Class 7 English An Alien Hand Question Answers - Long Question Answer: An Alien Hand

Q1: What did Tilloo’s father see when he went to work the next day?
Ans: When the next day Tilloo’s father went to work, he saw that the Control Room was filled with excited people. They all were looking at the big TV screen which showed a dot in an otherwise clear background. The Supervisor of the last shift explained to them that it is not a star as the thing is changing its position. The thing is heading towards their planet. They thought it could be a spacecraft. However, they thought about how it could be possible as their planet was only known to have lived in the solar system.

Q2: What was everybody’s reaction to knowing the truth about the “thing”?
Ans: Everybody in the conference room of the Central Bureau went quiet as if no one was there. Everybody knew that the President was going to make some announcement. And as they thought, it happened. The President tells them that he will give them a report as soon as he has it about the two spacecraft approaching them. One was nearly orbiting their planet and the other was far away, they are from neighbouring planets. So, how should the committee react?.

Q3: “... The mechanical hand is working again, thanks to the efforts of our technicians. Soil samples are being collected and examined… Soon we will know the answer to the question of whether there is life on Mars.” Why was this announcement made by NASA? Did the technician really sort out the problem? Did the Viking Mission find signs of life on Mars?
Ans: This announcement was made as soon as the mechanical hand of the Viking 1 started working and it started digging the surface of the mars to get some soil. No, the technicians of NASA didn’t solve the problem. The problem was solved automatically when Tilloo’s father observed that Tilloo had pushed the red button that stopped the running of the mars and he restored the red button to its neutral position. No, the Viking mission did not find the signs of life on Mars as the soil of mass doesn’t provide any evidence of so.

Q4: How did Tilloo’s father know that it was a spacecraft?
Ans: Tilloo’s father recalled the ancient days documented in the archives at the Central Bureau when their ancestors had a well-developed space program and had explored the solar system with manned and unmanned spacecraft. He concluded that they were indeed alone. But who could be these strangers approaching them in an era of energy shortage and underground life, where there was no space program. They could only be looked over from their vantage point.

Q5: Why was the press conference at NASA told that the Mechanical hand had developed a malfunction?
Ans: When the lander of the Viking 1 reached the surface of the mars, all of the people on mars hid as they did not want to tell others that life exists there. They were all watching the spaceship from the control room, where Tilloo was also transported, to see what it was up to. The mechanical hand that Viking 1 had stopped functioning after Tilloo pressed the red button of the control room ceased all the technical activities happening on the planet.

Q6: Why did Tilloo’s father advise him not to try to reach the surface of the planet?
Ans: Tilloo’s father advised him not to reach the surface of the planet as an ordinary person could not survive there. The reason for this was that the air at the surface was too thin to breathe and the temperature was so low that one could freeze to death.

Q7: Why was everyone in the control room greatly excited?
Ans: Everyone in the control room was greatly excited as they had spotted a dot in an otherwise clear background on the big TV screen. They thought it was a spacecraft but decided that it required watching.

Q8: ‘Do we need to save our natural resources’? Give your opinion.
Ans: Natural Resources are bountiful around us. We, however, are negligent in using judiciously. As the story suggests that once people of Mars, lived on the surface of the planet were forced to live in underground habitat. When the sun turned hostile and the nature was exploited beyond limits, life of birds, animals, fishes ended. Humans however, managed to survive in cramped structures. But they could live on. technical advancement. Therefore, one should live the life honoring each and every resource and altogether saving it for coming generations.

Q9: 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 for away from open space, “there were no sightseeing. Social life and interactions with nature. The compensation can be peace, harmony safety and security. As all of us were living in the same under grounded buildings, the people must collaborated with each other nicely.

Q10: What did Number one and number two suggest should be done about the alien spacecraft?
Ans: The number one was in charge of defence. He suggested that they should wait till the craft landed on the surface. Then they could easily make it ineffective number Two also suggested they should wait and watch. It would be unwise to reveal their existence by attacking the spacecraft.

Q11: What changes had occurred. Which forced people to live in underground homes?
Ans: The sun which had provided the sustenance turned hostile. It changed only slightly but the change was sufficient to upset the balance of nature which force people to live in underground homes. Fish, birds and animals couldn’t bear it and became extinct.

Q12: What was recorded in the archives at the Central Bureau?
Ans: The archive at the Central Bureau had the records of well developed space programmes that had searched the solar system with manned and unmanned spacecraft establishing the facts that they were alone in the solar system.

Q13: Do you think Tilloo should have listened and obeyed his elders. Give your opinion in support of your answer.
Ans: Tilloo entered the security passage posing a threat to ongoing research. The security staff brought him home. His father told him not to do that again because it was difficult to survive on the surface of Mars. Second nuisance was created when he pushed the red button. His existence would have been revealed. It also damaged mechanical hand which was repaired later. He should have obeyed his parent’s advice.

Q14: What, is anything, might drive mankind to make their homes underground?
Ans: If the sun grows cold, life on earth would be in danger of extinction, the temperature will go below freezing point. People will be forced to live underground with assured supply of oxygen, light and heat.