Class-7, English (An Alien Hand), Chapter - 10 (An Alien Hand) Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions

   English

(An Alien Hand)

Class -7, Chapter - 10

(An Alien Hand)

Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions

-- Summary --

⭐ Summary In English:- 

Tilloo and his parents live on Mars. However, they do not live on the surface of the planet. They live beneath the surface under artificial conditions. Only some very skilled persons in special suits can go on the surface. They go with a reservoir of oxygen for important work. Tilloo’s father is one of them. He goes to work through a secret passage.

Tilloo has always been anxious to go through the passage. However, he has been never allowed. One day Tilloo gets a chance. He gets hold of his father’s security card. Quietly he makes his way to the forbidden passage. He slips his father’s magle card into a slot. The door to the passage opens.

Tilloo now looks forward to seeing the sun or the stars. He has never seen them before. But that was not to be. He moves hardly ten steps when the security staff gets hold of him. He is sent back to his mother.

Tilloo’s father decides to brief him properly. He tells Tilloo that he cannot survive on the surface. The air is too thin and the temperature too low there. So he advises him not to try again to reach the surface of the planet.

Tilloo’s father tells him that once upon a time their forefathers lived on the surface. But times changed. A slight change in the sun upset the balance of nature on the planet. First the birds became extinct. The animals followed. The fish also died. Human beings survived because of their superior technology. They used solar energy. Some of these machines which produce solar energy are on the surface. Tilloo’s father belongs to a special group. It is this group’s responsibility to look after these machines. He assured Tilloo that he could also join the team when he grew up. His mother however warned him that it was possible only if he obeyed his parents.

Next day when Tulloo’s father went to work, he found the Control Room full of excitement. It was so because they had seen two space crafts. So far, it had been their belief that they were alone in the solar system. Although the conference room was full to capacity, nobody was speaking a word. They waited for the President to say something.

The President looked at his paper carefully. After a pause he said that two spacecrafts were approaching their planet. While one of the two was orbiting the planet, the other was still far away. It was the President’s guess that they were from their neighbouring planet. Thereupon, he asked the opinion of his colleagues. Together, they had to deal with these spacecrafts.

Number One was in charge of defence. He told what his reports had revealed. It was that the spacecraft did not contain any living beings. It had only instruments. He suggested that there was no need to destroy those spacecrafts. After their landing on Mars they could make them ineffective, if they so chose. Number Two also agreed With Number One. He added that by destroying those spacecrafts, they would be only revealing their existence.

Number Three also agreed with what the other two had said. Just then the President’ got the message that the first spacecraft had landed.

It was a red letter day in Tilloo’s life. His father had brought him to the Control Room. From here he could see the alien spacecraft on his TV screen. He looked with great interest at a panel with several coloured buttons on it. His father told him that this pane was very important. Through its buttons, they had power to make inert any part of the spacecraft.

Suddenly there was some movement in the spacecraft. All eyes were now glued tp the TV screen. A mechanical hand was coming out of the spacecraft. It bent and tpuched the soil. Everyone in the control room was watching with great interest. lop could not contain himself. He pressed the red button on the panel. There was shirill whistle. His father pulled him away roughly. Then, he restored the red button its earlier position.

But the damage was done. The mechanical hand of the spacecraft had ceased work.

All this was happening on the Mars. On the earth NASA was holding a press Conference. The spacecraft had come from the earth. NASA had sent it. In the press qonference, it was said that everything was well with the spacecraft. Only the mechanical hand had stopped working. They, however expressed confidence that very soon everything will be set right.

Soon after this, another press conference was held. It was informed that the mechanical hand had been reactivated. Soil samples were being collected. These samples would reveal whether there was life on Mars or not.

This was the part of earth’s Viking Mission. The scientists behind the mission were disappointed. They found no signs of life on Mars.

⭐ Summary In Hindi:- 

टिल्लू और उसके माता-पिता मंगल ग्रह पर रहते हैं। पर वे उस ग्रह की सतह पर नहीं रहते हैं। वे कृत्रिम स्थितियों में सतह के नीचे रहते हैं। केवल कुछ बड़े प्रशिक्षित व्यक्ति ही विशेष वस्त्र पहन कर सतह पर जा सकते हैं। वे आक्सीजन का सिलिंडर साथ लेकर महत्त्वपूर्ण काम के लिए जाते हैं। टिल्लू का पिता भी उनमें से एक है। वह एक गुप्त मार्ग से काम पर जाता है।

