Class 10 Footprints without feet Questions and Answers

 

CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 5 Footprints Without Feet Question Answers (Important) from Footprints without Feet Book

Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Question Answers –  Looking for Footprints without Feet question answers (NCERT solutions) for CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Book Chapter 5? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Chapter 5: Footprints without Feet question answers now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams. 

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Footprints without Feet NCERT Solutions

Q1)  How did the invisible man first become visible?
Ans) The invisible man first became visible when he accidentally stepped into some mud and his footprints started becoming visible to two boys who followed him until his footprints fainted and became invisible again. He got rid of them and spent a night at a large London store where he wore some clothes and slept on a pile of quilts. The next morning, when he was still sleeping, the store assistants started coming in and saw him which was actually the first time he was seen.

Q2)  Why was he wandering the streets?
Ans) Griffin had burned down the house of his landlord who had tried to throw him out of the house. He was a lawless person and to save himself from being caught he removed all his clothes so that he could not be seen and thus, became a homeless wanderer. He did not have any money or clothing left with him.

Q3)  Why does Mrs. Hall find the scientist eccentric?
Ans) Griffin arrived at an inn in Iping village during winter season which itself was an uncommon thing to happen. He also had a weird appearance. Mrs. Hall tried to be friendly with him but he was rude to her and told her that he didn’t want to be disturbed and the reason for his visit to the village of Iping was solitude. These were some of the reasons due to which Mrs.Hall considered him to be an eccentric scientist.

Q4)  What curious episode occurs in the study?
Ans) The clergyman and his wife were awakened early one morning by noises in their study room. When the clergyman went to the study with a metal rod and looked around he could not find anyone. He even looked under the desk, behind the curtain and up the chimney but no one was seen. The strangest part was that even though nobody was there the desk was opened and money was missing from the drawer.

Q5)  What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Ans) The landlord of the inn and his wife were surprised to see the doors of Griffin’s room open. They looked inside and found that nobody was inside the room and decided to investigate. They found it strange that his room’s door was open as he never liked anyone even trying to enter his room. All of a sudden, while investigating, Mrs. Hall heard a sniff next to her ear and was hit by Griffin’s hat on the face. Then the chair in the room charged towards Mrs. Hall and hit her in her legs.
As they both turned in terror, the chair pushed both of them out of the room and the door was slammed and suddenly a locking sound was heard. Mrs. Hall was scared and felt that the furniture was haunted by spirits and it was the stranger’s work. The nearby people started talking that the work was that of a witchcraf.

Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Question Answers Lesson 5 – Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A. The two boys started in surprise at the fresh muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet. What was a barefooted man doing on the steps of a house in the middle of London? And where was the man? 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. The boys followed, fascinated, until the muddy impressions became fainter and fainter, and at last disappeared altogether.

1.  Why were the boys surprised to see a barefooted man in London? The boys were surprised because _____________
A. they had never seen footprints before
B. everybody in London moved around in shoes.
C. it was pretty cold to move around bare feet.
D. only a person who is homeless and wanderer does so.
Ans. C

2. Pick out the option that is NOT related to ‘started’ as used in the extract
1. Flinched
2. Jerked
3. Recoiled
4. Pointed

A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Ans. D

3. Pick the option that best describes how the boys are feeling based on the extract.
A. enchanted, curious, puzzled
B. captivated, curious, puzzled
C. repulsed, curious, captivated
D. enchanted, repulsed, curious
Ans. B

4. The boys felt that the footprints were
A. seen due to some magic trick.
B. a figment of imagination.
C. of a man who was invisible.
D. those of a mysterious man.
Ans. D

5. Pick the option that best matches synonyms of the word ‘gazed’.
A. (I) gaped (II) gawked
B. (I) admired (II) disbelieved
C. (I) overlooked (II) stared
D. (I) surveyed (II) overlooked
Ans. A

6. Pick the option that lists the correct direction of the footprints on the stairs, as noticed by the boys.

 

                                 

 

A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Ans. B

 

B. Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person. His landlord disliked him and tried to eject him. In revenge Griffin set fire to the house. To get away without being seen he had to remove his clothes. Thus it was that he became a homeless wanderer, without clothes, without money, and quite invisible — until he happened to step in some mud, and left footprints as he walked! He escaped easily enough from the boys who followed his footprints in London. But his adventures were by no means over. He had chosen a bad time of the year to wander about London without clothes. It was mid-winter. 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.

