SOF NSO Class 3 Living and Non-Living Things
Chapter 1: Living and Non-Living Things | Class 3 / Level-1 & Level-2 NSO Pattern
30 Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) & Multiple Choice Questions
SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (1 – 30)
Q1. Which of the following animals breathes through both lungs and skin during different stages or conditions of its life cycle?
- A) Grasshopper
- B) Fish
- C) Frog
- D) Earthworm
Q2. Match the following living organisms with their respective lifespans as per the chapter text:
(i) Housefly – (p) 150 years
(ii) Dog – (q) 1 month
(iii) Giant tortoise – (r) 13 years
(iv) Pine tree – (s) 300 years
- A) (i)-q, (ii)-r, (iii)-p, (iv)-s
- B) (i)-r, (ii)-q, (iii)-p, (iv)-s
- C) (i)-q, (ii)-r, (iii)-s, (iv)-p
- D) (i)-p, (ii)-r, (iii)-q, (iv)-s
Q3. Which of the following statements correctly highlights a similarity between living and non-living things?
- A) Both reproduce their own kind to maintain their species.
- B) Both occupy space and have weight.
- C) Both react actively to light, touch, and temperature changes.
- D) Both undergo natural growth and eventual death.
Q4. Select the INCORRECT match regarding the breathing organs of animals:
- A) Fish – Gills
- B) Grasshopper – Air holes (Spiracles)
- C) Human – Lungs
- D) Mosquito – Skin and Lungs
Q5. A sensitive plant like ‘Mimosa pudica’ (Touch-me-not) folds its leaves immediately upon being touched. Which characteristic of living things does this experiment directly demonstrate?
- A) Living things need food to gain energy.
- B) Living things show response to external stimuli (movement/feeling).
- C) Living things reproduce young ones of their own kind.
- D) Living things breathe through microscopic stomata.
Q6. Read the following two statements and choose the correct option:
Statement 1: Plants depend on soil to take in water through their roots.
Statement 2: Non-living things neither require food nor water to survive.
- A) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.
- B) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are false.
- C) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
- D) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
Q7. Identify the organism that produces the largest egg in the world:
- A) Hen
- B) Parrot
- C) Ostrich
- D) Eagle
Q8. Microscopic tiny pores present on the epidermis/surface of plant leaves used for breathing/gas exchange are called:
- A) Gills
- B) Air holes
- C) Stomata
- D) Roots
Q9. Four items are listed below:
1. Car
2. Sunflower
3. Cloud
4. Robot
Which of these can move, but is STILL categorized as a NON-LIVING thing?
- A) Only 2
- B) 1, 3 and 4 only
- C) 1 and 4 only
- D) 2 and 3 only
Q10. Which of the following animals gives direct birth to babies (reproduces by giving birth) rather than laying eggs?
- A) Hen
- B) Bitch (Dog)
- C) Pigeon
- D) Turtle
Q11. According to the lifespan chart in the textbook, arrange the following living organisms in INCREASING order of their lifespans:
Marigold plant, Dog, Carp fish, Mango tree
- A) Marigold plant < Dog < Carp fish < Mango tree
- B) Dog < Marigold plant < Mango tree < Carp fish
- C) Marigold plant < Dog < Mango tree = Carp fish
- D) Marigold plant < Carp fish < Dog < Mango tree
Q12. A potted plant was kept inside a dark room for a few days and watered regularly. Its leaves turned pale and lifeless. What essential factor for living plant survival was missing?
- A) Water
- B) Oxygen
- C) Sunlight
- D) Soil nutrients
Q13. Which of the following carnivorous plants actively traps and eats insects for extra nutrition?
- A) Pine plant
- B) Venus flytrap
- C) Marigold plant
- D) Rose plant
Q14. Three students made statements about non-living things:
Rohan: Non-living things were never alive or made of non-living materials.
Sita: A wooden chair is a non-living thing made from a once-living tree.
Amit: Non-living things can breathe if electricity is provided.
Who among them made correct statements?
- A) Rohan and Sita
- B) Only Sita
- C) Sita and Amit
- D) Only Rohan
Q15. Which group contains ONLY herbivorous animals (animals that eat only plants/plant parts)?
- A) Cow, Rabbit, Goat
- B) Lion, Tiger, Jackal
- C) Bear, Squirrel, Crow
- D) Tiger, Cow, Rabbit
Q16. Which of the following is an omnivorous animal (eats both plant products and flesh of other animals)?
- A) Cow
- B) Bear
- C) Lion
- D) Tiger
Q17. Why do animals move from one place to another?
- A) In search of food
- B) In search of shelter and protection
- C) In search of water
- D) All of the above
Q18. A seed planted in soil develops into a baby plant (seedling). This process proves that:
- A) Plants move from place to place
- B) Plants reproduce and grow
- C) Plants breathe through lungs
- D) Seeds are non-living forever
Q19. Which feature is unique to non-living things when compared to living things?