टिल्लू हमेशा ही उस मार्ग से जाने का इच्छुक रहा है। परन्तु उसे कभी अनुमति नहीं मिली है। एक दिन टिल्लू को मौका मिल जाता है। उसे अपने पिता का सुरक्षा कार्ड मिल जाता है। वह चुपचाप वर्जित मार्ग पर पहुँच जाता है। वह अपने पिता के जादुई कार्ड को एक खाने में डालता है। रास्ते का दरवाजा खुल जाता है। टिल्लू अब सूर्य या सितारों को देखने की उम्मीद करने लगता है। उसने पहले कभी उन्हें नहीं देखा था। पर ऐसा होना नवे था। वह मुश्किल से दस कदम चला होगा कि सुरक्षा कर्मियों ने उसे पकड़ लिया। उसे वापस अपनी माँ के पास भेजा जाता है।

टिल्लू का पिता उसे उचित ढंग से समझाने का निश्चय करता है। वह टिल्लू को बताता है कि वह सतह के ऊपर जीवित नहीं रह सकता है। वहाँ हवा बहुत पतली और तापक्रम बहुत नीचा है। अत: वह उसे सलाह देता है कि वह ग्रह की सतह पर जाने का प्रयत्न फिर न करे।

टिल्लू का पिता उसे बताता है कि एक समय था जब उनके पूर्वज सतह पर रहते थे। पर वक्त बदला। सूर्य में होने वाली थोड़ी सी बदल ने ग्रह के ऊपर प्रकृति के संतुलन को बिगाड़ दिया। पहले तो पक्षी समाप्त हो गये। उसके बाद जानवरों की बारी आई। मछलियाँ भी मर गई। मानव अपनी बेहतर तकनीक के कारण बच गये। उन्होंने सूर्य की शक्ति का प्रयोग किया। सूर्य से मिलने वाली शक्ति का उत्पादन करने वाली कुछ मशीनें सतह के ऊपर हैं। टिल्लू का पिता एक विशेष समूह का हिस्सा है। इस समूह का काम इन मशीनों की देखभाल करना है। उसने टिल्लू को भरोसा दिलाया कि बड़ा होने पर वह भी इस समूह का हिस्सा बन सकता था। पर उसकी माँ ने उसे चेतावनी दी कि ऐसा तभी संभव है अगर उसने अपने माता-पिता की आज्ञा मानी।

अगले दिन टिल्लू के पिता जब काम पर गये तो उन्होंने कंट्रोल रूम को उत्तेजना से भरा पाया। ऐसा इसलिए था कि उन लोगों ने दो तरिक्षयानों को देखा था। अभी तक उन लोगों को यहीं विश्वास था कि सौर मंडल में वे अकेले थे। यद्यपि सम्मेलन कक्ष पूरी तरह भरा हुआ था, कोई एक शब्द भी नहीं बोल रहा था। वे प्रतीक्षा कर रहे थे कि प्रेसीडेंट कुछ बोले।

प्रेसीडेंट ने सावधानी से अपने कागजों को देखा। कुछ देर ठहर कर उसने कहा कि दो अंतरिक्षयान उनके ग्रह की ओर आ रहे थे। जबकि उनमें से एक उनके ग्रह का चक्कर लगा रहा था, दूसरा अभी भी काफी दूर था। प्रेसीडेंट का अंदाजा था कि वे अपने किसी पड़ोसी ग्रह से आए हैं। इसके बाद उसने अपने साथियों का मत जानना चाहा। उन्हें मिलकर इन अंतरिक्षयान से निपटना था।

नंबर एक रक्षा अधिकारी था। उसने बताया कि खबरों से क्या पता लगा था। वह था कि अंतरिक्षयान में कोई जीवित प्राणी नहीं हैं। इसमें केवल मात्र यंत्र हैं। उसका सुझाव था कि इन अंतरिक्षयानों को नष्ट करने की कोई आवश्यकता न थी। अगर वे चाहेंगे तो मंगल की सतह पर उतरने के बाद वे उन्हें निष्क्रिय बना देंगे। नंबर दो भी नंबर एक से सहमत था। उसने इतना और जोड़ा कि अंतरिक्षयानों को नष्ट करके वे केवल मात्र अपनी उपस्थिति को ही उजागर करेंगे।

जो कुछ इन दोनों ने कहा था, नंबर तीन भी उससे सहमत था। तभी प्रेसीडेंट के पास खबर आयी कि पहला अंतरिक्षयान सतह पर उतर चुका था।

टिल्लू के जीवन का यह बड़ा महत्त्वपूर्ण दिन था। उसके पिता उसे कंट्रोल रूम लेकर आए थे। यहाँ से वह अपने टेलीविजन के परदे पर दूसरे ग्रह से आये अंतरिक्षयान को देख सकता था। वह बड़ी रुचि से एक पैनल को देख रहा था जिस पर कितने ही रंगीन बटन थे। उसके पिता ने उसे बताया कि वह पैनल बड़ा महत्त्वपूर्ण था। इसके बटनों के द्वारा वे अंतरिक्षयान के किसी भी भाग को निष्क्रिय कर सकते थे।

