Prose : Chapter 4 A Truly Beautiful Mind ENGLISH [NCERT] - Prose : Chapter 4 A Truly Beautiful Mind

Albert Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in the German city of Ulm, without any indication that he was destined for greatness. On the contrary, his mother thought Albert was a freak. To her, his head was much too large. At the age of two- and- a- half, Einstein was still not talking. When he finally did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do with other children, and his playmates called him ‘Brother Boring’.
Q.1. Einstein was a special child because he ................................... .
(i) was a late talker
(ii) he said everything twice
(iii) he had a big head
(iv) both (i) and (ii)
Q.2. The statement “without any indication that he was destined for greatness” means that ................................... .
(i) Einstein as a child was ordinary
(ii) he was a prodigy
(iii) he did not show any signs of greatness
(iv) he was marked for greatness

At the urging of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, on 2 August, 1939, in which he warned: “A single bomb of this type... exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory.” His words did not fail to have an effect. The Americans developed the atomic bomb in a secret project of their own, and dropped it on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Q.1. The expression “At the urging of a colleague” means ................................... .
(i) at the reprimanding of a fellow scientist
(ii) at the appeal of a colleague
(iii) at the request of a colleague
(iv) at the dissuading of a colleague
Q.2. Einstein’s letter contained ................................... .
(i) information about the cost of damage on property
(ii) information about the damage caused by a bomb in a port
(iii) the amount of secrecy to be maintained in the project
(iv) destruction of not just a port but its adjoining territory too

Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. This time he wrote a public missivoet the United Nations. In it he proposed the formation of a world government. Unlike the letter to Roosevelt, this one made no impact. But over the next decade, Einstein got ever more involved in politics— agitating for an end to the arms build-up and using his popularity to campaign for peace and democracy.
Q.1. The phrase “the extent of the destruction” refers to ................................... .
(i) destruction caused by the atomic explosions
(ii) destruction caused by war
(iii) destruction caused by riots
(iv) destruction caused by food shortages
Q.2. The meaning of the word ‘missive’ is ................................... .
(i) a notice
(ii) a report
(iii) an invitation
(iv) a letter

He also felt a special interest in a fellow student, Mileva Maric, whom he found to be a “clever creature”. This young Serb had come to Switzerland because the University in Zurich was one of the few in Europe where women could get degrees. Einstein saw in her an ally against the ‘Philistines’— those people in his family and at the university with whom he was constantly at odds. The couple fell in love.
Q.1. The statement “He also felt a special interest” means that ................................... .
(i) Einstein was attracted to Mileva for her intelligence
(ii) he was impressed by her grades
(iii) he wanted her to work in his team
(iv) Mileva was one of his many fans amongst women
Q.2. Mileva was from ................................... .
(i) Switzerland
(ii) Zurich
(iii) Serbia
(iv) Germany

Where did Einstein score good grades in all the subjects?

Why did Mileva Maric come to Switzerland?

Both Einstein and his wife worked on the concept of _______________.

After finishing graduation, Albert worked as a

In which year did the famous paper of Einstein Special Theory of Relativity get published?

Why did Einstein not mix up with other children?

Why does the world remember Einstein as a World Citizen?

What was the invention of Einstein?

When and where did Einstein meet Mileva Maric?

How did Einstein fare in high school?

How did Einstein work for the world peace and democracy? What does it show about his character and values ?

Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. What kind of destruction had shaken Einstein ? Was he a true scientist?

Why do you think, Einstein’s personal life, was not happy? According to you, what was the main reason for their unhappy married life? Do you think it is a common problem nowadays ?

Albert Einstein was an unusual child. How? He was different from others in many ways. Do you think that those who think differently succeed in their life like Einstein? Comment.

Why was Albert Einstein called ‘Brother Boring’? Do you also think so? How do you avoid to be called ‘Brother Boring’ in your school or at home?