1. Why did Griffin set the landlord’s house on fire?
A. as an act of revenge
B. because his landlord disliked him
C. he had ejected his landlord
D. all of the above
Ans. A

2. When did Griffin become quite invisible?
A. when he had his clothes on
B. when he left behind footprints in mud
C. after he removed his clothes
D. when he became a homeless wanderer
Ans. C

3. How do we know that Griffin was a lawless person?
A. the landlord did not like him
B. he had no money
C. he had set fire to the landlord’s house
D. he had to escape to London
Ans. C

4. Why does the narrator say that it was ‘a bad time of the year’?
A. It was very cold
B. Griffin had to wander in the streets
C. It was the end of the winter season.
D. all of the above
Ans. A

5. The word ‘eject’ DOES NOT mean the same as:
A. throw out
B. oust
C. expel
D. admit
Ans. D

 

C.  The arrival of a stranger at an inn in winter was in any case an unusual event. A stranger of such uncommon appearance set all tongues wagging. Mrs Hall, the landlord’s wife, made every effort to be friendly. But Griffin had no desire to talk, and told her, “My reason for coming to Iping is a desire for solitude. I do not wish to be disturbed in my work. Besides, an accident has affected my face.” Satisfied that her guest was an eccentric scientist, and in view of the fact that he had paid her in advance, Mrs Hall was prepared to excuse his strange habits and irritable temper. But the stolen money did not last long, and presently Griffin had to admit that he had no more ready cash. He pretended, however, that he was expecting a cheque to arrive at any moment.

1. Which event is referred to as ‘unusual’?
A. a stranger arriving at an inn in winter
B. a stranger having no money
C. a stranger with an uncommon appearance
D. the stranger’s desire for solitude
Ans. A

2. Mrs. Hall made ‘every effort to be friendly’ with the stranger. Her act reveals that she was being:
A. sympathetic
B. civil
C. understanding
D. thoughtless
Ans. C

3. What was Griffin’s actual motive of coming to Iping?
A. a desire for solitude
B. not to be disturbed in his work
C. to recover from an accident
D. to get away from the crowded London city
Ans. D

4. Why did Mrs. Hall ignore her guest’s strange habit?
A. she was an eccentric
B. he had paid the room rent in advance
C. she respected his desire for solitude
D. she did not want to disturb him
Ans. B

5. The word ‘eccentric’ means the same as?
A. abnormal
B. unconventional
C. weird
D. all of the above
Ans. D

D. As she and her husband turned away in terror, the extraordinary chair pushed them both out of the room and then appeared to slam and lock the door after them.
Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics. She was convinced that the room was haunted by spirits, and that the stranger had somehow caused these to enter into her furniture.
“My poor mother used to sit in that chair,” she moaned! To think it should rise up against me now! The feeling among the neighbours was that the trouble was caused by witchcraft.”

1. Mrs. Hall felt that the room was haunted by spirits because
A. she could see evil spirits.
B. she heard strange noise.
C. uncanny things happened there.
D. the door slammed shut.
Ans. C

2. Pick the option that best describes how Mrs Hall must be feeling at the moment described in the extract.
A. stunned and furious
B. shocked and outraged
C. outraged and nervous
D. stunned and agitated
Ans. D

3. Pick the sentence that brings out the meaning of ‘hysterics’ as used in the extract.
A. My friend and I were in splits when we saw the clown’s antics.
B. I don’t know why I suddenly felt worried about flying home.
C. The sight of blood put the old man in a frenzy.
D. The people who had witnessed the accident were spellbound.
Ans. C

4. Pick the option that conveys the most appropriate meaning of the word “spirit” as in the given extract.
A. the liquid containing ethanol and water that is distilled from an alcoholic liquid or mash
B. a supernatural being or essence
C. a special attitude or frame of mind
D. None of the above
Ans. B

5. The neighbours thought it was ‘witchcraft’. This tells us that neighbours were
A. suspicious
B. superstitious
C. nervous wrecks
D. gossip-mongers
Ans. B

6. Pick the option that includes the correct matches of Column A with Column B.

Column A Column B
  1. The stranger was
(i) eccentric, lonely and callous
  1. He had escaped
(ii) eccentric, callous and short-tempered
  1. He had an uncommon appearance
(iii) from London to Iping
(iv) from London to Iping

 

A. I-(ii); II-(iv); III-(iii)
B. I-(i); II-(iii); III-(iv)
C. I-(iii); II-(ii); III-(i)
D. I-(ii); II-(iii); III-(iv)
Ans. D

7. Given are different meanings of ‘haunt’. Pick the option that DOES NOT correspond to its meaning
A. to be conscious of a strange phenomenon.
B. be persistently and disturbingly present in (the mind).
C. (of something unpleasant) continue to affect or cause problems for.
D. a place frequented by a specified person.
Ans. A

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Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Short Question Answers (including questions from Previous Years Question Papers)

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from the chapter Footprints without Feet for CBSE Class 10 Boards in the coming session. These questions have been taken from previous years class 10 Board exams and the year is mentioned in the bracket along with the question.