अचानक अंतरिक्षयान में कुछ हलचल हुई। सारी आँखें अब टी.वी. स्क्रीन पर चिपकी हुई थीं। एक यांत्रिक हाथ अंतरिक्षयान से बाहर निकल रहा था। यह झुका और इसने मिट्टी को छुआ। कंट्रोल रूम का हर व्यक्ति बड़ी रुचि से देख रहा था। टिल्लू स्वयं पर नियंत्रण न रख सका। उसने पैनल के लाल बटन को दबा दिया। एक तेज सीटी बजी। उसके पिता ने उसे जोर से खींचकर वहाँ से हटाया। फिर वह लाल बटन को पुनः अपनी पुरानी स्थिति में ले आया।

पर नुकसान हो चुका था। अंतरिक्ष के यांत्रिक हाथ ने काम करना बंद कर दिया था।

मंगल ग्रह पर यह सब कुछ हो रहा था। पृथ्वी पर नासा ने एक संवाददाता सम्मेलन बुलाया हुआ था। अंतरिक्षयान पृथ्वी से आया था। इसे नासा ने भेजा था। संवाददाता सम्मेलन में बताया गया कि अंतरिक्षयान में सब कुछ ठीक-ठाक था। केवल यांत्रिक हाथ ने काम करना बंद कर दिया था। पर यह विश्वास व्यक्त किया गया कि शीघ्र ही सब कुछ ठीक हो जाएगा।

इसके शीघ्र बाद एक और संवाददाता सम्मेलन हुआ। यह बताया गया कि यांत्रिक हाथ को पुनः चालू कर दिया गया है। मिट्टी के नमूने लिए जा रहे थे। इन नमूनों से पता लगेगा कि मंगल ग्रह पर जीवन है या नहीं।

यह पृथ्वी के वाइकिंग मिशन का एक भाग था। इस मिशन पर काम करने वाले वैज्ञानिकों को निराशा हुई। उन्हें मंगल ग्रह पर जीवन का कोई चिह्न न मिला।

-- Word Meanings --

• Dubiously - संदिग्ध रूप से 

• Apprentice - सिखने वाला 

• Cease - समाप्ति 

• Chuckling - मुँह दबाकर हँसना

• Contrary - विरोध 

• Crew - कर्मी दल 

• Curiosities - जिज्ञासा 

• Decipher - समझना 

• Diddle - धोखा देना 

• Elementary - प्राथमिक 

• Encyclopedia - विश्वकोश 

• Enormous - विशाल 

• Evacuate - हटा देना

• Fiddle - बेला 

• Generous - उदार 

• Glory - महिमा 

• Gravely - गंभीरता से 

• Gulp Swallow - जल्दी से निगलना 

• Haughtily - अहंकार से 

• Insignificant - तुच्छ 

• Interplanetary - ग्रहों के बीच का 

• Invasion - आक्रमण 

• Magnificent - शानदार 

• Manned - आबाद 

• Martian - मंगल ग्रह का निवासी 

• Peculiar - अजीब  

• Peevishly - चिड़चिड़पन 

• Probe - जांच 

• Ridiculous - हास्यास्पद 

• Screaming - तेज़ी से चीखना 

• Shelter - आश्रय 

• Simultaneously - इसके साथ ही 

• Smacking - चांटा मारना 

• Spotlight - सुर्खियां 

• Squints - तिरछी दूष्टि से देखना 

• Staple food - मूल भोजन 

• Stiffly - कठोरतापूर्वक 

• Storage - भंडारण खलिहान 

• Structure - संरचना 

• Surveyor - सर्वेक्षक 

• Terrible - भयानक 

• Traces - निशान 

• Transcribe - अनुलेखन करना 

• Trifling - तुच्छ 

• Twirl - घुमाव 

• Ugly - भद्दा 

• Undoubtely - निश्चित रूप से 

• Whispering - धीरे-धीरे बोलना 

-- NCERT Solutions --

Comprehension Check (Page 69)

Question 1:- How does Tilloo manage to find his way to the ‘forbidden passage’?

Answer:- One day Tilloo’s daddy was asleep. The boy picked up daddy’s I-card. Then he walked towards the forbidden secret passage. The card helped him open the door and enter the passage.

Question 2:- What did Tilloo hope to see once he emerged from his underground home?

Answer:- Tilloo hoped to see the sun or the stars after getting out of his underground home.

Question 3:- Why did Tilloo’s father advise him not to try to reach the surface of the planet?

Answer:- Tilloo’s father told him not to try to go to the surface of the planet because he won’t be able to breathe in the thin air or withstand the low temperature there.

