Question

Sacred trees form an important part of the ecological heritage of India. Most temples, towns, villages- and sometimes even Muslim Dargahs- are associated trees. Some plants are sacred to the individual deity, others are sacred to the place. Several plants have been worshipped in India from time immemorial. Wherever the tulsi grows- from the Indo-Gangetic plains to the shores of the Indian Ocean at Kanyakumari- it occupies a position of pride in the central courtyard of the house, tended to, carefully, by the housewife.
Apart from the elaborate myths, connecting it to Krishna, the tulsi plant has several medicinal properties.
To protect and revere this plant with so many medicinal properties, it was designated as sacred, a fitting tribute to its role in providing invaluable healthcare. The worship of plants is an ancient phenomenon in India. It is probably the oldest form of worship. The association of a single tree with a sacred sthala or sthana is reflected in the chaitya vriksha and sthala vriksha or literature and society.
When people turned to food production, the Mother Goddess or the Earth Mother became the chief deity. Fertility, creation, and the world of plants and animals became her blessings to her devotees. The worship of the tree was the adoration of her creative abilities, symbolising fertility so essential or the survival of the early people. Spirits-good or bad-were believed to reside in trees. If the trees were worshipped, then the resident spirits were pleased. As sacred forests were replaced by agriculture, a single tree was left and was designated as ‘sacred’ tree.
The earliest temples were little more than images placed under trees. Later, the tree and the image were enclosed by a fence made of wood, followed even by stone. Numerous references are made in literature to trees as abodes of gods.
QUESTIONS: (1x10=10)



1. . Which of these form an important part of the ecological heritage of India?.

Sacred trees

Kanyakumari

Indo-Gangetic plains

Mother Goddess


2.People worship trees as an admiration of their:

fertility ability

creative ability

Both (a) & (b)

Neither (a) nor (b)


3. Which of the features are apt about the tree in the following context: “It was designated as sacred, a fitting tribute to its role.”?

Medicinal

Nature’s finest

Organic

All of these


4._________ is associated with several medicinal properties.

Chaitya vriksha

Sthala variksha

Tulsi plant

Sacred tree


5.The author of the passage attempts to __________ the readers through this write- up

enlighten

battle

warn

confuse


6. The most important things given by mother Earth to us are:

air and fire

creative abilities

plants and animals

spirits


7. All trees except one were felled down by early people for:

their shelter

agriculture

earning money

fuel


8. What were the sacred forests replaced by?

temples

shelter

agriculture

none of these


9. What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?

Mother Goddess is the
protector of mankind

Spirit reside in trees

Trees are regarded as
abodes of gods

Tulsi plant has several medicinal benefits


10. Choose the option that correctly states the antonym of ‘barren’, as used in the passage.

production

fertility

adoration

creation​

Answer 1

Answer: 1 Sacred trees

2 Both a and b

3 All of these

4 Tulsi Plant

5 Enlighten

6 Plants and animals

7 Agriculture

8 Agriculture

9 Trees are regarded as abodes of Gods

10 Fertility

Explanation:

Answer 2

give mcq correct answer