NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Main Course Book (MCB) Chapter 13

Unit-3 : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 109

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Main Course Book (MCB) Chapter 13

Q1 : Have you read novels or short stories about life on other planets? What is this type of writing called?
Read the following extract from a letter received by someone on Earth from another planet.
Planet Aurigae II

1. What does the letter suggest about its writer?
2. What do you think may happen between the writer and Pen Pal?
Answer :
This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, some sample solutions have been provided for your reference.
1. The letter, as it depicts, is plausibly written by a being living on a planet other than the Earth (the planet mentioned in the question, Planet Aurigae II) possibly from a parallel universe. S/he seems interested in visiting the Earth.
2. It is possible that the writer might visit planet Earth soon as s/he shows keen interest in doing so, in the letter. They may even become best of friends.

Q2 : What does “a hydrocarbon form of life” mean?
Answer :
Hydrocarbon is a compound of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are the building blocks and the main reason for the existence of life on this planet.

Q3 : What would a non-hydrocarbon form of life look like?
Answer :
A non-hydrocarbon form of life may possibly be like the one described by Skander in the letter. A being that could survive 250°C and call such a climate pleasant. As their body temperature is excessively high, they cannot hold paper without damaging them and use thin metal sheets to write on.

Q4 : Why cannot Skander hold ordinary paper (from Earth)?
Answer :
Skander cannot hold ordinary paper from Earth as his high body temperature might damage (burn) the same.

Q5 : Why do you think Skander is in prison?
Answer :
Skander is in prison possibly because of his experiments to communicate with parallel universes and that might be violation of the laws of his/her planet.

Q6 : From the first two letters, what have we so far learned about Skander?
Answer :
Skander is a non-hydrocarbon being living on Planet Aurigae plausibly from one of the parallel universes. The average temperature on his planet is 250°C. The medium to write there is fine metal sheets and instead of ink they use acid-dipped tungsten. He is in Aurigae jail as charges were laid against him for performing some forbidden experiments on his body that were deemed dangerous to the public welfare. He has to serve a time of 30 more years in jail. He describes himself to be possibly shocking in appearance and is eager to visit planet Earth but is not able to due to plausible physical reasons. His lifespan is longer as their bodies are made of more enduring elements than those of human beings.

Q7 : What have we learned about the Planet Aurigae II?
Answer :
As Skander speaks it seems that the people there are spiritually more enlightened and know how to bring their soul out of their physical form, as he suggests doing so to take a tour of the universe. Bodies of beings of Aurigae are made of a more enduring element that makes their mortality rate much higher. There is no doubt that these beings are spiritually much higher and are beyond human understanding of physical and metaphysical. They are technologically much advanced and have reached a plane which is a perfect blend of both. It is justified by the method he describes to take the impression (picture) of a physical form; it is a blend of technology and spirituality. What is surprising is that there the language for communication is same as in few of western countries on Earth and the global language of today, English.

Q8 : Why do you think Skander started this correspondence with Pen Pal?
Answer :
Skander is a curious one, whose thirst for knowledge is much more as compared to any common being. He tried to experiment on himself without fearing the risks involved. Therefore, he is a daring person. Out of curiosity and insatiable hunger to know and understand he must have tried to reach out to beings on other planets. It is possible that he must have tried to reach out other parallel universes too.

Q9 : What impression do you have of Skander?
Answer :
Skander is a being who thinks beyond and wants to know much more than what is understood commonly. Who dares, and goes ahead with his experiments by even disobeying laws, undertakes risks and cares little for mortal life to have a higher understanding for existence.

Q10 : Why (D4) do you think Pen Pal showed Skander’s photographic plate to a doctor at the hospital?
Answer :
Pen pal showed the photographic plate to a doctor possibly due to following reasons.
First, that he did it out of curiosity and to understand physical and chemical properties of the plate.
Second, he must have faced difficulty in using it, so he must have thought of taking help from a doctor.
Third, he must be afraid of using the plate due to the risk involved because of its chemical properties and the way of clicking a picture that one has to think “ready” to get one’s impression. And it is possible that he might have hurt himself while operating with it.

Q11 : Why (D4) do you think Pen Pal showed Skander’s photographic plate to a doctor at the hospital?
Answer :
Pen pal showed the photographic plate to a doctor possibly due to following reasons.
First, that he did it out of curiosity and to understand physical and chemical properties of the plate.
Second, he must have faced difficulty in using it, so he must have thought of taking help from a doctor.
Third, he must be afraid of using the plate due to the risk involved because of its chemical properties and the way of clicking a picture that one has to think “ready” to get one’s impression. And it is possible that he might have hurt himself while operating with it.

Q12 : Why (D5) do you think Pen Pal’s government warned him against continuing the correspondence?
Answer :
Pen Pal’s government warned him from corresponding with Skander due to the risks involved in such intimacy. Skander in not a human being and the government might be afraid of the formidable consequences that the foreign planet’s residents might be trapping humans for some experiment or so.

Q13 : What exactly did Skander do?
Answer :
Skander trapped Pen Pal into his scheme very cunningly. He never made his intentions clear in the beginning for it was a possibility that Pen Pal would have backed out of the intended plan. He coaxed Pen Pal to forward his picture or impression on a specific chemical-metal plate and returned his to him in the similar manner. Then, only when the plan was set, Skander, through radioactive rays, exchanged their bodies, without Pen Pal’s consent.

Q14 : Why did he do this?
Answer :
Skander appears to be highly adventurous and experimental. He has a wander lust for universes beyond reach. He holds little value for other lives and sentiments. His thirst for knowledge and experimentation had cost Pen Pal heavily as he had to leave his body against his wish.

Q15 : Might this ever be really possible, at some stage in the future?
Answer :
With the researches and studies proving the existence of multiple parallel universes and with the advancement of technology it might be possible in some future but not too soon.

Q16 : Would there be advantages and/ or disadvantages in doing so?
Answer :
There are two sides of every coin. Scientists are apprehensive of advancements like artificial intelligence and time machine as there are higher level risks involved with these. So shall be the case of travelling beyond universe.

Q17 : Were there any clues in earlier letters that warned us of what Skander was planning to do?
Answer :
Skander never made his intentions clear in his previous letters fearing that it might scare the Pen Pal and he would turn down the proposition. So he made all the pre-arrangements without keeping them in Pen Pal’s knowledge and executed the whole scheme stealthily.

Q18 :
1. Who has written the letter? (Original Pen Pal? original Skander? “New Pen Pal”)?
2. Which planet does he live on?
3. When Skander and Pen Pal exchanged bodies and personalities, each received certain benefits. Write words or phrases in the scales under their names, to indicate the advantages to each. Decide who profited most from the exchange.
(Copy and complete.)
4. Imagine that five years have passed since the last letter. Skander and Pen Pal are both still alive. Write another letter from Skander to Pen Pal, outlining what has happened in the intervening years. What is your present situation?
What are your thoughts? What are your plans for the immediate future?
Answer :
1. Original Pen Pal
2. Planet Aurigae II

4.
This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, a sample solution has been provided for your reference.
This is the letter written by the Original Skander residing on the earth since past 5 years: