Q1. [1] § SOIL AS A RESOURCE
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option :
Column I (Type of Soil): a. Alluvial soil; b. Black soil; c. Laterite soil; d. Arid soil
Column II (Characteristic): i. Sandy in texture and saline in nature; ii. Very fertile, containing potash, phosphorus and lime; iii. Made from lava parent rocks, suitable for cotton cultivation; iv. Decrease in humus content in semi-arid environment
- (A) a-ii, b-iii, c-i, d-iv
- (B) a-iii, b-ii, c-iv, d-i
- (C) a-ii, b-iii, c-iv, d-i
- (D) a-iii, b-ii, c-i, d-iv
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 32/3/1 Q11
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:04 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(C) a-ii, b-iii, c-iv, d-i
Alluvial soil contains potash, phosphorus and lime (ii); Black soil is made from lava/Deccan trap, suitable for cotton (iii); Laterite soil has decreased humus in semi-arid environment (iv); Arid soil is sandy and saline (i).
Explanation
Match each soil type with its most distinctive characteristic from the textbook. The key distinguisher for laterite is "humus poor in semi-arid environment" (not sandy/saline — that's arid). Arid = sandy + saline. Black soil = lava (Deccan trap) + cotton. Alluvial = potash, phosphoric acid, lime = fertile. Option C is the only one with all four correct pairs.
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