Prasanna

Here we are providing The Ghat of the Only World Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Ghat of the Only World Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

The Ghat of the Only World Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
When and why did Shahid mention his death to the writer?
Answer:
The first time that Shahid mentioned his approaching death was on 25 April 2001 although he had been under treatment for malignant brain tumour for about fourteen months. He was going through his engagement book when suddenly he said that he couldn’t see anything. Then after a pause he added that he hoped this didn’t mean that he was dying.

Question 2.
What was the strange request that Shahid made to the writer?
Answer:
After Shahid broached the subject of death for the first time with the writer, he did not know how to respond.The writer tried to reassure him that he would be well but Shahid interrupted him and in an inquiring tone said that he hoped after his death, he would write something about him.

Question 3.
How did the writer realize that Shahid was serious about him writing about his death?
Answer:
When the writer tried reassuring him, Shahid ignored his reassurances. When he began to laugh the writer realised that he was very serious about what he had said. He wanted the writer to remember him not through the spoken words of memory and friendship, but through the written word.

Question 4.
Why did he want the writer to write something?
Answer:
Perhaps, Shahid knew all too well that for those writers for whom things become real only in the process of writing, there is an inherent struggle to deal with loss and sorrow. He knew that the writer’s nature would have led him to search for reasons to avoid writing about his death.

Question 5.
Where was Shahid staying during his illness?
Answer:
Earlier Shahid was staying a few miles away, in Manhattan. But after the tests revealed that he had a malignant brain tumour, he decided to move to Brooklyn, to be close to his youngest sister, Sameetah, who was teaching at the Pratt Institute, a few blocks away from the street where the writer lived.

Question 6.
‘Shahid, I will: I’ll do the best I can.’ What best did the writer want to do?
Answer:
The writer would have had various excuses for not writing about Shahid. He would have said that he was not a poet, their friendship was recent or that there were many others who knew him much better and would be writing from greater understanding and knowledge. Shahid seemed to have guessed this and insisted . that he wrote about him. The writer promised to try his best in doing justice to the memory of Shahid in his piece of writing.

Question 7.
What did the writer do in order to fulfill his promise to Shahid?
Answer:
The writer, from the day he was committed to writing an article, picked up his pen, noted the date, and wrote down everything he remembered of each conversation after that day. This he continued to do for the next few months. This record made it possible for him to fulfill the pledge he made that day.

Question 8.
What did Amitav Ghosh think of Shahid, the poet?
Answer:
Amitav Ghosh was introduced to Shahid’s work long before he met him. His 1997 collection, The Country Without a Post Office, had made a powerful impression on him. His voice was like none that had ever heard before. It was at once lyrical and fiercely disciplined, engaged and yet deeply inward. He knew of no one else who would even conceive of publishing a line like.- ‘Mad heart, be brave.’

Question 9.
‘….his illness did not impede the progress of our friendship.’ Why does the writer feel so?
Answer:
The writer got to know Shahid only after he moved to Brooklyn the next year, as he, too, lived in the same neighbourhood. Then they began to meet sometimes for meals and quickly discovered that they had a great deal in common. By this time of course Shahid’s condition was already serious, but despite that their friendship grew rapidly.

Question 10.
What were the interests that Shahid and Amitav shared?
Answer:
They had many a common friends, in India, America, and elsewhere, they shared a love for roganjosh, Roshanara Begum and Kishore Kumar; a mutual indifference to cricket and an equal attachment to old Bombay films.

Question 11.
How did Shahid occupy himself, when he was not writing?
Answer:
Shahid was a very sociable person. There was never an evening when there wasn’t a party in his living room. He loved having many people around in his apartment. He loved serving them good food. He loved the spirit of festivity. This he said, meant he didn’t ‘have time to be depressed’.

Question 12.
Shahid was legendary for his prowess in the kitchen. Justify.
Answer:
Shahid was never so preoccupied to overlook the progress of the evening’s meal. Even the number of guests didn’t matter. He would cut short his conversation to shout directions to whoever was in the kitchen. Even when his eyesight was failing, he could tell from the smell alone, exactly which stage the roganjosh had reached. And when things went exactly as they should, he would sniff the air and appreciate. He would spend days over the planning and preparation of a dinner party.

Question 13.
What was the impact of James Merrill on Shahid’s poetry?
Answer:
James Merrill, the poet, completely changed the direction of Shahid’s poetry. After coming in contact with him, Shahid began to try out strict, metrical patterns and verse forms. No one had a greater influence on Shahid’s poetry than James Merrill. In the poem in which he most openly anticipated his own death, ‘I • Dream I Am At the Ghat of the Only World,’ he awarded the envoy to Merrill.

