Class 10 English Chapter 9 Question Answers - The Book that saved the Earth

Short Answer Type
Q1: What was Oop’s opinion about the ‘sandwiches’ he had eaten?
Ans: Oop was forced to eat ‘sandwiches’ and he made terrible faces while chewing. He said that it was not delicious; rather as dry as Martian dust. He remarked that he could not understand how the Earthlings could get those ‘sandwiches’ down without water.

Q2: What was Noodle’s version to describe the so-called ‘sandwich’?
Ans: Noodle hesitantly told Think-Tank that he had ‘insignificant’ information about those ‘sandwiches’. He informed him that he had seen surveyor films of those sandwiches. He had noticed that the Earthlings did not eat them. They used them as some sort of communication devices.

Q3: Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book?
Ans: The twentieth century was often called the Era of the book as there were books about everything. Books taught people how, when, where, and why of everything. They illustrated, educated, punctuated, and even decorated.

Q4: How Does Think-Tank compare the Martians with the people on Earth? What does he call the Earth mockingly?
Ans: Think-Tank considers earth ‘ a ridiculous little planet’ ariel intends to put it under his generous rulership. He feels the earth is actually an unimportant place where ugly earthlings, with their tiny heads, reside. He believes the Martians to be a superior race. He mockingly calls the earth ‘Primitive ball of mud’.

Q5: What saved the Earth? How?
Ans: One dusty old book of nursery rhymes saved the earth from a Martian invasion. The Martian could not decipher the meaning of nursery rhymes. Their misinterpretation made the situation comical. They began to believe that the Earthlings had advance technology and were planning to invade the Mars. They called off their mission and even left the Mars isolated to escape to a far-off planet.

Q6: What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on Earth?
Ans: Think Tank first of all announced that the books found on the Earth were sandwiches and to confirm it he forced Oop to eat them. Later on Noodle shared his observation and he declared that he was about to say the same thing. Now he announced that those books were a sort of communication devices.

Q7: Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?
Ans: Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank very meticulously. He never disagrees with his opinion but he does not miss any opportunity to put forward his suggestions no matter even if he does it hesitantly. He always shows admiration to Think-Tank’s intelligence. He never puts himself into the conflicting ideas from his boss.

Q8: How did the book change Think-Tank’s opinion about the Earthlings?
Ans: Think-Tank used to believe that the Martian was a superior race to the Earthlings. But after cracking the so-called code of an old nursery rhyme book, he changed his view about the Earthlings. He now thought that the Earthlings has reached a high level of civilization and planning to invade the Mars. It made him call off his mission.

Q9: What does Think-Tank infer on listening to the nursery rhyme, ‘Hey diddle diddle ….’?
Ans: On listening to the nursery rhyme, ‘Hey diddle diddle…’, Think – Tank inferred that the Earthlings had reached a high level of civilization. It was alarming that they had taught their domesticated animals musical cultures and space technique. He announced that even their dogs had a sense of humour.’ He believed that the Earthlings could launch an interplanetary attack of millions of cows any time soon.

Q10: What does Noodle tell Think-Tank about the books?
Ans: Noodle hesitantly informs Think-Tank that the books were a sort of communication device. He told that he had seen surveyor films of those ‘sandwiches’. He had noticed that the Earthlings did not eat them. They used them as sort of communication device.

Long Answer Type
Q11: Half knowledge is dangerous. It never helps to achieve success. Discuss how incomplete knowledge can lead to disaster in reference to the lesson “The Book That Saved the Earth’.
Ans: It is a fact that incomplete knowledge can lead to disaster. Suppose we sit to work on a satellite and able to command only half of the instructions. In that case things would fail and cause disaster. Half knowledge is dangerous and never helps to achieve success. If we are able to apply knowledge fully to any kind of task, we can have self contentment.
We read in the lesson “The Book That Saved the Earth” that the Martians had to suffer. They had the mission to invade the earth but due to incomplete knowledge they misinterpreted the nursery rhyme book.

Q12: Rushing to conclusion without going into details may lead to chaos and failure. Elaborate this with reference to the Martian invasion in the chapter ‘ The Book That Saved the Earth’.
Ans: The Martians were very proud of themselves. Great and mighty Think-Thank regarded as the ruler of Mars was always caught in self praise. He had a quick mind and wishes to attack the earth in a great hurry. Martians misinterpreted the signals received from earthlings book of nursery rhymes and fled away. If they had planned the things decisively things would have been different. In any kind of situation rash decisions would never give results. It is only through knowledge, perseverence.