Q1. What happened to Jaffers when he tried to catch the invisible scientist?
Ans. Griffin took off his clothes so that he could become invisible when constable Jaffers sought to apprehend him. Unable to see the person, Jaffers felt himself struggling. Griffin struck him, and he was soon knocked unconscious.

Q2. What was the explanation of ‘mystery’?
Ans. 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.

Q3. What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? [CBSE 2013]
Ans. 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.

Q4. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Ans. The invisible man (Griffin) initially became visible after sneaking inside a large London department shop to stay warm and oversleeping there while wearing some of the store’s clothing. As the store opened in the morning, the employees could see him thanks to his clothing. He had to take off all his garments to become invisible in order to get away from them.

Q5. What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company? [CBSE 2012]
Ans. 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. He came out of the shop wearing bandages around his head, dark glasses, false nose, big bushy side whiskers and a large hat.

Q6. How did Griffin find himself invisible but naked in the chill January air for the second time?
Ans. When the large London store opened in the morning, the sales people entered. Seeing them, Griffin panicked and ran. The assistants chased Griffin as he fled in a state of terror. He had to take off his newly discovered clothing in order to disappear, so for the second time he was both invisible and naked in the cold January air.

Q7. Why were the two boys in London surprised and fascinated?
Ans. 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 saw, a fresh footprint appeared from nowhere.

Q8. Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store? [CBSE 2011]
Ans. 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. He was looking for some food, clothes and a warm place to spend the night.

Q9. How was Griffin a lawless man?
Ans. 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, attacked and robbed a shopkeeper and also stole money from a clergyman’s house to pay his bills.

Q10. What did Griffin, the scientist, do to escape after setting the fire to the house of his landlord ? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 018]
Ans. Griffin, the scientist, removed his clothes, became invisible and got away without being seen. He became a homeless wanderer without clothes, without money and quite invisible.

Q11. Give a character sketch of Griffin the invisible scientist. [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 064]
Ans. The invisible scientist was a brilliant scientist who misused his scientific discovery and became a lawless person. He started enjoying harming people. Griffin is very irritable and impatient. He loses his temper over petty things and starts hurting others. He has lost his conscience and doesn’t feel sorry. Although Griffin is lonely and seems to have been misunderstood from time to time, he fails to gain sympathy due to his murderous rage and evil ways.

Q12. How did Griffin enjoy himself inside a big London store? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 065]
Ans. Griffin slipped into a big London store to save himself from the unbearable cold. He ate, drank and wore warm clothes. He found cold meat, coffee and sweets there. At last he slept on a pile of quilts.

Q13. What extraordinary things happened at the inn? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 035]
Ans. The landlord and his wife found the scientist’s door open. The scientist was missing. Suddenly, Mrs. Hall heard a sniff and saw the hat on the bedpost leap up. The chair in the room started moving automatically. These things made people furious.

Q14. What did the Halls see in the scientist’s room? [Board Term I, 2013]
Ans. One day the Halls got up early and were surprised to see that the door of the scientist’s room was open. Normally, it remained shut and locked. The Halls felt like making the use of the opportunity and investigate. They saw that the bed clothes were cold. The stranger’s clothes and bandages were lying loose in the room. Suddenly, they heard a sniffing sound although there was no one in the room. The Halls got terrified and decided to leave the scientist’s room.

Q15. Why did Mrs. Hall find the scientist eccentric? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – Oil]
Ans. Mrs. Hall found the scientist eccentric because he arrived at the inn in winter, which was an unusual time for any visitor to arrive there. His appearance was strange. He did not like to speak to Mrs. Hall and wanted to be left alone and undisturbed

Q16. Why does the writer say that Griffin had chosen a bad time to be in London without clothes? (QB)
Ans. Griffin had chosen the bad time of the year because it was mid-winter in London. It became hard for him to wander without clothes. 