Question 14.
How did Shahid justify his passion for the food of his region?
Answer:
Shahid had a special passion for the food of his region, particularly ‘Kashmiri food in the Pandit style’.This was very important to him because of a persistent dream, in which all the Pandits had vanished from the valley of Kashmir and their food had become extinct. This was a nightmare that haunted him in his conversation and his poetry.

Question 15.
What did he admire in Begum Akhtar? What merit did he have in common with her?
Answer:
Apart from her music, Shahid admired her sharpness in repartee. He, too, was a witty man. On one occasion, at Barcelona airport he was asked what he did for a living. He said he was a poet. The guard, a woman, asked him again what he was doing in Spain. Writing poetry, he replied. Finally, the frustrated woman asked if he was carrying anything that could be dangerous to the other passengers. To this Shahid said: ‘Only my heart’.

Question 16.
Comment on Shahid as a teacher.
Answer:
Shahid was teaching at Manhattan’s Baruch College. The narrator had the privilege to watch him perform in a classroom. It was evident from the moment they walked in that the students adored him. They had printed a magazine and dedicated the issue to him. Shahid for his part was not in the least subdued by the sadness of the occasion. From beginning to end, he was a sparkling diva.

Question 17.
How did Shahid’s upbringing help him imbibe ecumenical outlook?
Answer:
Shahid’s vision was always inclined towards the broader and universal outlook. He credited this to his parents. In his childhood he had the desire to create a small Hindu temple in his room in Srinagar. Initially he was hesitant to tell his parents, but when he did they responded with an enthusiasm equal to his own. His mother bought him murtis and other accessories and he was diligently did pujas at this shrine.

Question 18.
What was Shahid’s last wish? Why?
Answer:
On May 4, Shahid had gone to the hospital for a scan. Shahid told the writer that the doctors had given him a year or less. He said that he would like to go back to Kashmir to die. He wanted to go to Kashmir because of the feudal system existing there, which would be a lot of support. Moreover his father was there too. He didn’t want his siblings to have to make the journey afterwards, like they had to with his mother.

Question 19.
What does Amitav Ghosh say about his end?
Answer:
The last time the writer saw Shahid was on 27 October, at his brother’s house in Amherst. He was able to converse only intermittently and there were moments when they talked as they had in the past. He had made his peace with his approaching death. There was no trace of any anguish or conflict and he was surrounded by the love of his family and friends, he was calm, contented, and at peace. He loved the idea of meeting his mother in the afterlife.

The Ghat of the Only World Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe in detail Agha Shahid Ali’s attitude towards his approaching death.
Answer:
The first time Shahid spoke to the narrator about his approaching death was on 25 April 2001. It was during a routine telephonic conversation that the writer heard him flipping through his engagement book and then suddenly he said that he could not see a thing. After a brief pause he added that he hoped that this didn’t mean that he was dying. He had been under treatment for cancer for some fourteen months, but was active and perfectly logical, except for intermittent lapses of memory.

He had never before touched the subject of death. His voice sounded joyous but the subject of conversation was grim. When the writer tried to tell him that he would be fine, he interrupted him and told him that he hoped Amitav would write something about him after his death.

Later, when the doctors lost hope, Shahid said that he would like to go back to Kashmir to die. He wanted to go to Kashmir because of the feudal system existing there, as there would be a lot of support. Moreover his father was there too. He didn’t want his siblings to have to make the journey afterwards, like they had to with his mother. A day before his death, there was no trace of anguish or conflict and he was surrounded by the love of his family and friends, he was calm, contented, and at peace.

Question 2.
How did the writer decide to write a piece on Shahid after his death?
Answer:
When for the first time Shahid expressed his desire that Amitav write something about him after his death, Amitav was shocked into silence and a long moment passed before he could bring himself to try to reassure him.But Shahid ignored his reassurances. He began to laugh and it was then that the writer realized that he was very serious. He understood that Shahid was trusting him with a specific responsibility.

Shahid knew all too well that for writers things become real only in the process of writing, but there is a natural battle in dealing with death. He knew that Amitav’s instincts would lead him to search for reasons to avoid writing about his death, so he repeated ‘You must write about me.’ The writer could think of nothing to say so he promised to put in his best efforts.

Question 3.
How did the bond of friendship grow between the writer and Shahid?
Answer:
The writer, in 1998, quoted a line from Shahid’s ‘The Country Without a Post Office in an article that mentioned Kashmir. Then the only fact that the writer knew about him was that he was from Srinagar and had studied in Delhi. The writer had been at Delhi University at about the same time but they had never met. Later, some common friend introduced them. In 1998 and 1999 they had several conversations on the phone and even met a couple of times.

