We have Provided the CBSE Solutions chapter-wise. Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 10 The Comet 2 with Answers by expert subject teacher for latest syllabus and examination. Students can take a free CBSE Solutions of The Comet 2. Each question has right answer Solved by Expert Teacher.
CBSE Solutions Class 8 English It So Happened
Page No. 83
Comprehension Check
Q1. “For a moment James wondered if he had done his sums right.” Why was James doubtful about his sums and calculations?
Answer: James became doubtful about his sums and calculations when he looked up from his window and saw a star studded night sky. It was such a peaceful night that James could not believe that Comet Dutta was heading wicledly to collide with the earth.
Q2. What did the scientists at the conference say about James’s ‘sums’?
Answer: After rechecking James’ sum for the umpteenth time the scientist arrived at the horrifying conclusion that James was right. There was just a feeble chance of the comet scraping through the earth’s atmosphere. Even then also it would have caused great damage.
Q3. Immediate action was needed, the scientists decided. Give one exampleeach of ‘defensive’ and ‘offensive’ action mentioned in the text.
Answer: The scientists suggested suitable measures. They rejected defensive measures like living in bunkers. So the only way was to take offensive action. The comet could he slightly deflected from its path. A nuclear explosion could do the job. This could be done by exploding a nuclear payload near the comet.
Q4. “I am not buying any Christmas presents till December 15.” What did Sir John mean by that?
Answer: Sir John was not quite sure about the safety of the earth. So he deferred the buying of Christmas presents till December 15. By that time the situation was sure to become clear.
Comprehension Check
Q1. What is Duttada expected to do on his return from London?
Answer: Upon his return from London, Duttada was expected to perform a shanti yagna to pacify the evil spirit behind the comet. This yagna was arranged by his wife, Indrani Debi who thought a yagna could help to minimize the evil effects of a comet on Earth and she had called the priests to bless her husband too.
Q2. What is his reaction to the proposal?
Answer: Dutta said that it was superstition and reacted very angrily. He refused to perform the yagna because he did not support such superstitions.
Q3. (i) What does ‘Project Light Brigade’ refer to?
Answer: Project Light Brigade was the code name for the operation that the scientists were carrying out to stop the collision of the comet with the earth. The project involved placing nuclear payload in a spaceship, sending it to intercept the approaching comet, and detonating it by remote control. December 15 was the date when if the experiment failed, the comet would collide with the earth. However, if it did not, then the comet would pass by at a near but safe distance.
(ii) What does Sir John say about the Project in his letter to Duttada in October?
Answer: Sir John includes a secret message about the Project in his letter to Duttada in October. He tells him in his secret code that the project had begun.
Q4. Did Sir John buy Christmas presents on December 15? How didDuttada get to know about it?
Answer: Yes, Sir John bought Christmas presents on December 15. Duttada got to know about it in the letter that Sir John had written to him, saying that he was confident of buying Christmas presents on December 15, indicating that the project was successful.
Q5. Why, according to Indrani Debi, had the comet not been disastrous? Do you agree with her?
Answer: Indrani Debi was sure that the comet ‘Dutta’ had not been disastrous because of the yajna.
Q6. Is Duttada’s general outlook
(i) rational?
(ii) moral?
(iii) traditional?
Choose the right word. Say why you think it right.
Answer: Duttada’s general outlook is rational because he had a scientific temper. He went by reason, not by custom or morality.
EXERCISES
Discuss the following topics in small groups. Write your answers afterwards.
Q1. Should a scientist’s findings be suppressed if they seem disturbing ? Give reasons for and against the topic.
Answer: No, a scientist’s findings should never be suppressed or ignored because he/she tries to discover the truth behind unknown spatial objects through scientific reason and research. Nicolaus Copernicus was one such mathematician and astronomer. He created a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe, which finally proved to be correct. On the contrary, people in Galileo’s time believed that the Earth was indeed at the center of the universe. They believed that the Sun and others planets revolved around it.
Q2. Do you think ours is a traditional society ? What are some of the things we do to be called traditional ? Do you find these things useless or useful ?
Answer: Yes, India is a traditional society. We worship idols and even the moon. Our forms of worship resonate with an ancient belief system. Yajnas and poojas are still performed to pacify deities. Many people still believe in astrology and think that stars in the sky affect our behaviours and personalities. A majority of these things do not have any logic behind them, and are remnants of a superstitious society that was largely uneducated. So, most of them are highly useless.
Q3. Give two or three examples to show how science has been useful to us.
Answer: Science has given us many gifts and has made our lives easier. The advancement of science and medicine has helped us to find cures to diseases that were thought to be incurable such as jaundice, tuberculosis and even cancer. Science has given us many miracles.
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