Q13: It is morally incorrect to invade another country/ planet for one’s own benefit. The Martians did not understand the value of peaceful coexistence. How did the book of nursery rhyme save the Earth from the Martian invasion?
Ans: Great and Mighty Think-Tank believed that the Martians were a superior race so they must invade and put the earth under his generous rulership. He scornfully called the Earth ‘primitive ball of mud’. The Martians did not understand the value of peaceful coexistence and sent a mission to invade the earth. The crew landed in a library and could not make out what the books actually were. It was believed – that the books were a sort of communications device.
Think-Tank asked the member to decipher the code of the ‘sandwiches’. The nursery rhymes were totally misinterpreted and it was believed that the Earthlings had developed an advance civilization and were planning to invade the Mars. The mission was called off and the Martians escaped to a remote place to save their lives. Thus the books saved the earth.

Q14: How do the three nursery rhymes frighten Think-Tank in the play, ‘The Book That Saved the Earth’?
Ans: The rhyme ‘Mistress Mary, quite contrary makes Think-Tank believe that the Earthlings have discovered how to combine agriculture and mining. He thinks that they can grow explosives. The rhyme ‘Hey diddle diddle’, makes him conclude that the Earthlings have reached a high level of civilization: even their animals have musical culture and know space techniques.
He fears that at that very moment, the Earthlings might be launching an interplanetary attack of millions of cows. Oop reads the rhyme. ‘Humpty Dumpty’ and shows him a picture of Humpty Dumpty. Think-Tank concludes that it is his picture and the Earthlings are planning to invade Mars.

Q15: How did one old book of nursery rhymes save the world from a Martian invasion?
OR
Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty first century and what saved it?
Ans: The Martians sent a mission to invade the earth. The crew landed in a library and could not make out what the books actually were. It was believed that the books were a sort of communication device. Think-Tank asked the members to decipher the code of the ‘sandwiches’. The nursery rhymes were totally misinterpreted and it was believed that the Earthlings had developed an advance civilization and mission was called off and the Martians escaped to a remote place to save their lives. Thus the books saved the Earth.

Q16: What is Think-Tank’s opinion about the Earth?
Ans: Think-Tank called the Earth a ridiculous little planet and showed his wish to put it under his generous rulership. The planet Earth was insignificant to him. He believed that the Martians were the most handsome race. He referred to the people of the Earth as Earthlings and mocked their tiny heads.
He showed his desire to invade ‘primitive ball of mud’ called Earth before lunch. But after misinterpreting the book of nursery rhymes he began to believe that the earthlings had developed a more advanced civilization and were even planning to invade the Mars.

Q17: Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?
Ans: Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank, but at the same time, he very cleverly tries to correct his mistakes also. Whenever Noodle had to say something contrary to what Think-Tank said, he would present his thoughts by referring to them as being of no particular importance. In this way he would correct Think- Tank’s errors without making him feel that he was being corrected. Noodle appears to be quite an expert in handling these kind of people.

Q18: If you were in Noodle’s place, how would you handle Think-Tank’s mistakes?
Ans: If I were in Noodle’s place, I would have handled Think-Tank’s mistakes the same way as Noodle does, politely and courteously.

Q19: Do you think books are being replaced by the electronic media? Can we do away with books altogether?
Ans: In a way, yes, we can say that books are being replaced by the electronic media. Most of the children no longer read story books and prefer to watch television and Rufe internet. Although textbooks are still there but they may soon be replaced by electronic vesion. Books have their own utility value because one can read a book at his own pace and a book does not need to be powered by electricity. But as the technology is advancing and newer versions of it are being discovered every day, a time may come when books will become a thing of the past.

Q20: Why are books referred to as a man’s best companion? Which is your favorite book and why? Write a paragraph about that book.
Ans: Books are known to be as man’s best companion. They can make us mentally strong, improve our vocabulary and enhance the horizon of our knowledge. Books can be our guide and best friend. I love to read books, especially the ones that have children as their main characters and the story highlights their psychology and how innocent the children could be.