But they barely knew each other until he moved to Brooklyn the next . year. Then, being in the same neighbourhood, they met for occasional meals and discovered that they had a great deal in common. By this time Shahid’s condition was already serious, yet their friendship flourished. They had common friends, shared a love of rogan josh, Roshanara Begum and Kishore Kumar, had a mutual indifference to cricket and an equal attachment to old Bombay films.

Question 4.
Why does the writer feel that ‘Shahid had a sorcerer’s ability to transmute the mundane into the magical’?
Answer:
The writer quotes an episode when Shahid was to be got back from the hospital after a surgical procedure that was meant to ease the pressure on his brain. His head was shaved and the shape of the tumour was visible upon his bare scalp, its edges outlined by metal sutures. When it was time to leave the ward a blue- uniformed hospital escort arrived with a wheelchair. Shahid said that he was strong enough to walk out of the hospital.

But he was weak and dizzy and could take no more than a few steps. Iqbal got back the wheelchair while the rest of them held him upright. At that moment, leaning against the depressing hospital wall, a kind of delight flooded Shahid. When the hospital orderly retuned with the wheelchair Shahid gave him a broad smile and asked where he was from. The man said he was from Ecuador. Shahid clapped his hands gleefully together and said loudly ‘I always wanted to learn Spanish. Just to read Lorca.’ Shahid had an ability to metamorphose a dull moment into a delightful one.

Question 5.
Shahid placed great store on authenticity and exactitude in cooking. Comment.
Answer:
Shahid placed great store on authenticity and exactitude in cooking and did not like variation from conventional methods and recipes. He pitied people who took short cuts. The aroma of roganjosh and haale would invade even the elevator. No matter how many people there were, Shahid was never so preoccupied as to lose track of the progress of the evening’s meal. From time to time he would interrupt himself to shout directions to whoever was in the kitchen.

Even when his eyesight was failing, he could tell from the smell alone, exactly which stage the roganjosh had reached. And when things went exactly as they should, he would sniff the air and appreciate the cooking. He had a special passion for ‘Kashmiri food in the Pandit style’ because of a recurrent dream, in which all the Pandits had vanished from the valley of Kashmir and their food had become extinct. He also loved Bengali food.

Question 6.
The steady deterioration of the political situation in Kashmir the violence and counter-violence had a powerful effect on Shahid. Comment.
Answer:
Shahid traveled frequently between the United States and India and hence was an irregular but first-hand witness to the growing violence that gripped the region from the late 1980s onwards. The continuous decline of the political situation in Kashmir had a great effect on him. It became one of the fundamental subjects of his work and it was in writing of Kashmir that he created his finest work.

Distressed about Kashmir’s destiny, Shahid firmly refused to accept the role of victim. In fact this would also have given him a great deal of popularity but Shahid never had any doubt about his mission. Although respectful of religion, he believed in the separation of politics and religious practice.

Here we are providing Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Mother’s Day Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Who is Mrs Fitzgerald? What does she advise Mrs Pearson?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald is Mrs Pearson’s neighbour and friend. A fortune teller, who had learnt the art from the East, she tells Mrs Pearson that her fortune could turn either way. With effort and counsel, the situation would swing in her favour. She advised her to assert herself as the boss of the house.

Question 2.
What was Mrs Pearson’s reaction to Mrs Fitzgerald’s advice?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson said that it would not be easy to put her family members in place as she was very fond of them. She knew that they were thoughtless and selfish but felt, perhaps, they did not mean to be so.

Question 3.
What was Mrs Fitzgerald’s opinion of Mrs Pearson’s attitude?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald said that Mrs Pearson’s family was undoubtedly spoilt. She felt that it was Mrs Pearson’s attitude that did them no good, tending to their needs, taking their orders, and staying at home every night while they went out enjoying themselves.

Question 4.
What does Mrs Fitzgerald offer to do for her?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald sensed that Mrs Pearson was far too gentle, submissive and generous to tackle her family. Mrs Fitzgerald offered to make them realize the error of their ways not as Mrs Fitzgerald but as Mrs Pearson. She offered to change their bodies and change back again.”

Question 5.
How did the two women react after their bodies were changed?
Answer:
When Mrs Pearson looked down at herself in Mrs Fitzgerald’s body, she gave a scream of fright. On the other hand, Mrs Fitzgerald is rather pleased and feels that the transition was so neat that she did not even know that she had it in her.

