NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 5 Footprints without Feet

Read and Find Out
(Page 26) 

Question 1.
How did the invisible man first become visible?
Answer:
The invisible man (Griffin) first became visible after he slipped into a big London store for keeping warm and overslept there while wearing some clothes taken from the store. The clothes made him visible to the shop assistants when the shop opened in the morning. To escape from them, he had to shed all his clothes to become invisible again.

Question 2.
Why was he wandering the streets?
Answer:
Though he was a brilliant scientist, he was a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and wanted to evict Griffin. In revenge, he set fire to the house. To escape, he removed his clothes, becoming invisible. Thus he became homeless and was wandering the streets of London.

Page 28
Question 1.
Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Answer:
Mrs Hall found the scientist eccentric
because of his strange appearance and also, when she tried to be friendly with him, he rebuffed her by saying that he hacLcome there for solitude and did not wish to be disturbed in his work.

Question 2.
What curious episode occurs in the study?
Answer:
Very early one morning, a clergyman and his wife were awakened by noises coming from their study. Then they heard the sound of coins being taken from the desk there. However, when they entered the study, they did not find anybody there, which was curious.

Question 3.
What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Answer:
At the inn, Mrs Hall and her husband went into the scientist’s room on finding its door open. However, he was not seen in the room, but Mrs Hall heard a sniff and the hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room. This made Mrs Hall think that her furniture was haunted.

Think About It
(Page 31)

Question 1.
“Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
Answer:
Griffin was not bothered if he had harmed anybody in the fulfilment of what he wanted. He set his landlord’s house on fire because the landlord tried to make him leave. Then his robberies at shops and later in the village indicate that he was a lawless person. When he encountered the landlady of the inn, he threw a chair at her and her husband. Lawless persons like Griffin never think about the safety and well-being of others. They are only concerned about themselves.

Question 2.
How would you assess Griffin as a scientist?
Answer:
Griffin is a brilliant scientist, as he discovers how to make himself invisible. But he seems to enjoy the feeling of power which he gets out of his invisibility. The power to hurt anybody without getting noticed can give sadistic pleasure to some people. A true scientist should make discoveries for the larger benefit of society, not just for his own benefit.

Talk About It
(Page 31)

Question 1.
Would you like to become invisible? What advantages and disadvantages do you foresee, if you did?
Answer:
It can be an exciting idea for most people. Like two facets of a coin, invisibility can have many advantages and disadvantages. For a child, invisibility may mean a licence for all kinds of pranks without getting caught. Like a Hindi movie, invisibility can help you beat all the villains black and blue and get rid of them. Once you become invisible, nobody would notice you. Within no time, the sadness of isolation will take over the excitement of being invisible. You will have no friend. You will tend to behave like the eccentric scientist in this story.

Question 2.
Are there forces around us that are invisible, for example, magnetism? Are there aspects of matter that are ‘invisible1 or not visible to the naked eye? What would the world be like if you could see such forces or such aspects of matter? ‘
Answer:
Magnetic forces and electrostatic forces are examples of invisible forces. The atoms and molecules in a matter are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Similarly, heat energy is invisible. Similarly, sound is invisible to us. While the idea of seeing invisible things can be very exciting, their visibility would create too many problems. For example, if we are able to see all the sound around us, that would be too irritating for us.

Question 3.
What makes glass or water transparent (what is the scientific explanation for this)? Do you think it would be scientifically possible for a man to become invisible, or transparent? (Keep in mind that writers of science fiction have often turned out to be prophetic in their imagination)
Answer:
The fact that light can pass through glass or water makes them transparent. When light falls on an object, the reflected light from that object makes it visible to us. If some device can be made which can prevent reflection of light from the human body then the human body can be made invisible.

Footprints without Feet Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet

Extract Based Questions [3 Marks each]

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
As they gazed, a remarkable sight met their eyes. A fresh footmark appeared from nowhere! Further footprints followed, one after another, descending the steps and progressing down the street.
(a) Who are ‘they’ in the above extract?
(b) Who is making these footprints?
(c) Find the word from the extract that means the same as ‘continuing’.
(d) What is the opposite of ‘remarkable’?
Answer:
(a) ‘They’ in the above extract are two boys on a street in London.
(b) The scientist Griffin, who has become invisible, is making these footprints.
(c) The word is ‘progressing’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘ordinary’.

Question 2.
The air was bitterly cold and he could not do without clothes. Instead of walking about the streets he decided to slip into a big London store for warmth.
(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
(b) Why was the air bitterly cold?
(c) Find a word from the extract that means the same as ‘quietly enter’
(d) What is the opposite of ‘warmth’?
Answer:
(a) ‘He’ in the above extract is Griffin, the invisible scientist.
(b) The air was bitterly cold because the season was mid-winter.
(c) The word is ‘slip’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘chill’.

