AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Resources are not free gifts of nature; they are a function of human activities. Human beings transform materials in the environment into resources using technology and institutions, which directly explains why resources depend on human activities.
The textbook explicitly states: "Resources are a function of human activities. Human beings themselves are essential components of resources. They transform material available in our environment into resources." The Reason (R) directly explains the Assertion (A) — it tells us why resources are not free gifts of nature. So both statements are true and R correctly explains A. Option (A) is the answer.