Class 10 English Chapter 10 Solution – The Book That Saved the Earth | Footprints Without Feet | SEBA Assam

Class 10 English Supplementary Chapter 10 – The Book That Saved the Earth – All Textual Solutions | ASSEB Assam (English Medium)

Class 10 English Supplementary Chapter 10 – The Book That Saved the Earth Complete Textual Question Answers and Solutions (ASSEB / SEBA Assam – English Medium)

The tenth and final chapter of the Class 10 English Supplementary Reader ‘Footprints Without Feet’, titled ‘The Book That Saved the Earth’ by Claire Boiko, is a hilarious and imaginative science-fiction play. Based on the latest guidelines of the new ASSEB (Assam State School Education Board) syllabus and the New Education Policy (NEP) for upcoming board exams, we have prepared complete textual question answers and solutions for this chapter. This special compilation includes very short answers (VSA), short questions, long answers, and thorough character sketches. At Ospin Academy, these solutions are provided in an easy, accurate, and completely exam-oriented format.

Set in the 25th century, the play looks back at the 20th century—the “Era of the Book”—and recounts how a simple book of nursery rhymes, ‘Mother Goose’, saved the Earth from a Martian invasion. The story centers on the arrogant Martian ruler, Think-Tank, who hilariously misinterprets human nursery rhymes as complex military strategies, leading him to believe that humans are a superior race planning to take over Mars. For board candidates, understanding the satire, the character of Think-Tank, and the play’s humorous take on “misinterpretation” is extremely important. Our textual solutions cover not only the textbook exercise questions but also extra important questions and answers that may appear in the exams, helping students prepare thoroughly.

What you will learn and get from these textual solutions:

• Detailed analysis of Think-Tank’s character and his exaggerated ego.
• Perfect answers for 1-mark very short questions (VSA objective type) and 2-3 mark short questions.
• Simple and standard solutions for 4-5 mark long descriptive questions focusing on the play’s satire.
• Clear understanding of the role of Noodle and how his subtle suggestions guide the story.
• Solutions for the latest pattern MCQ questions along with important questions according to the new syllabus.

Special benefits of these Ospin Academy solutions:

• Complete textual solutions prepared on the basis of the latest ASSEB new syllabus.
• 100% accurate, high-quality notes written in simple English that are easy for students to memorize (Class 10 English Notes).
• Specially curated easy-to-understand answers for quick revision before exams.
• A special collection of extra important questions from ‘The Book That Saved the Earth’ for the board examinations.

Keeping in mind the academic upliftment of the students, Ospin Academy has brought forward these special textual solutions. Start your board exam preparation now and step forward towards scoring the highest marks in English.

Chapter 10

The Book that Saved the Earth

Read and Find Out Pg-56

Q.1 Why was the twentieth century called the “Era of the Book”?

Answer: In the twentieth century, there were books about everything from anteaters to Zulus. The books covered all the topics and taught people the basic know-hows. The books had educational content, illustrations and decorations. All these benefits made the twentieth century the Era of the book.

Q.2 Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century?

Answer: It can be clearly inferred from the plot that the Martians tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century. Think-Tank was the commander-in-chief of the operation and his crew members were Noodle, Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota and Sergeant Oop.

Read and Find Out Pg-58

Q.1 What guesses are made by Think-Tank about the books found on earth?

Answer: After seeing the books, Think-Tank initially calls them sandwiches. He further tells his crew members that sandwiches are the staple diet of the Earthlings. He ordered Captain Omega to eat one of them and confirm his opinion. Captain Omega further orders Lieutenant Iota who orders Sergeant Oop. It is Sergeant Oop who finally bitesthe book. He tells them

it is not delicious at all and that he is surprised how the earthlings eat it without water.

Noodle guesses that earthlings didn’t eat the books but used them as communication devices. The crew members put the books at their ears and try listening to them but couldn’t hear anything. Noodle further suggests that they were for visual communication.

Think About it

Q.1 Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?