Q17. The neighbours suspected Griffin of burglary. State why this was OR was not justified. (QB)
Ans. The neighbours thought that the trouble was caused by witchcraft. The news of the burglary at the clergyman’s house made them suspect that it was caused by the stranger. Griffin had no money earlier but when he produced ready cash suddenly, their suspicion got justified.

Q18. What do you think would have happened if Griffin was caught by Jaffers and the latter hadn’t become unconscious?​ (QB)
Ans. If Griffin was caught by the constable Jaffers, Jaffers would have arrested him and would have been put before the court of law and punished accordingly. 

Q19. If you were a friend of Griffin, what suggestion would you have given to him about how he could use his talent and scientific acumen? Write one suggestion and the reason for giving it. (QB)
Ans.  If I were his friend, I would have given given following suggestion:-
Griffin should help his country’s government and use his ability to become invisible to fight crimes and evils:
Every nation faces criminal activities. By using his invention the government could have handled the crimes and mischiefs effectively.

Q20. Do you find the story based on being invisible a mere figment of one’s imagination or a phenomenon that is plausible? (QB)
Ans. I think that the possibility of the story “Footprints without Feet”  being a reality would be very miniscule, so I believe that Griffin would most likely be an imagined character and not a real one. 

Q21. Your teacher conducted a debate in your class on the topic ” Schools must develop scientific temperament in students”. Write any two arguments that you used to supplement your stand, either as a propostion speaker or as an opposition one. (QB)
Ans. Support: Developing scientific temperament in students promotes critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, and encourages innovation.
Scientific education helps students to understand the natural world and its complexities, which can help them to appreciate and protect the environment, and make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Opposition: Focusing solely on scientific education may limit students’ exposure to other fields, such as the arts, humanities, and social sciences, which are also important for holistic development.
The pressure to excel in science may lead to a narrow focus on rote learning and test-taking, which may not necessarily lead to a genuine interest in the subject or a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.

Q22. How did the invisible man first become visible?
Ans. Griffin, the invisible scientist, first became visible when he happened to step in some mud, which caused him to leave footprints as he walked.

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Class 10 Footprints without Feet Long Answer Questions Lesson 5

Q1. Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.
OR
Scientists contribute to make the world a better place. Griffin is an antithesis to this statement. Justify.
Ans. It’s evident from these two cases that Griffin abused his scientific discovery. Griffin first lit the house on fire in retaliation when his landlord tried to evict him. He had conveniently done this after ingesting some rare drug that had rendered him invisible as a sheet of glass. The second incident occurs after he gets caught sleeping in a London store. He attacks and robs a storekeeper of money so he can get warm and put on clothes. Then he reserves a room at an inn and asks to not be bothered. Here, a number of strange things happen. In order to investigate, the landlord and his wife first go into the scientist’s room while he is not there. His clothes and cap are scattered over the room, and his bed clothes are damp. The hat suddenly flies across her face as she hears a sniff near her ears. The chair in the bedroom comes to life and attacks her legs. The door is then locked after forcing Mr. and Mrs. Hall out of the space. As a result, we can observe how the clever scientist abuses his scientific findings.

Q2. Describe the landlord’s and his wife’s experience with the strange scientist. [CBSE 2016]
Ans. The scientist’s room door was normally closed, so Mrs. Hall and her husband were both shocked to see it open. They peeked inside but discovered no one was there. The bandages and clothing he always wore were scattered all over the space.
The hat on the bedpost suddenly sprung up and crashed into Mrs. Hall’s face as she heard a sniff near her ear. The bedroom chair then leaped into the air and pushed them both out of the room. Mrs. Hall started to cry and nearly fell down the steps. She believed her furnishings to be possessed. When they next encountered the scientist, they made the decision to confront him.

Q3. What impression do you form of Griffin after reading the lesson, “Footprint, without Feet”?
Ans. Griffin was a great scientist who created a medicine that when ingested, caused his body to turn transparent like a sheet of glass. Because of this, he would completely vanish. Yet he was a lawless man. In chilly mid January, Griffin became a homeless wanderer without clothes or money as a result of his wrongdoings. He was an introvert who liked his solitude. He was dishonest, though, as he stole from many people and he also had a lightning-quick temper, which led to him becoming a fugitive. Griffin was a very talented and gifted man but used his mind in a sinister way.