Question 6.
What is Doris’s first reaction on seeing her mother? Why?
Answer:
Doris was taken aback to see her mother smoking and playing cards. When Doris asks her what she was doing, she is startled to get her answer—‘whitewashing the ceiling.’ Moreover, her conduct was not nervous and apologetic but cool and incisive.

Question 7.
What did Doris want her mother to do? How did the mother react?
Answer:
Doris wanted her to iron her yellow silk dress that she ‘must wear’ that night. She also wanted her mother to make tea for her. She refused to get her tea and iron her dress, telling her that she put in twice the hours Doris did but got neither wages, nor thanks for it.

Question 8.
What does Mrs Pearson say to Doris that really bothered her?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson asked where Doris would wear her yellow silk dress. She said that she planned to go out with Charlie Spence. Mrs Pearson told her to find somebody better, and insulted Charlie Spence by calling her buck-toothed and was half-witted.

Question 9.
What does Mrs Pearson have to say to Cyril that shocks him?
Answer:
When Cyril walk in and insists on her getting the tea and his clothes ready, he is stunned to hear that she doesn’t ‘like mending’. She goes on to tell him that when he does not want to do something, he does not do it. She planned to do the same. Cyril could not believe his ears.

Question 10.
What do Doris and Cyril feel about Mrs Pearson’s changed behaviour?
Answer:
Doris and Cyril discuss that there is something wrong with their mother as she is not behaving in character. They discuss how Mrs Pearson behaved oddly with each of them. They try to fathom if she had gone crazy or had a concussion.

Question 11.
What is Mrs Pearson’s reaction to see her children giggling when she returns to the room?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson asks them the reason for their amusement. Doris answers that she had never understood their jokes. To which Mrs Pearson retorts, rudely, that she was bored at their jokes even before they were bom. Doris is tearful and Mrs Pearson blames them for being selfish about their needs.

Question 12.
What reason does she give Cyril for not making the tea?
Answer:
When Cyril again asks for tea as he had been working for an eight-hour day, Mrs Pearson replies that she had done her eight hours and henceforth she would work only for forty hours a week. She declared that she would have her two days off on the weekend.

Question 13.
What, according to Mrs Pearson, were her plans for the weekends?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson tells her children that at the weekend she would have her two days off. She agreed to make beds and cook a little as a favour, conditional to how she was treated. Mrs Pearson tells her children that in case they did not like the arrangement, she would go elsewhere for the weekend.

Question 14.
Why was George Pearson surprised when he came home? What was the answer that he got?
Answer:
Mr George Pearson was surprised to see Doris crying and was shocked to see Mrs Pearson sipping beer. He said that it did not look right. Mrs Pearson replied that it was ‘a nice change’ and it had been quite some time since he was surprised at her.

Question 15.
What did Mrs Pearson say to her husband when he was angry with her for not making tea?
Answer:
Mr Pearson informed Mrs Pearson that he did not want tea but grew angry at being told that tea was not ready. She taunted him that if he went up to the bar at the club and refused a glass of beer and showed irritation because they had not served it earlier, he would invite ridicule.

Question 16.
What was the truth about Mr George Pearson that hurt him the most?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson told George that that he was one of the standing jokes in the club. He was called ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’ because they thought that he was slow and pompous. She was surprised that he spent so much time at a place where people always ridiculed him, leaving his wife at home.

Question 17.
What was Mrs Fitzgerald’s reaction to Mrs Pearson shouting at Cyril? Why?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald was in reality Mrs Pearson, so when she saw Mrs Pearson (the real Mrs Fitzgerald) shouting at Cyril, she protested as she was actually Cyril’s mother. But Mrs Pearson told her not to interfere.

Question 18.
What were the two slips that could have let out the real identity of Mrs Fitzgerald?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald, in her nervousness, addresses Mr Pearson, as George. Mr Pearson is surprised to be called thus, but Mrs Pearson covers up for Mrs Fitzgerald. Later, when Mrs Fitzgerald attempts to slap George, following an argument, the real Mrs Pearson exclaims and calls out to her, ‘Mrs Fitzgerald’, which confuses George.

Question 19.
How was the experience for the two women after the change of bodies?
Answer:
The real Mrs Pearson (now Mrs Fitzgerald) had not enjoyed the experience as she had seen her family being treated roughly and rudely by Mrs Fitzgerald. On the other hand, Mrs Fitzgerald had enjoyed the experience, as she had been able to teach Doris,Cyril and George Pearson a lesson to value Mrs Pearson.