Answer: Think-Tank is the head of the Martian crew trying to invade the Earth and Noodle is an apprentice. Though Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank he corrects his mistakes as well. He does so in a polite and humble tone and doesn’t point out Think-Tank’s mistakes bluntly but gives suggestions only. When Think-Tank calls the books sandwiches and orders captain Omega to eat it, Noodle does not interfere. After the Sergeant bites the book and finds no taste in it, Noodle suggests that they were not for eating but for communication. Just then, Think-Tank orders the crew to listen to the books. When no one hears anything, Noodle politely suggests that the books are a means of visual communication. Noodle becomes the savior once again when he suggests the crew to take vitamins for decoding the content.

This is how Noodle manages to correct Think-Tank’s mistakes without offending him.

Q.2 If you were in noodle’s place, how would you handle Think-Tank’s mistakes?

Answer: Had I been in Noodle’s place, I would have handled Think-Tank’s mistakes just like Noodle did.

Noodle handles the situation without being rude and doesn’t show off his intelligence. Had he behaved the other way around, it would have made the situation tense since Think-Tank was the commander-in-chief and Noodle was just an apprentice. The Martians were supposed to follow Think-Tank’s orders and not order him.

Think-Tank followed all the advices because Noodle made them sound as suggestions and not orders or any offence.

Q.3 Do you think books are being replaced by the electronic media? Can we do away with books altogether?

Answer: It is a fact that the books are being replaced by the electronic media. Gone are the days when people went to libraries to read books. All the information is now just a click away. Complete books are available online as e-books. The case of books is similar as that of desktop computers and landline telephones. The desktop computers have been swiftly replaced by laptops and palmtops while the landline telephones have been taken over by cell phones and tablets.

The time is not far when books will be counted as antiques and will be cherished by only a few. Yes, I believe that we can do away with the books completely. It is a good move for preventing the degradation of the environment.

I do believe that in coming times we will rely solely on the electronic media for information and access to books.

Q.4 why are books referred to as a man’s best companion? Which is your favourite book and why? Write paragraph about the book.

Answer: Books are definitely a man’s best friend. A person’s relation with the book builds up in the most crucial years of his life. Just when a child starts receiving education his link with the book is established. Books are his source of knowledge and wisdom. They not only give him theoretical knowledge but also teach him moral values.

Reading books is the best thing to do to while away time. It gives immense relaxation to the brain. Books not only expose us to a wider world but also help us learn lessons from other’s experiences. Books teach us the technical know-hows, theories and technicalities of modern life. They teach us about our past and keep us connected with our ancient culture, values, traditions and morals. They make us aware about the historical events, important people and how the world turned into a global village. They tell us about discoveries and inventions and enlighten our brains with ideas.

My favorite book is ‘The Panchatantra’. It has a collection of various stories which teach us the life’s most valuable lessons. Every person should read the book at least once. It teaches us lessons even through fables.

Talk about it

Q.1 In what ways does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to the Martians/ Can you think of any incidents where you misinterpreted a word or an action? How did you resolve the misunderstanding?

Answer: Think-Tank misinterprets the innocent nursery rhymes as threats to the Martians. Initially, he misinterprets that the earthlings have discovered how to combine agricultural and mining and that they can grow explosives. From the next poem, Humpty Dumpty, he misinterprets that

the earthlings have come to know about his intentions and they are planning to capture him. He immediately decides to leave Mars to be safe and to avoid getting caught.

Yes, there have been many such incidents when I had misinterpreted a word or an action. There’s a Hindi word ‘galatfehmi’ which means a misunderstanding. I often used to misinterpret it as ‘galatfamily’ which means (according to me) a wrong family.

Q.2 The aliens in this play speak English. Do you think this is their language? What could be the language of the aliens?

Answer: The aliens’ speaking English is only imaginative. It is their language in the play because it is written in the author’s language.

They would not have misinterpreted the books had they known English. They could have easily understood that they were some rhymes. They would not have chased the literal meaning of the words and made assumptions based on the representations.

The aliens were from a different planet which makes it more evident that they didn’t know English. They needed some vitamins to decode the text which is a clear indication that they didn’t understand the text in its original form.