An Alien Hand - Solutions
CBSE Class–7 English
NCERT solution
An Alien Chapter - 10
An Alien Hand
Page No: 69
Comprehension Check
1. How does Tilloo manage to find his way to the ‘forbidden passage’?
Ans: Tilloo was very inquisitive to know what was so dangerous in the place where his father worked. When Tilloo’s father was enjoying a siesta at home, he managed to get hold of his security card and by evading his watchful mother’s eye, Tilloo made his way to the forbidden passage.
2. What did Tilloo hope to see once he emerged from his underground home?
Ans: Tilloo hoped to see the sun if it was day or the stars if it was night once he emerged from his underground home.
3. Why did Tilloo’s father advise him not to try to reach the surface of the planet?
Ans: Tilloo`s father was not angry or upset with his son`s inquisitiveness. Instead he advised Tilloo not to try to reach the surface of the planet because an ordinary person could not survive there. The air was too thin to breathe and temperature was so low that one could freeze to death. Some special kind of clothing was necessary to survive in the planet which had very less air and freezing temperatures.
4. What changes had occurred, which forced people to live in underground homes?
Ans: The environment in which man lived gradually undrwent a change. Due to these changes the temperatures rose very high. The sun`s heat was unbearable but man could sustain it due to innovations in technology. He sought newer means to make life comfortable. However, the change was sufficient to upset the balance of nature. Fish, birds and animals could`nt bear it and became extinct. This forced people to live in underground homes.
Page No: 71
Comprehension Check
1. Why was everyone in the Control Room greatly excited?
Ans: Everyone in the Control Room was greatly excited because the big TV Screen showed a dot in clear background which was heading towards the planet.
2. Was the spacecraft manned or unmanned? How do you know it?
Ans: The spacecraft was unmanned because number one reported to the president that they do not contain living beings, they only have instruments.
3. What did Number One and Number Two suggest should be done about the alien spacecraft?
Ans: Number One suggested that they should wait for the spacecraft to land and then render it ineffective anytime it is required. But Number Two suggested that we should not interfere and observe passively and not to reveal their existence by rendering the spacecraft ineffective.
Page No: 71
Comprehension Check
1.(i) What do you think the mechanical hand was trying to do?
Ans: The mechanical hand was trying to collect the sample of the soil from the planet for the examination.
(ii) Tilloo pressed the red button and “the damage was done”. What was the damage?
Ans: The damage was that the mechanical hand from the spacecraft ceased to work.
2. Where had the spacecraft come from?
Ans: The spacecraft had come from the Earth.
3. On which planet do Tilloo and his parents live?
Ans: Tilloo and his parents live on mars.
Page No: 73
Exercises
Discuss the following topics in groups.
1. If you had to live in a home like Tilloo’s, what parts of life would you find most difficult? What compensations might there be?
Ans: The part of life I found most difficult is the freedom and open space. It will be like living in a cell far away from open space. There was no sightseeing, social life and interactions with the nature. I would want peace safety, freedom and a fearless place as compensations to live in. As all of us would be living in such underground buildings, people must collaborate with each other nicely.
2. What, if anything, might drive mankind to make their homes underground?
Ans: Global warming,depletion of air and water, climatic changes, lack of natural resources to fulfil man`s basic needs may destroy the life on the surface of the Earth and drive mankind to make their homes underground.
3. Do you think there is life on other planets? Can you guess what kind of people there may be on them? In what ways are they likely to be different from us?
Ans: Yes life on other planets is possible. Traces of water have been found on the satellite of Saturn and evidences of life on Mars has been found in Mars in the past and present. Large quantites of underground ice have been seen on Mars which proves it was inhabited in the earlier times.