Question 20.
What was Mrs Fitzgerald’s advice to Mrs Pearson after she had put back the family members in their proper place?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald advised Mrs Pearson not to be soft and waste all the effort she had put in to change the attitude of her family for the better. Mrs Pearson is unsure how she would explain her behaviour. But Mrs Fitzgerald warns her not to yield.

Question 21.
What was the change that came over the Pearson family in the end?
Answer:
When Mrs Fitzgerald left, Mrs Pearson’s family was relieved to see her smile. Mrs Pearson decides to stay home for a family game of rummy, and have the children prepare dinner. They readily agree and gather around Mrs Pearson as the play ends.

Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Write in your words the conversation between Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald in the beginning of the play. What is the outcome of the meeting?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald predicts her friend Mrs Pearson’s fate and tells her that it was high time she asserted herself as the head of the family. Mrs Pearson says that it was not easy because she loves her family although they are very thoughtless and selfish. But Mrs Fitzgerald insists that they ought to learn to appreciate her and treat her appropriately. She tells her not to run after them and oblige. Mrs Pearson agrees with Mrs Fitzgerald, but wonders if anything would affect them.

She is afraid of creating unpleasantness in the family. As Mrs Pearson is about to rush off to prepare dinner for her family, Mrs Fitzgerald comes up with an idea. She tells . Mrs Pearson that they could exchange their bodies. She then holds her hand and asks her to keep quiet for a minute. They stare at each other and Mrs Fitzgerald mumbles ‘Arshtatta dum—arshtatta lam—arshtatta lamdumbona…’ and they assume each other’s personality.

Question 2.
What does Mrs Pearson have to say to Doris that disturbs her?
Answer:
When Mrs Pearson’s daughter Doris returns and tells Mrs Fitzgerald, in the body of Mrs Pearson, to iron her yellow silk dress as she would like to wear it that night, her mother continues playing patience. Doris asks her what she is doing and she answers her smugly that she was not whitewashing the ceiling. She also says that there is no law against smoking. She informs Doris that she had already had her tea but had not made tea for the others.

She had not cooked dinner either and would have her meal at the Clarendon. She tells Doris that she worked twice as hard as the others and got no wages or thanks for it. She then inquired from Doris where she wanted to wear her yellow dress. Doris tells her that she was going out with Charlie Spence. Mrs Pearson tells her to find someone better than the buck-toothed and half-witted man. Doris is offended and runs out.

Question 3.
Describe Mrs Pearson’s conversation with Cyril when he walks in and his reaction.
Answer:
Mrs Pearson’s son Cyril walks in and insists on Mrs Pearson getting the tea and his clothes ready. He reminds her of the promise she made the same morning, to mend his clothes. He is surprised to hear that she does not Tike mending’ and that she would not do anything that she did not want to do. Cyril could not believe his ears. Cyril again asks for tea, telling her that he had been working for an eight-hour day, to which Mrs Pearson says that she had done her eight hours and henceforth she would work for only forty hours a week. On weekends, she would have her two days off.

She might make a bed or two and do a bit of cooking as a favour but that would be conditional to the fact that they asked her very nicely and thanked her for everything and generally made a fuss of her. Cyril and Doris are surprised and wait for their father to arrive.

Question 4.
“Sometimes it does people good to have their feelings hurt.” Who says this and what does she say to hurt Mr Pearson?
Answer:
When Mr Pearson announces that he did not wish to drink tea, after he returned from work, the real Mrs Fitzgerald informs him that his tea was not ready. He is angry and she reminds him that he was annoyed because he did not get the tea that he did not want in the first place. She adds that if he did that at bar—went up to the bar at the club and told them he did not want a glass of beer but got irritated because they had not already poured it out for him, they would laugh at him even more than they did already.

George was indignant and she added that he was one of their standing jokes and was called ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’ because they thought that he was slow and pompous.
George checks with Cyril on the truth of the matter, and Cyril accuses his mother of not being fair and sensitive. To which, she replies that sometimes it does people good to have their feelings hurt.

Question 5.
Pick out the instances that bring out the element of humour in the play.
Answer:
The play is a light-hearted comedy. A mother accomplishes changing the attitude of her family by exchanging her body with her friend, Mrs Fitzgerald, a bold and assertive woman, thus, introducing humour in the play. The moment the spirits change, Mrs Pearson notices the cigarette, snatches it off Mrs Fitzgerald, while she looks down at her changed body and screams out of fright.

