone to keep our money safe. (Email/PIN)

f

The (cheques/pass)

g The

book contains pages with pre-printed details to withdraw funds from a bank account. book is used to keep a record of funds. (cheque/pass)

h We can use the card issued by the bank to

funds from an ATM. (withdraw/deposit)

2 Complete the following statements. a In order to open a bank account, we need to show the bank a valid form of identification such as ,

,

, or

b The details that we need to fill in a form while opening a bank account are

c

and

.

,

and

. ,

are three

things usually issued by a bank when we open a savings account.

3 How is a savings bank account useful to us? Write in 2 or 3 sentences.

Topic 35 • A Savings Account

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A n swe rs 1 Wealthiest Personalities, 2023

1. The answer may vary; sample answer: a. Amazon; 1994 b. Neuralink Coorporation; 2016 c. Google search engine; 1998 d. Microsoft Corporation; 1975 e. Facebook; 2004 2. a. Elon Reeve Musk b. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg c. Elon Reeve Musk d. Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani e. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg f. Jeffrey Preston Bezos g. Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani 3. a. Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani b. Jeffrey Preston Bezos c. Meta; 2021 d. Jeffrey Preston Bezos; Amazon

2 Environmental Conservation

1. a. Uttarakhand; 1973 b. Palakkad district, Kerala; 1973 c. Vancouver; 1971 d. San Francisco; 1985 2. a. the Forest Rights Act b. the Rainforest Action Network c. the Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad d. 2006 e. 2002 f. The hugging movement g. dam h. FRA i. The Himalayan region j. 1985 3. a. T he Indian government issued a 15-year ban on cutting down of trees in 1980. b. Silent Valley was declared as a National Park in 1985.

3 Cyberworld and Ethics 1. a. G h. M

b. M i. M

c. M j. G

d. M k. M

2. a. Cyberworld b. strong e. privacy f. spam mail

e. M f. G l. G m. G c. strangers

g. M d. cyberbullying

3. The answers may vary; sample answer: These are internet manners about being good and responsible online.

4 The Road to Indian Independence 1. a. 1919 f. 1922

b. 1942 g. 1885

c. 1920-1922

d. 1930

e. 1857

2. a. Mahatma Gandhi b. the Indian Independence Act c. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru d. The Quit India Movement e. World War II f. Brigadier General Reginald Dyer 3. a. The Indian National Congress b. The East India Company c. Sabarmati, the bank of the Dandi River. d. the revolt of 1857 e. Baisakhi 4. The answers may vary; sample answers: Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh 5. a. To boycott British goods

b. to oppose high salt tax

5 World War I

1. a. 1914 b. 22 April 1915 c. 21 February 1916 d. 7 May 1915 e. 1 July 1916 f. 1918 g. 28 June 1919 h. 3 March 1918 2. a. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Sophie b. Chlorine gas c. The Battle of Verdun d. The British ship Lusitania e. First battle of Somme f. Rethondes (France) g. The Treaty of Versailles 3. a. Germany, Austria-Hungary, The Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria b. France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, The United States

6 Sporting Events

1. a. 1951; New Delhi c. 2022; Birmingham

b. 1930; Hamilton d. 2023; Hangzhou

e. 2026; Japan

2. a. 71 b. 11 c. Common Wealth Games Federation d. Olympic Council of Asia e. Perry the Bull f. Asian Games Federation g. Asiad h. friendly games i. British Empire Games j. 107 k. Australia, 178 l. China, 383 m. 4th, 61 n. 2026

7 Providing Life Support

1. Cardio, Pulmonary, Resuscitation 2. 4, 6, 1, 5, 3, 2 3. a. Do f. Don’t k. Do

b. Do

c. Do

g. Don’t l. Do

d. Don’t

h. Do

e. Don’t

i. Don’t

j. Don’t

8 The Natural Disasters of 2023

1. a. The Turkey-Syria earthquakes b. The Chilean wildfires c. The Marrakesh Safi earthquake d. Myanmar, Bangladesh e. Uruguay, northern Argentina, southern Patagonia f. Libya, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria g. Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh 2. a. 2 b. 280 km/hr e. 4,30,000 hectare

c. 7.8, 7.5

3. a. February b. September d. May e. July f. January

d. 6.8

c. September

9 The Deadliest Animals

1. a. The black mamba b. Great white sharks c. The African lion d. Indonesia e. The golden poison dart frog 2. The answer may vary for parts b, c and f. The sample answers are given. a. Sub-Saharan Africa b. The Savannahs c. Komodo d. The Indo-Pacific region e. the rainforests of western Colombia f. Eastern Australia 3. a. 70-150 b. 100 e. 100 f. Africa

