Q1. Think and answer :

(a) In what time periods is the story taking place?

Ans: The story is taking place in the future, about 50 years from today.

(b) Where does Sayali live?

Ans: Sayali lives on earth.

Q2. Imagine you are landing on the moon. What would be your feelings?

Ans: I would be terribly thrilled and excited. I would look all around me so that I could see every single thing clearly. If I had a camera. I would click photographs to show my family and friends back home. I would also visit every possible place and bring back souvenirs.

Q3. What were the two important instructions?

Ans: The two important instructions to the children were: 

(a) to be extremely careful while roaming around outside the settlements and 

(b) to buy souvenirs and articles only from the shops which were inside the dome-shaped settlements, and not from the unauthorised shops outside the settlements.

Q4. What was special about sky watch on the moon?

Ans: On the earth, the stars were seen rarely and only very faintly. But in the moon sky the stars shone dazzling bright. The most attractive view was that of the disc of the earth. In the moon sky the earth looked thirteen times bigger than the moon in the earth sky. It was also seventy times brighter. The earth light fell on the moon, making the view enchanting.

Q5. What does it tell you about the conditions on the earth at that time? 

Ans: It tells us that pollution levels had become so high that it was usually foggy on the earth, and stars were seen rarely and only very faintly.

Q6. Think and answer :

(a) What would be the overall effects of having no atmosphere?

Ans: The atmosphere contains oxygen, which is essential for life. If there was no atmosphere, there would be no oxygen, and life, as we know it, would not exist. There would be no protection for the earth from the harmful radiation from the sun. The oceans would evaporate due to the extreme heat. The day temperature would be extremely high and the night temperature would be extremely low. All the various objects moving about In space would hit the earth. if there was no atmosphere to protect it.

(b) What could be the reason behind the unique seating arrangement?

Ans: As the gravitational force of the moon is 1/6 that of the earth, the children would have found it difficult to sit on chairs outside the artificially-maintained settlements. They would also have to wear space suits. Therefore they were made to sit inside the tents. The circus was going on outside the tent because the gravitational force of the moon was making high jumps and long jumps very easy for the gymnasts and thrilling for the spectators.

Q7. Think and answer :

(a) Was Sayali making a mistake when she bought earrings?

Ans: Yes, Sayali was making a mistake when she bought earrings.

(b) What instructions had she ignored?

Ans: Sayali and the others had been told to buy souvenirs and articles only from the shops which were inside the dome-shaped settlements, and not from the unauthorised shops outside the settlements. She ignored these instructions when she bought the earrings.

(c) Why had the earrings become so heavy on the earth?

Ans: Weight is the force exerted on a body by gravity. Sayali had purchased the earrings in the field of the moon’s gravity, which is 1/6 that of the earth. Naturally, these earrings would be much heavier in the field of earth’s gravity.