Mrs Pearson answers to her daughter’s query, sarcastically, that she was not whitewashing the ceiling. Mrs Pearson insults Doris’ date, comically, calling him ‘buck-toothed and half-witted’. Cyril is told that she does not ‘like mending’ his clothes, stunning him to silence. When Mrs Pearson walks out, Doris and Cyril laugh at the idea of her having gone crazy and decide to wait till the father comes. She tells Mr Pearson how he was a standing joke in the club and was called ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’ because they thought that he was slow and pompous. She also tells him that he was George, and not the Duke of Edinburgh.

Question 6.
Mrs Fitzgerald’s effort does not go in vain, as the family changes for the better. Justify.
Answer:
Mrs Pearson has a selfish and a thoughtless family, who is insensitive to the feelings of the mother. But after the staged trick, and when Mrs Fitzgerald leaves, the three—George, Doris, and Cyril look anxiously at Mrs Pearson, who smiles. They are much relieved, and smile back at her. Mrs Pearson tells them that since they have decided to stay at home, they would have a nice family game of rummy and then the children could get the supper ready while she talked with their father. All of them agree. Mrs Pearson wishes Mrs Fitzgerald goodbye and the family surrounds Mrs Pearson, implying a happy ending. It looks as if Mrs Fitzgerald’s effort is rewarded and they seem eager to appease the real Mrs Pearson.

Here we are providing Albert Einstein at School Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Albert Einstein at School Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

Albert Einstein at School Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
“I think it’s not facts that matter, but ideas.” To whom did Einstein say this and why?
Answer:
Einstein said it to Mr Braun, the history teacher, in his Munich school. He hated learning dates and facts by heart. He argued that ideas were more important than rote learning. He was not interested in knowing when the battles were fought but why they were fought.

Question 2.
Do you think Albert is being impolite while answering the history teacher’s questions? Give your reasons.
Answer:
Though Albert addresses his history teacher politely, he is being impudent. If he did have a problem, he should have spoken to the teacher separately. Questioning the teacher’s views on education in a class was impolite and rude.
OR
Albert addresses his history teacher politely. His answers are straightforward and blunt but his opinions are strong. A firm conviction cannot be termed as rudeness.

Question 3.
What characteristic of Einstein’s nature is highlighted by the exchanges between him and the teacher?
Answer:
The exchanges between Einstein and the teacher show him to be a person with firm convictions; he is frank and straightforward. Even at the cost of punishment he is not willing to compromise on his views. He comes across as one who will chart his own course rather than follow the beaten track.

Question 4.
Why did Albert see no point in learning dates and facts?
Answer:
Einstein told Mr Braun, the history teacher, “I think it’s not facts that matter, but ideas.” He hated learning dates and facts by heart. He argued that ideas were more important than learning by rote. He was not interested in knowing when the battles were fought but why they were fought.

Question 5.
What was Einstein’s reaction to the history teacher’s sarcasm?
Answer:
Mr Braun, his history teacher, was unhappy with Albert unwilling to leam facts or dates. When he admitted that he did not see any point in learning dates, the teacher taunted him by calling his views the ‘Einstein theory of education’. Albert argued that it was ideas that were important but nevertheless, felt miserable.

Question 6.
Why did Albert feel miserable when he left school that day?
Answer:
When he left school that day, Albert felt miserable because his day at school, like most other days, had been bad and he had gotten into an argument with his teacher for which he had been punished. Secondly, he had to go back to the same school the next day. Moreover, the idea of going back to his lodgings with the atmosphere of domestic violence did not cheer him up.

Question 7.
Why and what did his history teacher report to the head teacher?
Answer:
Mr Braun was shocked and furious with Albert’s candid reply. He believed that Albert had no desire to learn and was wasting his father’s money. He punished Albert by detaining him after school. He also reported to the head teacher that his work was horrible; he was a rebel and hindered teaching work in class.

Question 8.
Albert was equally unhappy at his lodging. Why?
Answer:
Albert was miserable at his lodging. His father was a man of modest means, had got him a room in an ugly area. Albert.had no comfort and did not like the food there. The atmosphere was bad as his landlady kept beating her children and her husband came drunk and beat her.

Question 9.
What did Yuri say to him about violence in the hostel?
Answer:
Yuri told Einstein that he was fortunate to have an accommodation to himself. The people around him were poor but not uncivilized like the ones with whom he shared his accommodation. Yuri also told him about the uncivilized students, sharing his accommodation, who fought. The authorities did not take action but merely told them not to do so.

Question 10.
Who was Elsa? What was her advice to Albert?
Answer:
Elsa was Einstein’s cousin who lived in Berlin. She visited him of and on. She encouraged him in his studies and tried to assure him that it was not difficult to pass his examination. All he had to do was learn like a parrot, like the stupid boys who did that and passed.

