Class 10 English Chapter 9 Previous Year Questions - The Book that saved the Earth

Ans: In "The Book That Saved the Earth," a nursery rhyme book, Mother Goose, saves Earth when Martians misinterpret its rhymes as threats, prompting their retreat. This highlights books' enduring power to influence, contrasting with the decline in reading due to electronic media’s dominance.

Ans: Think-Tank misinterprets nursery rhymes in Mother Goose as threats due to his arrogance and lack of cultural understanding. He perceives “Humpty Dumpty” as a plan to destroy Mars’ moons, interpreting the egg’s fall as a strategic attack. “Hey Diddle Diddle” is seen as Earthlings’ advanced space travel and biological warfare, with the cow jumping over the moon and the dish running away. His literal interpretation of these playful rhymes, coupled with his paranoia, leads him to believe Earth poses a significant threat, prompting a hasty retreat. This highlights his flawed reasoning and the dangers of misinterpreting unfamiliar cultural artifacts without context.

Ans: The play uses humor through Think-Tank’s absurd misinterpretations of nursery rhymes, like “Humpty Dumpty” as a Martian threat, to highlight cultural differences. These misunderstandings reveal how differing perceptions can lead to conflict, emphasizing the need for understanding to avoid misjudgments and maintain peace.

Ans: Think-Tank’s half-baked knowledge leads to chaos as he misinterprets Mother Goose nursery rhymes without understanding their context. He sees “Humpty Dumpty” as a plot to destroy Martian moons and “Hey Diddle Diddle” as evidence of Earth’s advanced technology and biological warfare. His rushed conclusions, driven by arrogance and lack of thorough analysis, cause him to perceive Earth as a threat, prompting a panicked retreat. This demonstrates how superficial understanding can lead to disastrous decisions. The play highlights the danger of jumping to conclusions without delving into details, as Think-Tank’s misinterpretations nearly escalate an imagined conflict, underscoring the need for informed judgment.

Ans: To prevent misunderstandings like those in the play, open communication and cultural education are essential. Think-Tank’s misinterpretation of Mother Goose rhymes could have been avoided through dialogue with Earthlings to understand their culture. Encouraging curiosity, as Noodle subtly does, promotes informed perspectives. Researching unfamiliar artifacts, like the book, before acting ensures accurate interpretations. Promoting humility over arrogance, unlike Think-Tank’s approach, fosters respect for differences. Establishing peaceful exchanges, such as cultural studies or interstellar communication, can bridge gaps. By prioritizing understanding and collaboration, groups can avoid conflicts arising from misperceptions, ensuring harmony, as the play’s resolution—Earth’s salvation—implies through the Martians’ retreat.

Ans: Yes, Think-Tank excels in misinterpreting and mispresenting things. His arrogant misreading of Mother Goose rhymes, like “Humpty Dumpty” as a Martian threat and “Hey Diddle Diddle” as advanced warfare, showcases his tendency to distort innocent texts, leading to a panicked retreat and flawed decisions.

Ans: (b) He misinterprets the nursery rhymes as military plans.
The extract shows Think-Tank’s panicked reaction to Mother Goose, mistaking its rhymes for a “coded manual” of a weapon. His earlier misinterpretations of rhymes like “Humpty Dumpty” as threats lead him to view the book as a dangerous strategic document, as detailed in the chapter.

Ans: Think-Tank’s reaction reveals his arrogance and paranoia. His quick assumption that a nursery rhyme book is a secret weapon shows his tendency to jump to conclusions without evidence, highlighting his incompetence and fear-driven leadership.

Ans: Think-Tank’s misunderstanding of the book as a weapon causes him to order a retreat, believing Earth is too dangerous. This saves Earth from invasion, as the Martians flee, illustrating how misinterpretation can unexpectedly lead to peace.

Ans: Think-Tank likes to be called ‘Great and the Mighty’. He orders and commands his apprentices arrogantly. He is the ruler of Mars, but has no intelligence of any kind. He thinks that the books found on Earth are ‘sandwiches’. He is wrong about everything. He demands that the crew obey him. He likes to present others’ ideas as his own. 
He is a coward who simply boasts about his power. Noodle, his apprentice, on the other hand is very clever and wise. He corrects the mistakes of his ruler, ‘Think-Tank’ very gently, without the latter even noticing it. He never takes credit for his ideas and offers them to the ruler very wisely. Though the most intelligent of all, he never blows his own trumpet and follows his ruler like an obedient subordinate.

Ans: The crew of the space probe landed in a public library and faced the difficulty of not understanding what books were. They were unfamiliar with books and thought the library to be some kind of storage barn.

Ans: Think-Tank is proud of his handsome Martian race. This is evident from his narcissistic behavior, self-praise, and boastful habits. He mocks the Earthlings and calls Earth an "insignificant place" and a "primitive ball of mud."

Ans: In the story, 'The Book that Saved the Earth,' the Martians' limited and false knowledge about Earth and Earthlings led to confusion and disaster. Think-Tank, with his little knowledge, jumped to conclusions about books, mistaking them for sandwiches and communication devices. This misunderstanding caused fear and misinterpretation of nursery rhymes, ultimately leading to the Martians' decision to abort the mission and evacuate Mars.

Ans: The book of nursery rhymes, 'Mother Goose,' saved the Earth from the Martian invasion by creating fear and misunderstanding among the Martians. They misinterpreted the nursery rhymes as records of interplanetary attacks on Mars and became terrified of the humans. This led them to abort the mission and call their troops back, thus preventing the invasion.

Ans: Noodle tells Think-Tank that Earthlings do not eat books but use them as a device for communication. He also mentions that humans open books and watch them.

Ans: On listening to the nursery rhyme 'Hey, diddle, diddle', Think-Tank infers that Earthlings have reached a high level of civilization. He believes that humans have taught their pets musical culture and space techniques, and even their dogs have a sense of humor. Think-Tank thinks that the humans are planning to launch an interplanetary attack of millions of cows.

Ans: The play emphasizes the importance of healthy cross-cultural communication to prevent confusion and conflict arising from misunderstanding cultural differences. It is necessary to learn each other's language, religion, traditions, and behavior to establish effective cultural communication. This will help reduce tension and promote peace and harmony among different races and communities.

Ans: The book, 'Mother Goose,' changed Think-Tank's opinion about Earthlings. As the ignorant Martians read the nursery rhymes, they misinterpreted their meaning and felt that humans were mightier than what they had thought them to be. This terrified Think-Tank, as he believed the humans were after his life, leading him to abort the mission of invading Earth.