- A) They can occupy physical space.
- B) They have weight/mass.
- C) They do not have a natural lifespan and do not undergo natural death.
- D) They can be affected by weather conditions like heat or cold.
Q20. Sunflower turns its face toward the Sun throughout the day. This is an example of:
- A) Reproduction in plants
- B) Movement in response to light in plants
- C) Excretion of plant waste
- D) Breathing through stomata
Q21. Look at the list: [Elephant, Pine Tree, Housefly, Marigold]. Which of these has the SHORTEST lifespan?
- A) Pine Tree
- B) Elephant
- C) Marigold
- D) Housefly
Q22. Look at the list: [Elephant, Pine Tree, Housefly, Marigold]. Which of these has the LONGEST lifespan?
- A) Pine Tree (300 years)
- B) Elephant (35 years)
- C) Giant Tortoise (150 years)
- D) Mango Tree (100 years)
Q23. An empty plastic bottle and a heavy stone are both kept outdoors. Rain and wind affect both over time. This proves that:
- A) Plastic bottle is living while stone is non-living.
- B) Both living and non-living things are affected by climatic conditions.
- C) Non-living things can grow larger when exposed to rain.
- D) Stone can reproduce smaller stones.
Q24. In the ‘Tickle Your Brain’ section, why do wooden doors and windows swell during rainy seasons?
- A) Wood is a living thing and grows during rain.
- B) Wood absorbs moisture/water from humid air causing it to expand.
- C) Wood breathes oxygen rapidly in winter.
- D) Rain water adds extra non-living seeds to wood.
Q25. Fill in the blank: ‘Herbs live for ________, while trees live for ________.’
- A) a few months; many years
- B) hundreds of years; a few days
- C) 1 month; 5 months
- D) 150 years; 300 years
Q26. [Achievers Section / HOTS] Read the statements below:
X is an organism that breathes through gills when young and through lungs/skin as an adult.
Y is an organism that has microscopic stomata on its body surface.
Z is an animal that breathes through air holes along its body.
Identify X, Y, and Z correctly.
- A) X = Frog, Y = Plant leaf, Z = Grasshopper
- B) X = Fish, Y = Frog, Z = Cow
- C) X = Grasshopper, Y = Pine tree, Z = Fish
- D) X = Frog, Y = Dog, Z = Mosquito
Q27. [Achievers Section / HOTS] Unscramble the letters to find the breathing organ of a fish: ‘I G L S L’
- A) LUNGS
- B) GILLS
- C) STOMATA
- D) HOLES
Q28. [Achievers Section / HOTS] Which of the following Venn diagrams correctly represents the classification of living things based on food habits?
P: Carnivore (Lion)
Q: Herbivore (Cow)
R: Omnivore (Human/Bear)
- A) Lion eats plants only, Cow eats meat, Human eats air.
- B) Cow eats plants, Lion eats meat, Human eats both plants and animals.
- C) Human eats only sunlight, Lion eats plants, Cow eats meat.
- D) All animals prepare their own food using stomata.
Q29. [Achievers Section / HOTS] Examine the classification table:
Group 1: Dog, Elephant, Human
Group 2: Hen, Pigeon, Snake
What is the correct principle of grouping used here?
- A) Group 1 breathes through gills; Group 2 breathes through lungs.
- B) Group 1 gives birth to young ones; Group 2 lays eggs.
- C) Group 1 contains non-living things; Group 2 contains living things.
- D) Group 1 cannot move; Group 2 moves from place to place.
Q30. [Achievers Section / HOTS] Which of the following statements is FALSE about living and non-living things?
- A) Plants are living things because they grow, reproduce, and breathe.
- B) Non-living things can be natural (like rocks and hills) or man-made (like cars and tables).
- C) All living things have the exact same lifespan of 100 years.
- D) Non-living things cannot produce young ones.
SECTION B: ANSWER KEY & DETAILED EXPLANATIONS
| Q. No. | Correct Answer | Q. No. | Correct Answer |
| Q1 | C) | Q16 | B) |
| Q2 | A) | Q17 | D) |
| Q3 | B) | Q18 | B) |
| Q4 | D) | Q19 | C) |
| Q5 | B) | Q20 | B) |
| Q6 | A) | Q21 | D) |
| Q7 | C) | Q22 | A) |
| Q8 | C) | Q23 | B) |
| Q9 | B) | Q24 | B) |
| Q10 | B) | Q25 | A) |
| Q11 | C) | Q26 | A) |
| Q12 | C) | Q27 | B) |
| Q13 | B) | Q28 | B) |
| Q14 | A) | Q29 | B) |
| Q15 | A) | Q30 | C) |
Detailed Explanations:
Q1: Correct Answer: C) Frog
Explanation: According to the textbook chapter (‘Let’s Know More’), frogs breathe through both skin and lungs.