Question 11.
What book did Elsa see Albert carrying under his arm? What did she say about it? What does it reveal about him?
Answer:
Albert was interested in reading books on science. Elsa saw him with a geology book, a subject that was not taught in school. She pointed out to him that it would not help him pass his diploma. It however, showed that he was a learner and he liked reading what actually interested him.

Question 12.
Why does the biographer refer to Albert’s interest in music as a comfort?
Answer:
Albert was having a bad time at school where he was supposed to cram facts in which he had no interest. The teachers would taunt him and punish him. Even at his lodging, he had no comfort. All this made him miserable. He turned to music as his only solace.

Question 13.
Why did the landlady ask Albert to stop playing music? How did he feel?
Answer:
Albert was miserable both in school and in his lodgings. He found comfort only in music. He liked playing the violin and played it till the landlady stopped him. She had no ear for music, and the wailing and howling of the children coupled with the sound of the music got on her nerves.

Question 14.
What kind of a certificate was Albert looking for? Why?
Answer:
Albert told Yuri that he wanted to discontinue with school. If, however, he went back to Milan he would be sent back by his father. He had a plan. If a doctor certified that he had a nervous breakdown and it would be bad for him to go to school, he could escape school.

Question 15.
Yuri calls Albert ‘the world’s worst liar’. Do you think this is an insult or a compliment?
Answer:
Yuri called Albert ‘the world’s worst liar’ and meant it as a compliment to him. Yuri implied that Albert was so honest and straightforward that he could not tell lies successfully. His voice or manner betrayed him when he lied.

Question 16.
How did Yuri help him in his plan?
Answer:
Yuri knew that Albert was miserable and wanted to help him. He knew of no doctors but referred him to his friend, a medical student, Ernst Weil. This young doctor had a license to practise and Yuri felt he could be of help.

Question 17.
Why was Albert nervous when he met the doctor? What does this nervousness indicate about his nature?
Answer:
The whole day Albert had been wondering what to tell the doctor from whom he needed a certificate saying that he had had a nervous breakdown. He was in a nervous state, worrying about it, by the time he went to see the doctor. This showed his inherent truthfulness and honesty.

Question 18.
How did Albert hope to get admission to an Italian college without a diploma from the German school?
Answer:
Albert went to Mr Koch, his teacher of mathematics, to get a recommendation. Mr Koch admired Albert and acknowledged Einstein’s superiority of merit, over his own. He got a recommendation from Mr Koch that said that he was fit to join an institute for higher education in mathematics.

Question 19.
What reason did the head teacher give for expelling Albert from school?
Answer:
The head teacher expelled Albert from school because his work was ‘terrible’. Albert’s presence in the classroom also made it impossible for the teacher to teach and for other pupils to learn. He accused Albert of hindering serious work because he refused to learn and was in constant rebellion.

Question 20.
Describe Albert’s meeting with Ernst Weil.
Answer:
Albert related his problem honestly to Ernst Weil though Yuri had informed the doctor of everything beforehand. The doctor, a student till recently, understood his problem. He judged, had Albert not been close to a nervous breakdown, he would not have gone to a doctor, thereby certifying that he keep away from school for six months.

Albert Einstein at School Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Were the teachers interested in understanding Albert and bringing out his potential?
Answer:
The given extract mentions only three of the teachers—the history teacher, Mr Braun, the mathematics . teacher, Mr Koch, and the head teacher. The history teacher was not at all interested in bringing out Albert’s potential. He followed the traditional method of teaching history and laid more emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge, by rote learning, rather than the understanding of ideas. He also had a sarcastic attitude and mocked Albert for his views. He did not help the talented boy achieve his potential, rather he complained to the head teacher and got him expelled.

The mathematics teacher, Mr Koch, on the other hand, was very encouraging. He confessed that he could not teach Albert anymore; rather Albert would soon be able to teach him. The head teacher humiliated Albert and expelled him from the institution for being rebellious and for not allowing the class work to go on. Neither the history teacher nor the head teacher acknowledged Albert’s mathematical genius.

Question 2.
Why was Albert miserable in school? How did he plan to move out of it?
Answer:
Albert Einstein was bom in a modest family and was sent to Munich to study at school for his diploma. He was an intelligent student but not good at rote learning dates and facts in history. Albert was miserable in school, where his teacher detested him for not adopting the conventional method of rote learning, and at the place where he lived. To escape the torture at school, he had a plan. He wanted to get a doctor’s certificate that declared he had had a nervous breakdown and was unfit to go to school.

