NCERT Solutions for Class 5th English Chapter 6 A. Answer the following questions — Let us Think
Book page 68 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
What do we use a water tank for?
Answer
We use a water tank to store water, so that we have water ready when we need it.
The passage shows this in three places:
The huge old structures “did not just store water but also protected cities from floods, provided drinking water, and brought people together.”
The Tankas of Rajasthan “are underground tanks that can store enough water for six to seven months.”
The tanks in our homes today “store hundreds and even thousands of litres of water.”
So a water tank has more than one use. It keeps drinking water. It keeps water for cooking, bathing and washing. It keeps water for farming. And a big old tank even saved a city from floods, because the extra rainwater ran into it instead of into the streets.
Why we need to store water at all: Rain does not fall all through the year. In the Thar region it may rain for only a few days. If that water is not caught and kept, it flows away or dries up. A tank catches it and holds it for the months when there is no rain.
Q2.
Where is Punjab located on the map of India?
Answer
Punjab is in the north-western part of India.
The passage says it plainly: “Punjab is a state in the northwestern part of India.”
Look at the map of India in your class. Find the top of the map — that is north. Now move a little to the left — that is west. Punjab sits in that top-left corner of our country.
Did you know? The passage also tells us Punjab is “rich in culture and heritage”. Culture means the way its people live — their food, songs and festivals. Heritage means what has been handed down to them from long ago.
Q3.
How are the water tanks in Punjab made?
Answer
They are made of cement, in three steps. The passage gives the steps one after another:
Step 1 — the frame. “The frame of the water tank is made using steel rods.” The steel rods are bent into the shape the family wants — a football, a rooster, a tractor.
Step 2 — the shape. “Later, concrete is used to give it final shape.” Concrete is a hard mixture of cement, sand, small stones and water. It is poured over the steel frame and left to harden.
Step 3 — the fixing. “Then it is installed on the roof of the house.” Installed means put in its place and fixed there.
The finished tank is unique — no other house has one exactly like it — and it can hold hundreds of litres of water.
Why steel first and concrete after: Concrete alone would crack and break. The steel rods inside hold it together, just as the bones inside your body hold you up. So the steel gives strength and the concrete gives shape.
Q4.
How do the unique shapes of water tanks reflect the identity of the house owners?
Answer
The shape of the tank tells you what the family does or what they love. The passage says it in one line: “Every tank tells us something about the people of the house.”
The passage gives two clear examples:
If the owner of the house is a farmer, his water tank may be shaped like a tractor, a bullock cart or even a rooster — the things of his farm.
If the owner likes football, his water tank may be shaped like a football.
So the tank works like a signboard on the roof. A person walking down the village lane can look up and guess something true about the family living below — without knocking on the door.
What “identity” means here: Your identity is what makes you you — your work, your family, the things you care about. These tanks put that up on the roof for everyone to see. That is why the chapter calls them “the heart of the communities in rural Punjab.”
Think about it: If your own family put a tank like this on your roof, what shape would it be? Whatever you choose will say something about you.