Q2: Correct Answer: A) (i)-q, (ii)-r, (iii)-p, (iv)-s
Explanation: Lifespans from textbook: Housefly = 1 month, Dog = 13 years, Giant tortoise = 150 years, Pine tree = 300 years.
Q3: Correct Answer: B) Both occupy space and have weight.
Explanation: The chapter highlights that living and non-living things share similarities like occupying space, having mass/weight, and being affected by climatic conditions.
Q4: Correct Answer: D) Mosquito – Skin and Lungs
Explanation: Insects like grasshoppers and mosquitoes breathe through air holes along the sides of their body, not lungs.
Q5: Correct Answer: B) Living things show response to external stimuli (movement/feeling).
Explanation: The touch-me-not plant responds to touch by folding its leaves, showing sensitivity and movement.
Q6: Correct Answer: A) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.
Explanation: Plants take in water through roots from soil (true) and non-living things do not need food/water (true).
Q7: Correct Answer: C) Ostrich
Explanation: As stated in ‘Let’s Know More’, the largest egg in the world belongs to the ostrich.
Q8: Correct Answer: C) Stomata
Explanation: The chapter defines stomata as tiny microscopic pores on leaves through which plants breathe.
Q9: Correct Answer: B) 1, 3 and 4 only
Explanation: Cars, clouds, and robots can move, but they require engines/fuel/wind and lack other living traits (reproduction, growth, breathing).
Q10: Correct Answer: B) Bitch (Dog)
Explanation: Dogs give birth to puppies, whereas hens, pigeons, and turtles lay eggs.
Q11: Correct Answer: C) Marigold plant < Dog < Mango tree = Carp fish
Explanation: Lifespans: Marigold (5 months) < Dog (13 years) < Carp fish (100 years) = Mango tree (100 years).
Q12: Correct Answer: C) Sunlight
Explanation: Plants need sunlight to prepare food and remain healthy and green.
Q13: Correct Answer: B) Venus flytrap
Explanation: ‘Let’s Know More’ notes Venus flytrap as an example of a carnivorous plant trapping prey.
Q14: Correct Answer: A) Rohan and Sita
Explanation: Non-living objects don’t breathe. Sita and Rohan correctly describe non-living nature/origin.
Q15: Correct Answer: A) Cow, Rabbit, Goat
Explanation: Textbook specifies cows, rabbits, and goats as plant-eating animals (herbivores).
Q16: Correct Answer: B) Bear
Explanation: Bears and squirrels are listed in the chapter as animals eating both plants and animals.
Q17: Correct Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Animals move from place to place in search of food, water, and shelter.
Q18: Correct Answer: B) Plants reproduce and grow
Explanation: Seeds grow into young plants, demonstrating reproduction and growth in living things.
Q19: Correct Answer: C) They do not have a natural lifespan and do not undergo natural death.
Explanation: Non-living things cannot die because they were never alive; they lack natural lifespans.
Q20: Correct Answer: B) Movement in response to light in plants
Explanation: Sunflower moving towards sunlight demonstrates plant movement in response to light.
Q21: Correct Answer: D) Housefly
Explanation: Housefly lifespan = 1 month, which is the shortest among all listed organisms.
Q22: Correct Answer: A) Pine Tree (300 years)
Explanation: Pine tree has an approximate lifespan of 300 years according to the chapter chart.
Q23: Correct Answer: B) Both living and non-living things are affected by climatic conditions.
Explanation: Climatic conditions like rain, cold, and heat affect both living and non-living things.
Q24: Correct Answer: B) Wood absorbs moisture/water from humid air causing it to expand.
Explanation: Wood absorbs moisture from humid air during monsoon/rainy weather, causing swelling.
Q25: Correct Answer: A) a few months; many years
Explanation: Chapter text: ‘Herbs live for a few months, while trees live for many years.’
Q26: Correct Answer: A) X = Frog, Y = Plant leaf, Z = Grasshopper
Explanation: Frog (X) breathes through gills/skin/lungs, Plant leaves (Y) have stomata, Grasshopper (Z) has air holes.
Q27: Correct Answer: B) GILLS
Explanation: ‘I G L S L’ unscrambles to GILLS, which fishes use to absorb oxygen from water.
Q28: Correct Answer: B) Cow eats plants, Lion eats meat, Human eats both plants and animals.
Explanation: Cow is herbivore, Lion is carnivore, Human/Bear is omnivore.
Q29: Correct Answer: B) Group 1 gives birth to young ones; Group 2 lays eggs.
Explanation: Group 1 (mammals/humans) give birth to babies; Group 2 (birds/reptiles) reproduce by laying eggs.
Q30: Correct Answer: C) All living things have the exact same lifespan of 100 years.
Explanation: Different living things have different lifespans (e.g., housefly = 1 month, pine tree = 300 years).