Question 3.
Why was Albert miserable in Munich?
Answer:
Albert Einstein was studying for his diploma in school, in Munich, which had a very conservative approach to education. Albert had an analytical and rational mind. He hated rote learning. This outraged Mr Braun, his history teacher. The teacher taunted him by calling his views the ‘Einstein theory of education’. The authorities believed that Albert had no desire to leam and was wasting his father’s money. The teacher punished Albert by detaining him for an extra period in school.

Albert was miserable as he returned to his lodging. He had got a room in an area that was ugly. Albert had no comfort, nor did he like the food there. The atmosphere was bad as his landlady kept beating her children and her husband came drunk and beat her. She even forbade him to play the violin. All this made him miserable. Expulsion from his school was a welcome relief to him.

Question 4.
Comment on the role of Yuri as described in the extract.
Answer:
During that traumatic period in the school at Germany, Einstein’s only saviour was his friend Yuri. He lived in a hostel with some other students and often encouraged Albert when he was upset. Yuri was Albert’s friend, philosopher, and guide. Yuri helped Albert obtain a certificate to say that he had had a nervous breakdown by referring him to his friend, a medical student, Ernst Weil.

Yuri advised Albert into taking a certificate of recommendation from the mathematics teacher before seeing the head teacher. Albert got a recommendation from him stating that he was fit to join an institute for higher ‘ education in mathematics. It was this certificate that helped him join a college in Italy.
Yuri understood his friend and admired his honesty, calling him, ‘the world’s worst liar’. Albert met with Yuri before leaving Munich. Yuri bade him a good bye and wished him the best for his future.

Question 5.
Keeping the whole passage in mind, briefly discuss Einstein’s character as it is revealed here.
Answer:
Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists of all times. As a young student, Einstein showed the sparks of his genius. His mathematics teacher had great respect for his ability and went so far as to say, “I can’t teach you more, and probably you’ll soon be able to teach me.”

Einstein was not interested in knowing factual details of historical events but their causes and effects, which infuriated his history teacher. The exchange between Einstein and the teacher show him as someone who is unwilling to compromise on his views, risking punishment. He is noted for his straightforwardness. He comes across as one who will chart his own course rather than follow the beaten track.

Yuri paid Albert’s virtue of honesty a compliment by calling him ‘the world’s worst liar’. Albert Einstein also loved music. He played the violin for his joy and comfort.
Albert abhorred violence and was unhappy in his lodgings because of his abhorrence for domestic violence.

Question 6.
Express your views on the educational system in Germany.
Answer:
The educational systerp in Germany was organized along traditional lines. Albert Einstein’s miserable five years in the school at Munich are a telling comment on the system. It had no room for individual brilliance, aptitude and aspirations. Students were required to study a regular number of subjects. Stress was laid on the learning of facts rather than its cause and effects.

Elsa assured Einstein, it was easy to pass an examination by learning by rote, like a parrot. The system discouraged genius and creativity. No effort was made to understand the students their problems or emotions. Mr Braun, the history teacher, was completely insensitive to Albert’s feelings and taunted him about his ideas by calling them the ‘Einstein theory of education’.

Teachers and authorities insisted on discipline and conformity. The head teacher expelled Albert Einstein from school for arguing his point of view with the teacher.
The educational system in Germany was rigid and laid more emphasis on mindless cramming of facts than on understanding or creativity.

Question 7.
Who were Yuri and Elsa? What role did they play in Einstein’s life?
Answer:
Albert Einstein was studying for his diploma in a school in Munich, where he was unhappy. He hated learning dates and facts by heart and candidly confessed his apathy of learning dates and dry facts; he believed in ideas. He was equally miserable when he went to his lodging because of the violence around him there.

The only people he could depend on were Elsa and Yuri. Elsa was his cousin who lived in Berlin. She encouraged him in his studies and tried to assure him that it was not difficult to pass his examination. All he had to do was learn like a parrot like other stupid boys who did that and passed. Yuri, his friend, too gave him a lot of support, and introduced him to Ernst Weil, helping him get out of his miserable existence in Munich.

Question 8.
Why did Albert feel the ‘certificate burning a hole in his pocket’?
Answer:
The doctor, Ernst Weil, referred by Yuri, falsely certified that Albert had had a nervous breakdown and should be kept away from school for six months. However, before he could go to the head teacher, Albert was summoned and expelled from school. The reason given was that he neither wanted to study nor was his presence conducive for others eager to learn. He knew that was not true. He wanted to show him the certificate to prove that he was equally miserable and wanted to get rid of the school as he was not in agreement with the methods of teaching there.