Class 5 SST chapter 13 question answer - Passing Knowledge

Points to Remember :

+ The early human beings passed the gained knowledge to the next generation orally as the art of writing had not yet been developed.
+ The script based on pictorial symbols is known as pictorial script.
The script based on pictures and symbols is called hieroglyphics.
+ Devanagari script is phonetic. Sanskrit, Hindi etc. are written in this script.
+ The number system 0-9, the decimal system and zero were invented in India.
+ Ancient Indians used barks of trees and palm leaves to write on.
+ The handwritten books and other writings are called manuscripts.
+ Some 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians used to make paper from the reeds of papyrus plants.
+ Printing was first invented in China some 1,500 years ago, but its process was quite difficult.
+ The first popular printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg of Germany. The Bible was the first book that was printed on this press.
+ The printing press made it possible to print a large number of books in a short time. The cost of books reduced drastically because of the printing press.

Tick (✔) the correct answer

1. To which age does the oldest script discovered in India belong?
a. Harappan[✓] b. Sumerian c. Mayan
2. The Brahmi script that developed in India is a -
a. phonetic script b. pictorial script[✓] c. none of these
3. The Egyptian script is an example of -
a. calligraphic script b. hieroglyphic script[✓] c. none of these
4. In Sanskrit, 'zero' is called -
a. Cipher b. Hyphen c. shunya[✓]
5. The decimal system originated in -
a. India[✓] b. China c. Greece

Fill in the blanks

1. The concept of zero originated in India.
2. Earlier, only rich people could afford to buy handwritten books.
3. Hindi and Sanskrit are written in Devanagari script.
4. Korean and Japanese are pictorial languages.
5. A Chinese man named Cai Lun invented paper, as we get in its present form.

Short Answer Questions

1) In ancient India, how was knowledge of the Vedas imparted to the pupils?

In ancient India, knowledge of the Vedas was Imparted to the pupils orally by their gurus in the ashrams.

2) From which African plant did paper get its name ?

The African plant from which paper got its name, Papyrus.

3) What are manuscripts ?

The handwritten books, whether on paper or on the bark of trees and palm leaves are called manuscripts.

4. How did ancient Egyptians make paper?

The ancient Egyptians made paper from reeds of an African plant called papyrus. The stem of the papyrus were cut into long strips and laid side by side, their edges overlapping slightly. The other strips were placed across them. They were then stuck together with wheat flour paste. The sheets were rolled flat and dried in the sun, This was how Egyptians made paper.

5. Who invented the first popular printing press and where?

Johannes Gutenberg invented the first popular printing press in Germany (1443 A.D).

Answer the following questions

1. How did the invention, development of different scripts and writing change the world?

Development of different scripts and writing changed the world for the better. New ideas would be spread accurately to far off places. It also became possible to maintain records. All these inventions have helped to make people literate.

2. Write three sentences about Brahmi Script.

Brahmi Script :
i) It is one of the oldest writing system in the world.
ⅱ) It was developed in India some 2000 years ago.
iii) In this script, letters have been created to represent different sounds.

3) What do you know about the development of symbol and picture based scripts ?

Development of symbol and picture bases scripts can be traced back to the early times, when the early human beings used to draw pictures or symbols to convey their thoughts and messages. As time passed the pictures and the symbols came to be used as certain objects.

Example - a picture like this '' became the symbol of a man, or a picture like this became the symbol of a horse etc.

4) How do we make paper today? How does it harm the trees ?

Nowadays, wood pulp is used to make paper. Modern Paper is made in two steps..

i) Cellulose fibres are extracted from a variety of sources and converted to pulp.
ⅱ) Pulp is combined with water and placed on a paper making machine where it is flattened, dried and cut into sheets and rolls.

To get wood, we need to cut the trees. Every year a large number of trees are cut to meet the increasing demand of paper. This is how it harms the trees.

5) How did the invention of the first printing press help us ?

The invention of the first printing press helped us a lot. Now more copies of a book could be printed in less time and at a lower cost. Even common people can buy and read them. It has also helped to preserve knowledge and pass it to future generations.