Q4. Describe the scene when Mr Jaffers tries to arrest “a man without a head”?
Ans. One day, Griffin took cash from the clergyman’s home. The villagers had suspicions about Griffin. They believed he had stolen the cash. Police were contacted by Mrs. Hall. The police officer arrived there and was taken by surprise. In addition to taking off his prosthetic nose, side whiskers, and glasses, Griffin was now headless. Being forced to apprehend a man without a head startled the policeman. He attempted to restrain Griffin. Griffin then began removing each piece of clothing one at a time. In the end, Griffin completely vanished. The policeman made an effort to fight him. The policeman was also assisted by some villagers. But out of nowhere, they received blows. Griffin then struck the police officer, Jaffers. He lost consciousness. Griffin then gained freedom.

Q5. If, somehow you discovered how to become invisible, how would you use that opportunity? [CBSE 2015]
Ans. If I were invisible, I would aid people and the community. In order to stop the antisocial people from committing any crimes, I would wander and deter criminals from committing any crime. Any nefarious terrorist attempts would be stopped by me. I would always go to government offices to see if they were doing their jobs properly. If I were invisible, I would go to hospitals whenever I wanted to see if the medical staff was appropriately caring for the patients. In order to determine whether someone is using child labour, I would go to the factories. I’ll use my invisibility to battle social injustices and advance the welfare of the people.

Q6. ‘Readers believe that Griffin was a man without conscience’ You have a class discussion on why our conscience plays a vital role in shaping our character. Present a summary of your views on this.​
Ans. Griffin was a man without conscience. It is true he was not a law abiding citizen of his country. He broke one law after another and made himself an undesirable person.
He did not hesitate robbing money when he needed it. He experimented on a cat, with no concern for the poor creature’s cries of pain. He threw it out and never tried to find whether it was alive or dead. He burnt down the house of the landlord. He was only worried about covering his trail.
After becoming invisible he committed one brutal act after another, not because they were necessary for his survival, but simply because he enjoyed doing them. The way he looted the owner of a small costume shop, and left him helpless after striking him on his head, spoke volumes about his inhumanity. His plan to spread reign of terror among people using his powers of invisibility is really shocking.

Q7. Griffin sets the house on fire when he was thrown out. Anger and revenge are in  no way a solution to any problem. You are  a columnist for a class  X e-zine(magazine). Create a column on importance of anger  management for teens and  its  detrimental effects on health. (QB)
Ans.
ANGER DOESN’T RESOLVE, IT DESTROYS
Griffin, in Footprints without Feet sets the house on fire because he was thrown out  of the property by the landlord.People like Griffin equate revenge with seeking justice, but these two are not the same.When a person gets angry, he loses control over all his sensibilities and taking revenge becomes his ultimate goal.People who seek revenge are driven by anger and violence. Anger can have detrimental effects on health as well. It causes anxiety, blood pressure and headaches.Anger Management plays a pivotal role in such cases. It helps us recognise our frustrations early and resolve them, allowing us to be calm and in control of our senses.Lack of anger management can be disastrous as seen in case of Griffin. 

Q8. Imagine that Griffin has been caught by the police and is produced in court. He needs to defend himself and prove that he is not guilty of the charges. As Griffin prepare a statement that you would use in court to prove your innocence. You may begin like this:
I plead not guilty. I have been accused of …, however…​        (QB)
Ans. I plead not guilty. I have been accused of violence and cruelty by the people of Iping However, I deny all the charges. I didn’t hurt anyone intentionally. I had no ill will against anyone. The circumstances were such that I had to be violent and cruel in order to save myself. I have been accused of robbery at the clergyman’s house. My problem was that Mrs. Hall was nudging me all day to pay rent. I informed her many times that I was waiting for my cheque and would pay her eventually but she grew impatient. As a result, I had to rob the clergyman’s house to get money. In order to escape the shopkeeper, I had to attack him after robbing him.
Thus, I plead that I am innocent and the above points must be taken into consideration before announcing any judgement. Thank You. 

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Also See:

Class 10 English Syllabus
Character Sketches of Class 10 English
CBSE Class 10 English Lesson Explanation, Summary
CBSE Class 10 English Question Answers (Important)
CBSE Class 10 English MCQs
Class 10 English Complete Study Guide
Class 10 English First Flight book Prose word meanings
Class 10 English First Flight Poems word meaning
Class 10 English Footprints without Feet word meanings
List of Poetic Devices in Class 10 Poems (Poem-wise)
10 Important Poetic Devices for Class 10