chapter 10 The Martian attack class 7 icse

 Section A: Answer the following questions briefly

1.  What time of day did the first falling star appear, and in which direction was it seen moving? It appeared early in the morning and was seen moving eastward over Winchester.

2.  Where was the 'meteorite' found, and what was its appearance? It was found in an enormous pit near the sandpits on the common. Instead of resembling a regular meteorite, it appeared as an unusual, huge, ashy-grey cylinder about thirty yards in diameter.

3.  How did Ogilvy react when he observed the cylinder, and what did he do afterwards? Ogilvy was astonished by its shape and color. When he saw the circular top unscrewing from inside and realized something was trying to escape, he became deeply alarmed and ran to alert the town authorities and the Astronomical Society.

4.  Describe the initial movements of the creature inside the cylinder as seen by the narrator. The narrator first noticed greyish billowy movements stirring in the shadows, followed by a thin grey snake-like appendage wriggling into the air, which was soon followed by other projecting tentacles.

5.  What were some of the distinct physical features of the Martian creature that emerged from the cylinder? The creature was the size of a bear with rounded, glistening wet-leather skin, two large luminous disc-like eyes, writhing tentacles, and a drooling, panting, lipless V-shaped mouth without brow ridges or a chin.

6.  How did the people around the pit attempt to communicate with the Martians, and what was the result of their efforts? A small group called the Deputation approached the pit waving a white flag to signal peaceful intentions and show intelligence. Instead of peaceful contact, an invisible heat-ray flashed out and incinerated the entire group.

7.  What happened when the greenish smoke emerged from the pit, and how did it affect the Deputation? Bright puffs of luminous green smoke rose into the air with a hissing noise, causing the sky to appear dark and turning the faces of the Deputation a pallid green. Shortly after, the hissing turned into a loud humming sound as the deadly heat-ray was unleashed upon them.

Section B: Answer these questions with reference to the context

1. "The news soon spread like wildfire, and people started surrounding the hole where the cylinder lay. When I arrived, the end of the cylinder was still being unscrewed from within, and shortly fell with a ringing concussion on the ground. For a moment the circular cavity seemed perfectly black."

• a. Which news 'spread like wildfire'? The news that a massive cylinder had landed on the common and that something inside it was unscrewing the lid to escape.
• b. What caused the 'hole' to form? The forceful impact of the cylinder crashing onto the ground from space.
• c. What is being called a 'cylinder' here? The extraterrestrial spacecraft that brought the Martians to Earth.

2. "Forthwith another of these creatures appeared in the shadow of the aperture. At this time I noticed a little black knot of men, the foremost of whom was waving a white flag. This was the Deputation."

• a. Who were 'these creatures'? The Martians that emerged from the landed spacecraft.
• b. What is being referred to as the Deputation? A delegation of local men who approached the pit to represent humanity and initiate contact.
• c. What did the Deputation want to show and to whom? They wanted to show the Martians that humans were intelligent beings capable of peaceful communication.

3. "It was sweeping round swiftly and steadily, this flaming death, this invisible, inevitable sword of heat. Suddenly something fell far away to the left and forthwith the hissing and humming ceased, and the black dome-like object sank slowly out of sight into the pit. Thus began the war of the worlds."

• a. What was 'it'? The invisible Martian heat-ray beam.
• b. Why has the word 'sword' been used in the first sentence? Because the beam swept across the landscape, cutting down everything in its path with lethal precision.
• c. Which worlds are being referred to here? Mars and Earth.

Section C: Answer these questions

1. In what ways does the author, H.G. Wells, use vivid and descriptive language to create a sense of tension and horror in the passage?

Wells builds tension and dread through sensory details and pacing:

• Sensory Imagery: He contrasts unnatural sounds (a muffled grating noise, a low humming, and a faint hissing) with shocking visuals, such as luminous green smoke and glistening, wet-leather skin.
• Grotesque Alien Anatomy: Instead of human-like beings, he presents monsters with Gorgon-like tentacles, disc-like unblinking eyes, and saliva-dripping mouths, tapping directly into the fear of the unknown.
• Escalating Pace: The scene progresses from quiet curiosity to alarming realization as the lid unscrews, culminating in the sudden, silent devastation of the invisible heat-ray.

2.How does the initial description of the meteorite and the emerging cylinder make you curious about what is being described?

It creates intrigue by contrasting natural phenomena with artificial machinery. Although assumed to be an ordinary fallen meteorite, its unnatural grey, ashy colour, massive 30-yard diameter, and rotating lid that unscrews from the inside immediately suggest intelligent design rather than simple space debris.

3. What about the Martian creature's appearance and behaviour make it seem like it was not from the Earth?

Its anatomy lacks familiar terrestrial facial structures: it has no chin or brow ridges, but features a V-shaped lipless mouth, luminous disc-like eyes, and writhing, Gorgon-like tentacles extending from a glistening, wet leather-like body. Furthermore, its heavy panting, saliva-dripping mouth, and awkward movements convey that it struggles under Earth's atmospheric conditions and gravity.

4.What caused the enormous hole near the sandpits, and why did Ogilvy believe it was a meteorite?

The pit was formed by the violent crash impact of the object falling from the sky. Ogilvy assumed it was a meteorite because it arrived following a streak of light ("falling star") that streaked across the morning sky.

5.What evidence led Ogilvy to believe that the creature inside the cylinder was not human?

The unnatural design of the craft itself, the muffled grating sounds coming from within, and the mechanical rotation of the lid indicated an extraterrestrial mechanism that differed completely from human engineering.

6.How did the people around the narrator react when they saw the creature emerging from the cylinder? What emotions did they display?

The crowd froze in terror and revulsion. Their initial astonishment instantly gave way to sheer horror and a sudden chill as they witnessed the grotesque tentacles and disc-like eyes emerge.

7.What did the Deputation plan to communicate to the Martians, and how did the Martians respond?

The Deputation intended to establish peaceful communication and demonstrate that humans were intelligent beings by approaching with a white flag. The Martians responded with unprovoked violence, unleashing an invisible beam of incinerating heat.

8. Describe the effect of the luminous greenish smoke that came out of the pit. How did it impact the Deputation?

The smoke emerged in three distinct puffs with a sharp hissing sound, casting an unnatural darkness over the sky. It bathed the Deputation in an eerie green light, leaving their faces looking sickly and pallid before the deadly attack occurred.

9. What happened to the group of men when flashes of actual flame appeared?

Invisible jets of heat struck them, causing each man to burst into white flames. They staggered, collapsed, and were incinerated where they stood.

10.What do you think the 'invisible, inevitable sword of heat' refers to in the passage?

It refers to the Martians' advanced directed-energy weapon—the Heat-Ray—which swept smoothly and silently across the area like an inescapable blade, cutting down and igniting everything in its path.

11.What event marked the beginning of the war of the worlds, and what was the outcome for the people in the vicinity of the pit?

The slaughter of the peaceful Deputation and the sweeping destruction of nearby trees, buildings, and onlookers by the Heat-Ray marked the start of the war. Those in the immediate vicinity were either burned alive or sent fleeing in complete panic.