Question 3.
They naturally gave chase. In the end he was able to escape only by quickly taking off his newly found clothes. So once more he found himself invisible but naked in the chill January air.
(a) Who are ‘they’ and ‘he’ referred to in the above extract?
(b) Why has the author used the phrase ‘once more’?
(c) Find a word from the extract that means the same as ‘run away’.
(d) What is the opposite of ‘invisible’?
Answer:
(a) ‘They’ are the shop assistants and ‘he’ is the invisible scientist, Griffin.
(b) The author has used the phrase ‘once more’ because Griffin was naked before he had entered the large store, from where he had taken the ‘newly found’ clothes.
(c) The word is ‘escape’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘visible’.

Question 4.
Suspicion grew even stronger when he suddenly produced some ready cash, though he had admitted not long before that he had no money. [CBSE 2014]
(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
(b) What was ‘he’ suspected for?
(c) Find a word / phrase from the extract that means the same as ‘money’.
(d) Give a synonym of ‘suddenly’.
Answer:
(a) ‘He’ in the above extract is Griffin, the invisible scientist.
(b) ‘He’ was suspected for having a role in the burglary at the clergyman’s home.
(c) The phrase is ‘ready cash’.
(d) Its synonym is ‘immediately’.

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
Why were the two boys in London surprised and fascinated?
Answer:
The two boys in London were surprised and fascinated when they saw fresh muddy footprints of a human being on the steps of a house, but no man was there making them! As they looked, a fresh footprint appeared from nowhere.

Question 2.
Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store? [CBSE 2011]
Answer:
Griffin decided to slip into a big London store, because the season was mid-winter, due to which it became difficult to wander around without clothes in London.

Question 3.
How was Griffin a lawless man?
Answer:
Griffin was lawless because he had committed many anti-social deeds for which he never felt guilty. He set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away, he stole ‘ foodstuffs and clothes from a London store, stole other goods from a theatrical company and also stole money from a clergyman’s house to pay his bills.

Question 4.
What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company? [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
The second time Griffin tried the stock of a theatrical company in the hope of finding not only clothes but also something like side whiskers, glasses, false nose, bandages, hat etc that would hide the empty space above his shoulders.

Question 5.
How did Griffin find himself invisible but naked in the chill January air for the second time?
Answer:
As he had overslept in the big London store, when the store opened in the morning the store assistants came in. Griffin panicked and ran, chased by the assistants. He had to take off his newly found clothes to become invisible and escape, so that he found himself invisible but naked in the chill January air for the second time.

Question 6.
What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? [CBSE 2013]
Answer:
As the door of the room was open and nobody appeared to be inside, the Halls entered the scientist’s room. They saw that the bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time; and stranger still, the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room.

Question 7.
How did the visible man become invisible? What did he do then? [CBSE 2014]
Answer:
The invisible man got angry with Mrs Hall for asking an explanation for the mysterious happenings and threw off all he was wearing on his head so that he became a man without a head. Soon the constable Jaffers arrived to arrest him, but the invisible man threw off all his clothes to become invisible and, in the ensuing scuffle, knocked Jaffers unconscious and escaped.

Question 8.
What happened to Jaffers when he tried to catch the invisible scientist?
Answer:
When constable Jaffers tried to catch Griffin, he became invisible by removing his clothes. Jaffers found himself struggling with someone who couldn’t be seen. He was hit blows by Griffin and soon was knocked unconscious.

Question 9.
What was the explanation of ‘mystery’? (Footprints Without Feet)
Answer:
The two boys followed muddy footprints being made fresh without seeing anybody making the prints, which was a ‘mystery’ for them. The explanation was that the bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent, and thus invisible, by swallowing certain drugs.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.
Answer:
A true scientist is a law-abiding person. A scientist is also called a ‘natural philosopher’. Griffin was not a true scientist as he did not use his discovery of how to make himself invisible for good uses. He lost control of himself and behaved like a criminal. First, he set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away. Then he stole food without paying for it in a London store. Besides, he robbed the owner of a theatrical company and stole money from a clergyman’s desk.

Question 2.
Describe the landlord’s and his wife’s experience with the strange scientist. [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
Both Mrs Hall and her husband were
surprised to find the scientist’s room door open because normally it was always locked. So they peeped in, but found nobody there. The clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. Suddenly Mrs Hall heard a sniff close to her ear and the hat on the bedpost
leapt up and dashed itself into her face. Then the bedroom chair sprang into the air and pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them. Mrs Hall became hysterical and almost fell down the stairs. She thought that her furniture was haunted. They decided to confront the scientist next time when they met him.

