Short Answer Questions — 2 Marks Each

Last updated at September 28, 2026 by

1. He can control floating girders in free fall, position them accurately in three dimensions and fuse them together while working in a difficult space suit. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: How does the writer combine science fiction with humour in the opening?

2. A bird on a space station is so unexpected that he assumes the musical sound must have come from the station communication system. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: How does Claribel’s movement show adaptation to zero gravity?

3. He wanted to observe how a bird would use its wings when it had no weight in zero gravity. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: How does Claribel change from Sven’s secret to a shared part of station life?

4. The narrator has a nagging headache, disturbed sleep and unusual sluggishness, while breakfast is quiet. These human symptoms suggest that the station air may be affecting everyone. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: How does the writer build suspense before the real cause is known?

5. It shows that extra oxygen immediately helps her. When she collapses again after returning to the station air, the crew has evidence that the air itself may be unsafe. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: How does this incident convert a pet emergency into a scientific clue?

6. Because Claribel’s collapse and recovery with oxygen remind him that canaries were historically used as early warnings of dangerous mine air. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: What does this moment show about scientific problem-solving?

7. He believes duplicate alarm circuits would detect any problem, so a silent alarm seems to prove the air is safe. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: How does the failure of the alarm strengthen the story’s theme about technology?

8. Death cannot literally be slight, so the phrase is comic understatement. At the same time, it reminds us that the crew was genuinely close to a fatal oxygen shortage. 2 Marks
How to answer: Match the depth to the marks and use specific evidence.
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Answer: Why is the title ‘Feathered Friend’ appropriate?

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CA Maninder Singh is a Chartered Accountant with 16+ years of practical experience and 20+ years of teaching experience. At Teachoo, he simplifies Accounts, Tax and GST with step-by-step examples so students can apply concepts confidently in exams and real life.

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