Prose : Chapter 4 A Truly Beautiful Mind English (Language & Literature) - 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’.

(i) Einstein was a special child because he ................................... .
(a) was a late talker
(b) he said everything twice
(c) he had a big head
(d) both (i) and (ii)

(ii) What was Albert Einstein's birthplace and initial nickname given by his playmates?

(iii) Read the following descriptions (a) - (c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract:
(a) Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, on 14 March 1879, and from an early age, his mother recognized his potential for greatness.
(b) Albert Einstein's mother considered him abnormal due to his large head, delayed speech development, and repetitive speech patterns, earning him the nickname 'Brother Boring' from his playmates.
(c) Albert Einstein's mother was proud of his exceptional intelligence and large head, and he was known among his playmates as 'Brother Brilliant'.

(iv) Where was Albert Einstein born?

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.

(i) 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

(ii) What prompted Einstein to write a letter to President Roosevelt in 1939?

(iii) Read the following descriptions (a) - (c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract:
(a) At the urging of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, warning about the potential devastation of a single atomic bomb. This eventually led to the development and deployment of the atomic bomb on Japanese cities in 1945.
(b) Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to develop an atomic bomb, which was subsequently dropped on Japanese cities in August 1945.
(c) Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, advocating for peace and disarmament, which led to the prevention of the atomic bomb's development and use.

(iv) Who urged Einstein to write a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, leading to the development of the atomic bomb by the Americans?

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.

(i) The phrase “the extent of the destruction” refers to ................................... .
(a) destruction caused by the atomic explosions
(b) destruction caused by war
(c) destruction caused by riots
(d) destruction caused by food shortages

(ii) What did Albert Einstein propose in his public missive to the United Nations, and what was its impact?

(iii) Read the following descriptions (a) - (c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract:
(a) Einstein wrote a public letter to the United Nations, proposing the formation of a world government, which had a significant impact and led to immediate action.(b) Einstein wrote a public letter to the United Nations, proposing the formation of a world government, but it had little impact. However, he continued to engage in political activism over the next decade, advocating for peace and democracy.
(c) Einstein wrote a public letter to the United Nations, urging for the development of more powerful weapons to maintain peace, which sparked widespread controversy and debate.

(iv) What did Einstein propose in his public missive to the United Nations?

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.

(i) The statement “He also felt a special interest” means that ........................ .
(a) Einstein was attracted to Mileva for her intelligence
(b) he was impressed by her grades
(c) he wanted her to work in his team
(d) Mileva was one of his many fans amongst women

(ii) Who was the fellow student of Albert Einstein whom he found to be clever, and what brought her to Switzerland?

(iii) Read the following descriptions (a) - (c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract:
(a) Einstein found Mileva Maric to be a brilliant student and potential ally against the conservative elements at the university. They eventually formed a romantic relationship.
(b) Einstein had little interest in his fellow student, Mileva Maric, considering her to be average. However, they formed a close friendship due to their shared experiences at the University of Zurich.
(c) Einstein had a contentious relationship with Mileva Maric, whom he viewed as unremarkable. Despite their differences, they eventually fell in love and formed a romantic relationship.

(iv) Who was Einstein's fellow student and love interest?

How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ?

What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office and why ?

How was Einstein’s private life unraveling after he finished his studies ?

Why did Einstein’s play mates call him “Brother Boring” ?

What is Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity ?

Do you think that in today’s context national boundaries are overcome by global issued ?

What was the outcome of Einstein’s letter which he wrote to the American President, Roosevelt ? Did his warning have any impact on America ?

Einstein was an unusual child with no indication of his potential greatness. Comment.

Write down the achievements of Albert Einstein.

Einstein was an unusual child with no indication of his potential greatness. Comment.