Question 3.
What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the lesson, “Footprint,without Feet”?
Answer:
Griffin was a brilliant scientist, as he discovered a drug due to which his body became transparent as a sheet of glass after swallowing it. This made him invisible. But he was a lawless person. Because of his misdeeds, he became a homeless wanderer without clothes and money. He was an introvert with a desire for solitude. He was always seeking adventure, being fond of mysterious things. However, he was unscrupulous, as he robbed various people to finance his work, besides he got angry very quickly, which caused him to become a fugitive.

Question 4.
If, somehow you discovered how to become invisible, how would you use that opportunity? [CBSE 2015]
Answer:
If I discovered how to become invisible, I would use this opportunity to punish all those people who cause trouble to others for their own selfish motives. I would catch them and hand them over to the police without letting them know that I was behind them. I will also help the law-enforcing agencies when they conduct raids on criminal hideouts, as I will be able to move in the open without fear of being seen. This will help the people of the country to become more law-abiding citizens.

MCQ Questions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 5 Footprints without Feet with Answers

Question 1.
Where was the theatrical company shop situated?
(a) Dury lane
(b) Drury lane
(c) Druy lane
(d) Druri Lane

Answer

Answer: (c) Druy lane


Question 2.
“The scientist was always _____; now he became furious.”
(a) patient
(b) quick-tempered
(c) calm
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (b) quick-tempered


Question 3.
What do you mean by the word “hysterics”?
(a) an exaggerated reaction
(b) a normal reacion
(c) no reaction
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (a) an exaggerated reaction


Question 4.
Who called the incident “an extraordinary affair”?
(a) clergyman
(b) clergyman’s wife
(c) Mrs Hall
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (a) clergyman


Question 5.
What does the first encounter tell us about Mrs Hall?
(a) She is not friendly
(b) She is money-minded
(c) she is disinterested in her guests
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (b) She is money-minded


Question 6.
Why does Mrs Hall find the scientist eccentric?
(a) he visited during off season
(b) his intention was only to work
(c) he looked weird
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (d) all of the above


Question 7.
How did he justify his disinterest in having a conversation with Mrs Hall?
(a) desired solitude
(b) didn’t want to be disturbed during work
(c) both 1 and 2
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (c) both 1 and 2


Question 8.
Where did he go next?
(a) Piping
(b) Iping
(c) Snowland
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (b) Iping


Question 9.
What did he take from there?
(a) food
(b) wine
(c) bandages
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (c) bandages


Question 10.
Where did he find comfort in London?
(a) at the inn
(b) a big store
(c) theatre store
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (b) a big store


Question 11.
What suggests that he was a homeless wanderer?
(a) no clothes
(b) no money
(c) invisible
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (d) all of the above


Question 12.
What did he do for revenge?
(a) burned himself
(b) burned the landlord
(c) burned the house
(d) he didn’t do anything for revenge

Answer

Answer: (c) burned the house


Question 13.
What was he working on?
(a) making fake footprints
(b) making human bodies invisible
(c) making a fool of children
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (b) making human bodies invisible


Question 14.
What is the meaning of “bewildered”?
(a) perplexed
(b) confused
(c) puzzled
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (d) all of the above


Question 15.
“THE two boys started in surprise at the fresh muddy imprints of a pair of _____”
(a) bare feet
(b) shoes
(c) tyres
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (a) bare feet


Question 16.
At Iping where did Griffin stay?
(a) in a hotel
(b) in an inn
(c) in a church
(d) in a but

Answer

Answer: (b) in an inn


Question 17.
According to Mrs Hall, what type of a scientist was her guest?
(a) good
(b) brilliant
(c) eccentric
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (c) eccentric


Question 18.
The shop of the theatrical company was situated at:
(a) Drury Lane
(b) London Lane
(c) Iping Lane
(d) Griffin Lane

Answer

Answer: (a) Drury Lane


Question 19.
What did Griffin do in the big London store?
(a) he wore shoes
(b) he wore an overcoat
(c) he ate cold meat and sweets
(d) all of the above

Answer

Answer: (d) all of the above


Question 20.
Why was it a bad time to wander about in London without clothes?
(a) it was a rainy season
(b) it was very hot
(c) it was bitterly cold
(d) none of the above

Answer

Answer: (c) it was bitterly cold


Question 21.
Who were following the muddy footprints?
(a) the landlord
(b) two girls
(c) Mr and Mrs Hall
(d) two boys

Answer

Answer: (d) two boys


Question 22.
Griffin swallowed certain rare drugs and his body became as ————- as a sheet of glass.
(a) shining
(b) thin
(c) transparent
(d) thick

Answer

Answer: (c) transparent


Question 23.
Griffin discovered a medicine that could make his body ———-
(a) large
(b) small
(c) invisible
(d) all

Answer

Answer: (c) invisible


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