Question 4:- What changes had occurred, which forced people to live in underground homes?

Answer:- The changing heat of the sun created conditions that killed all animals and birds. The air became thin and human beings could freeze to death.

Comprehension Check (Page-71)

Question 1:- Why was everyone in the Control Room greatly excited?

Answer:- Everyone in the Control Room was greatly excited because they had seen two space­crafts coming towards their planet.

Question 2:- Was the spacecraft manned or unmanned? How do you know it?

Answer:- The spacecraft that landed on the surface was unmanned. It contained only in­struments. A mechanical hand tried to collect samples of soil.

Question 3:- What did Number One and Number Two suggest should be done about the alien spacecraft?

Answer:- 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 that they should wait and watch. It would be unwise to reveal their existence by attacking the spacecraft.

Comprehension Check (Page-73)

Question 1:- What do you think the mechanical hand was trying to do?

Answer:- The mechanical hand that emerged from the alien spacecraft, was trying to collect samples of soil from the surface of Mars. The purpose was to study if there was life on it.

Question 2:- Tilloo pressed the red button and “the damage was done”. What was the damage?

Answer:- Tilloo pressed the red button. It is dad who made it neutral again. But the damage was done. The mechanical hand stopped working. It became inactive.

Question 3:- Where had the spacecraft come from?

Answer:- The spacecraft had come from the planet Earth. It was sent by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, America).

Question 4:- On which planet do Tilloo and his parents live?

Answer:- Tilloo and his parents live on a planet with thin air, freezing cold and no animals on surface.

Exercises (Page-73)

Discuss the following topics in groups.

Question 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?

Answer:- Living underground in artificial conditions without the light/warmth of the stars and the sun, must be very troublesome and dull. The only compensation of such a home is safety and security, controlled light and heat.

Question 2:- What, if anything, might drive mankind to make their homes underground?

Answer:- 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.

Question 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?

Answer:- Scientists are trying hard to find out if there is any form of life on planets around the sun. So far they have sent spacecrafts to the moon and Mars, collected samples of soil and taken snapshots. But they have not found definite proof of life on them.

The kind of people, if they exist at all on any other planet, would be quite different from us. They must have adjusted themselves to strange and unfriendly environment there.

-- Frequently Asked Questions --

Question 1:- What do you know about the Viking Mission to Mars?

Answer:- The National Aeronautics and Space Administrator’s (NASA) Viking Mission to Mars was composed of two spacecraft, Viking 1 and Viking 2. Viking 1 was launched, on 20 August 1975 and arrived at Mars on 19 June 1976. Viking 2 was launched on 9 September 1975. It entered Mar’s orbit on 7 August 1976 Both consisted of an orbiter and a lander.

Question 2:- What were the primary objectives of the NASA Viking Mission to Mars?

Answer:- The primary objectives of the NASA Viking Mission to Mars were :-

i) To obtain images and samples of the Martian surface and soil,

ii) To search for any possible signs of life there,

iii) To search the presence of living microorganisms in the soil near the landing sites.

Question 3:- What do you know about ‘That way?

Answer:- That way’ was an underground passage. Tilloo’s father went for work and returned from there along that passage. The people were curious to know what lay at the end of that forbidden route. Only select few persons were permitted to go that way. Tilloo’s father was one of them.

Question 4:- What was the metal door’s function? How did it open?

Answer:- The metal door’s function was to bar the entry to the underground passage. Tilloo slipped his father’s security ( magic ) card into a slot. The door opened noiselessfy.

Question 5:- Why was Tilloo escorted back home?

Answer:- Tilloo had slipped his father’s security card into the slot. It came out of another slot. The invisible mechanical devices detected and photographed Tilloo. His picture was sent to the Central Bureau. The security persons caught him and escorted him back home.

Question 6:- How did Tilloo’s father manage the ugly situation when Tilloo was caught impersonating?

Answer:- Tilloo was caught using his father’s security card. The security guards took Tilloo home. His mother got enraged and started scolding him. Tilloo’s father came to his rescue. He told Tilloo’s mother that Tilloo should be briefed properly and sensibly. Then he would never repeat this grave offence. He warned Tilloo that an ordinary person could not survive on the surface where he worked. The air was too thin to breathe there. One would freeze to death due to quite low temperature.

Question 7:- How did Tilloo’s father manage to survive on the surface of the planet?

Answer:- Tilloo longed to know how his daddy managed to survive on the surface where he worked. His daddy told him that he went there well equipped in a special suit. He took a reservior of oxygen with him which enabled him to keep warm. His boots were also specially designed. It eased his walking on the surface. Above all, he had sought training to work and survive on the surface.

-- Durgesh Pandey

(Eklavya Coaching Institute)