c. 3 d. 4, 6 g. Tanzania h. 450

10 Artificial Intelligence 1. a. Artificial Intelligence c. 1955 d. 1955, 1975

b. John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky

2. a. Finance b. Transportation c. Healthcare d. Education e. Transportation f. Healthcare g. Agriculture h. Transportation i. Entertainment j. Healthcare 3. a. D-ID b. Voice.ai e. Midjourney

c. Pictory.ai

d. Video BG Remover

11 Roads in India

1. a. The National Highways Authority of India b. The Public Works Department c. The Green National Highways Corridor Project 2. a. NH-44 b. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway c. The GNHCP d. The Delhi-Meerut Expressway e. The Green National Highways f. The State Highways g. The GNHCP

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3. a. Maharashtra b. 3745 c. Rajasthan d. 1,43,000 e. 1,86,528 f. 1386 g. 781 h. NHAI i. 120 km/hr j. Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh

12 Global Human Crises

1. a. 20th June b. 17th October c. dignity for all in practice d. hope away from home e. the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees f. The refugee crisis g. 11 crore h. 70% i. 1992 j. 22000 k. 85% l. 30% m. South Sudan 2. a. True

b. False

c. True

d. True

e. True

f. True

3. They suffer physically and mentally; they struggle for better life and they do not get enough food.

13 Tennis Tournaments

1. a. August-September; Queens, USA b. May-June; Paris, France c. June-July; Wimbledon, London d. January; Melbourne Park, Australia 2. a. 1988

b. 1891

c. 1877

d. 1881

e. 1905

animals. c. High-Intensity storms, hotter temperatures d. Forest Fires, prolonged heat waves e. Forest fires, increased risk towards plant and animal species. f. Excessive floods, soil erosion g. Use solar or wind energy instead of fossil fuels, use electric vehicles h. Burning fossil fuels, deforestation 3. a. 196

b. 2015

c. 2016

d. 2

e. 1.1 °C

17 Types of Artificial Satellites

1. a. G eostationary June 19, 1981 b. Polar Satellite; November 10, 2022 c. Geostationary Satellite; July 29, 2023 d. Polar Satellite; February, 2009 e. Geostationary Satellite; February 23, 2023 2. a. G g. P

b. P h. P

c. G i. P

d. P

e. G

f. G

3. a. The French open b. The Championship c. The Wimbledon d. The Wimbledon e. The WTA Finals f. The ATP Finals g. The Davis Cup h. The US Open, The Australian Open

3. a. 1945 b. Syncom 3 c. Discoverer d. 14th February, 1964 e. June 19, 1981 f. Global Positioning System g. Harold A. Rosen

14 We Are What We Eat

18 Young Entrepreneurs of India

1. a. melatonin b. insulin e. fat cells f. more, less 2. a. 1000-1400 calories c. 1800-2400 calories

c. melatonin, insulin g. insulin, melatonin

d. glucose

b. 2200-3000 calories d. 1600-2400 calories

3. a. total energy b. salt, sugar c. The answer may vary; sample answer: calcium, iron d. dietary fiber 4. carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals

15 G20 Summit, 2023 1. a. Indonesia

b. India

c. Brazil

2. a. 18th b. Delhi c. 19 d. Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition Convention e. One Earth, One Family, One Future 3. a. Group of Twenty b. 1999 c. year d. finance ministers, central bank governors e. European Central Bank 4. Green Development, Climate Finance & LIFE, Accelerated, Inclusive & Resilient Growth, Accelerating the progress on the SDGs, Technological Transformation & Digital Public Infrastructure, Multilateral Institutions for the 21st Century, Women-led Development

16 Climate Change: Causes and Effects 1. a. the Sun’s heat b. enhanced c. T he answers may vary. Sample answer: Carbon dioxide, methane

2. The answer may vary; sample answers: a. Deforestation, burning fossil fuels b. Rising sea level, increased the threat to the lives of polar

Answers

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 73

1. a. Nykaa b. OYO Hotels & Homes c. Paytm d. Ola and Ola Electric e. Biocon Limited f. VLCC 2. a. S achin Bansal, Binny Bansal Chaddah

b. Deepinder Goyal, Pankaj

3. a. 2010

d. 2010

e. 2012

f. 2009

d. Banglore

e. 2017

f. third

b. 2013

c. 2007

4. a. 50 b. 19 c. 44th g. Bhavish Aggarwal

19 The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor 1. a. India, USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE

2. The East Corridor: India to Arabian gulf, The Northern Corridor: Arabian gulf to Europe 3. a. India- Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor b. Mumbai, Piraeus c. Europe d. greenf. Ursula Von Der Leyen g. 18, Suez h. 10 j. tourism k. USA

e. 40% i. G20 Summit

4. The answers may vary; sample answer: East African Route, Trans pacific East bound Route, Indian Ocean Route, South China Sea Route

20 The Censor Board of India

1. a. The Central Board of Film Certification b. The Censor Board of India c. Mumbai d. 4 e. Prasoon Joshi f. Central Government g. the Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India h. Cinematography 2. a. 1913 3. a. S 4. a. False

b. 1983 b. A

c. 1913

c. U

d. UA

b. False

c. True

d. 1947 d. False

e. True

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21 New Age Exercises

1. a. HIIT b. CrossFit c. Aerial Yoga e. Pilates f. Aerial Yoga g. Pilates

d. The United Nations Environment Programme e. The World Summit on Sustainable Development f. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

d. CrossFit

2. a. anti-gravity yoga b. Zumbini c. swimming pool d. 2007 e. HIIT f. high-intensity interval training g. total body resistance h. 1997; Randy Hetrick i. BARRE j. Micheal Murphy k. yoga, martial arts, gymnastics l. 1.6 km, 100, push-ups, 300, 1.6 km run

22 Space Missions, 2023

1. a. 6 September; H-11AF47 b. 2 September; PSLV-C57 c. 8 September; AtlasV411 d. 14 July; LVM3M4 e. 14 April 2023; Ariane 5 f. 12 October 2023; Space X Falcon g. 6 September 2023; H-11AF47 2. a. ISRO b. JAXA and NASA f. JAXA and NASA g. ESA

c. NASA d. NASA h. ESA i. SpaceX

3. a. Chandrayan-3 b. JUICE e. Psyche f. OSIRIS-REx

c. Aditya-L1

23 SDGs: Progress Reports 1. a. 6

2. a. 2015

b. 8

c. 12

d. 14

b. 17, 169

e. 15

c. 191, 2030

e. ISRO

g. 4

d. 2016, 2023

24 Artificial Intelligence of Things

1. a. Artificial Intelligence b. Internet of Things c. Artificial Intelligence of Things b. AI c. AI, IOTs d. AI, IOTs e. AIOTs g. The answer may vary; sample answer: Amazon Echo

3. Wearable devices, Environmental sensors, Agricultural machinery, Vehicle components, Home devices, Self-driven cars 4. The answer may vary; sample answer: It helps to protect IoT devices from cyber threats.

25 Traditional Painting Forms in India 1. a. Rajasthan b. Bihar c. Rajasthan e. Andhra Pradesh f. Madhya Pradesh 2. a. Madhubani b. Phad e. Tanjore f. Miniature 3. a. The 16th century c. The 5th century

d. Maharashtra

c. Warli d. Pattachitra g. Kalamkari

b. The late 16th century d. The 30th century

4. A circle, triangles or squares and lines are used to depict human figures.

26 The Earth Summits

1. a. T he United Nations Conference on Environment and Development b. The Convention on Biological Diversity c. The United Nations Framework on Climate Change

b. 197

c. 1972

d. 2012

4. The Convention on Biological Diversity; The United Nations Framework on Climate Change; The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 1. a. English

3. a. 65 b. 2022 c. 2.4 billion d. 146 e. 34.6 million f. 76 g. 2050 h. 84 million i. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework j. 108.4 million k. 45 million, 37 million l. 660 million m. 575 million

2. a. IOTs f. AIOT

3. a. 179

b. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil d. Johannesburg, South Africa

27 Renowned Plays and Playwrights

d. XRISM

f. 7

2. a. Stockholm, Sweden c. Stockholm, Sweden e. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

b. Indian

c. Irish

d. Irish

e. Russian

2. a. 29 January 1860; 15 July 1904 b. 26 July 1856; 2 Nov 1950 c. 26 February 1802; 22 May 1885 d. 13 April 1906; 22 Dec 1989 e. Celebrated on 23 April; 23 April 1616 3. The answers may vary; Sample answers: a. A Dreary Story, Ivanov b. Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet c. Human Wishes, Waiting for Godot d. Chitra, Raja e. Mrs Warren’s Profession, Man and Superman f. Cromwell, Hernani 4. a. 37 b. 200 c. William Shakespeare d. Samuel Beckett e. A nton Chekov f. Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Rabindranath Tagore

28 National Schemes for Innovation and Digitalisation 1. a. August, 2020 e. August, 2021

b. 2019

c. 2022

d. 2015

2. a. The Start-up Accelerator of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth b. The Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups c. Ministry of Electronics & amp; Information Technology d. Next Generation Incubation Scheme e. Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs f. Software Technology Parks of India 3. a. The digital India GENESIS scheme b. MeitY d. The Bhasha Interface of India e. 300

c. STPI

4. a. the CHUNAUTI Challenge b. The Digital India Bhashini c. Digital India Bhashini d. The SAMRIDH Scheme e. The TIDE 2.0 Scheme f. The CHUNAUTI Challenge

29 Sports Events, 2023

1. a. 13-29 January b. 20 July-20 August c. 4-17 September d. 14 March-3 April e. 14-30 July f. 3-13 August 2. a. The Chennai Super Kings b. Spain d. The University of Connecticut

c. Germany

3. a. The BCCI

d. The IWF

b. The UCI

4. a. The Indian Premier League e. Glasgow f. Saudi Arabia h. Bhubaneswar, Rourkela

30 Natural Disasters 1. a. Hurricane e. Hurricanes

b. Cyclones

c. The FIH

b. 16 c. 9th d. 20th g. Australia, New Zealand

c. Cyclone

d. Typhoons

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2. a. Tsunami d. Tsunami g. Tsunami k. Floods

b. Hurricane/ Cyclone/ Typhoon c. Flood e. Flood f. Hurricanes, Typhoons or Cyclones h. Tsunami i. Tsunami j. The Cyclone Mocha l. Tsunami

31 Vaccines and Immunization Drives 1. a. 1796 g. 1994 l. 2019

b. 1945 h. 1803

c. 1955 d. 1960 e. 2020 f. 1988 i. 1966-1980 j. 1980 k. 2011

2. a. Dr Edward Jenner b. Jonas Salk c. Dr Albert Sabin d. Thomas Francis, Jonas Sulk e. Dr Francisco Xavier de Balmis, Dr Jose Salvany 3. a. 24 October Programme

b. 12 c. Pulse Polio Immunization d. H1N1 Influenza e. Pfizer, BioN Tech

32 Global Indices and Rankings

1. a. The Global Peace Index b. The Global Innovation Index c. The Climate Change Performance Index 2. a. The global citizenship and residence advisory firm, Henley & partner b. The Institute for Economics and Peace c. World Intellectual Property Organisation d. The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network e. Global Firepower 3. The answers may vary; sample answer: a. Visa-free travel privileges, easy to obtain a visa on arrival b. Amount of greenhouse gases released, use of renewable energy c. Level of violence, Crime rate d. Number of Research, New technologies e. Income, Social support f. Size of military, Number of active soldiers 4. a. Singapore b. Iceland d. Finland e. USA

c. Switzerland

5. a. 86th

d. 4th

b. 8th

Answers

U24GK Book Grade 7.indb 75

c. 40th

33 Path-Breaking Films

1. a. Tom Hanks; 1994 b. Sam Worthington; 2009 c. Dev Patel; 2008 d. Hilary Swank; 2004 e. Matt Damon; 2015 2. a. Forest Gump b. Slumdog Millionaire c. Avatar d. Titanic e. Lord of the Rings. Martian g. The Social Network h. Million Dollar Baby 3. a. 6

b. 11

c. music

d. best picture

34 Indian Nobel Laureates 1. a. Physics e. Peace

b. Peace c. Literature f. Physiology/Medicine

2. a. 1930

b. 2014

c. 1913

d. Economics

d. 1998

e. 1979

f. 1968

3. a. 1901 b. Alfred Nobel c. Rabindranath Tagore d. The Raman Effect e. Har Gobind Khorana f. Rabindranath Tagore g. Kailash Satyarthi h. Mother Teresa i. C.V. Raman j. Malala Yousafzai

35 A Saving Account

1. a. safety b. savings c. an application e. PIN f. cheque book g. passbook

d. debit card h. withdraw

2. a. passport, driving license, voter card, aadhaar card b. date of birth, home address, telephone number c. A debit card, cheque book, passbook 3. The answers may vary; sample answer: A saving account keep our money safe. It allow us to withdraw money when we need it.

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Sa

About This Book Aware empowers learners with general knowledge, awareness of global developments, functional competencies and the 21st-century skills essential for life today. The book covers learning across eight key themes:

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Navigate the Rapidly Changing World

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