Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of the paragraph(s) for each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.
(i) Einstein's equation
(ii) Einstein meets his future wife
(iii) The making of a violinist
(iv) Mileva and Einstein's mother
(v) A letter that launched the arms race
(vi) A desk drawer full of ideas
(vii) Marriage and divorce.
(i) Einstein’s equation - 9
(ii) Einstein meets his future wife - 7
(iii) The making of a violinist - 3
(iv) Mileva and Einstein’s mother - 10
(v) A letter that launched the arms race - 15
(vi) A desk drawer full of ideas – 8
(vii) Marriage and divorce - 11
Who had these opinions about Einstein?
(i) He was boring
(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life.
(iii) He was a freak.
(i) He was boring = Einstein’s Playmates called him "Brother Boring'.
(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life = Einstein’s Headmaster had this opinion about him.
(iii) He was a freak = Einstein’s mother had this opinion about him.
Explain what the reasons for the following are:-
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than Munich.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein?
(i) Einstein left the school in Munich for good because he hated the school’s regimentation.
(ii) Einstein wanted to study in Switzerland rather than Munich because it was a much liberal place.
(iii) Einstein considered Mileva to be a ‘clever creature’. He saw in her an ally against the ‘philistines’ (people who did not like art, literature or music) with whom he was constantly at odds.
(iv) These facts throw light on Einstein’s ways of a liberal lifestyle and the immense amount of respect he had for freedom and liberty. He was a cultured person with a sharp mind.
What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
Einstein called his desk drawer at the patent office "Bureau of Theoretical Physics." because the drawer was the place where he used to store his secretly developed ideas.
Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
Einstein was a visionary scientist who knew the power of atomic bomb explosions.
When the Nazis came to power in Germany, the American physicists were in an uproar because of the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin. They believed that the Germans could take advantage and establish atomic bombs. Therefore, after a lot of urging by one of his colleagues, he wrote a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt on 2 August 1939 to warn about the effects of such a bomb and the magnitude of their explosions.
How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Einstein was deeply shaken by the magnitude of destruction caused in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He wrote a public missive to the United Nations in which he proposed the formation of a world government. Gradually, in the years to come, he got involved in politics – agitating for disarmament and using his popularity to campaign for peace and democracy.
Why does the world remember Einstein as a 'world citizen'?
Einstein is remembered as a ‘world citizen’ as much as a scientific genius because of his immense efforts in campaigning for world peace and democracy. He was against the butchering of humanity as well as the arms race and actively participated in politics to bring about harmony.
Here are some facts from Einstein's life. Arrange them in chronological order.
[ ] Einstein publishes his Special Theory of Relativity.
[ ] He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
[ ] Einstein writes a letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and warns against Germany's building of an atomic bomb.
[ ] Einstein attends a high school in Munich.
[ ] Einstein's family moves to Milan.
[ ] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
[ ] Einstein joins a University in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
[ ] Einstein dies.
[ ] He provides a new interpretation of gravity.
[ ] Tired of the school's regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.
[ ] He works in a patent office as a technical expert.
[ ] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.
The facts about Einstein's life can be arranged chronologically as under:
1. Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
2. Einstein attends a high school in Munich.
3. Einstein’s family moves to Milan.
4. Tired of school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.
5. Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
6. He works in a patent office as a technical expert.
7. Einstein publishes his Special Theory of Relativity.
8. He provides a new interpretation of gravity.
9. He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
10. When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.
11. Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and warns against Germany's building of an atomic bomb.
12. Einstein dies.
Here are some sentences from the story. Choose the word from the brackets which can be substituted for the italicized words in the sentences.
1. A few years later, his marriage faltered. (Failed, broke, became weak).
2. Einstein was constantly at odds with people at the university. (on bad terms, in disagreement, unhappy)
3. The newspapers proclaimed his work as "a scientific revolution." (Declared, praised, showed)
4. Einstein got ever more involved in politics, agitating for an end to the arms buildup. (Campaigning, fighting, supporting)
5. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for good. (Permanently, for his benefit, for a short time)
6. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar. (in a state of commotion, full of criticism, in a desperate state)
7. Science wasn't the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache. (Interested, challenged, worried)
1. faltered = became weak
A few years later, his marriage became weak.
2. at odds = in disagreement
Einstein was constantly in disagreement with people at the university.
3. proclaimed = declared
The newspapers declared his work as "a scientific revolution."
4. agitating = campaigning
Einstein got ever more involved in politics, campaigning for an end to the arms buildup.
5. for good = permanently
At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school permanently.
6. in an uproar = in a state of commotion
Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in a state of commotion.
7. appealed = interested
Science wasn't the only thing that interested to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache.
● Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.
● Letters survive in which they put their affection into words, mixing science with tenderness.
The parts in italics in the above sentences begin with -ing verbs, and are called participle phrases. Participle phrases say something more about the person or thing talked about or the idea expressed by the sentence as a whole.
For Example:
Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist. He maintained this skill throughout his life.
Complete the sentences below by filling in the blanks with suitable participle clauses. The information that has to be used in the phrases is provided as a sentence in brackets.
1. ............... the firefighters finally put out the fire. (They worked around the clock.)
2. She watched the sunset above the mountain........... (She noticed the colors blending softly into one another)
3. The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, ……………..(While it neighed continually.)
4. ............ I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras. (I had taken the wrong train).
5. ……………… I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (I had not bathed for two days)
6. The stone steps …………. needed to be replaced. (They were worn down).
7. The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, ………(They asked him to send them his photograph.)
1. Working round the clock, the firefighters finally put out the fire.
2. She watched the sunset above the mountain, noticing the colours blending softly into one another.
3. The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, neighing continually.
4. Having taken the wrong train, I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras.
5. Having not bathed for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom.
6. The stone steps, being worn down, needed to be replaced.
7. The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, asking him to send them his photograph.
Look at the words and the poet uses to describe- what he sees and hears at Innisfree.
(i) Bee-loud glade.
(ii) Evenings full of the linnet's wings.
(iii) Lake water lapping with low sounds.
What pictures do these words create in your mind?
(i) Bee-loud Glade: The poet hears the buzzing sound of the bees and watches them collect honey in their hive.
(ii) Evening full of the Linnet's wings: During the evening, linnet birds occupy the sky. The sound of their fluttering wings embraces the poet.
(iii) Lake water lapping with sounds: The melodious rippling of the lake water mesmerizes the poet immensely.
All the three natural entities represent the serene beauty of the Mother Nature. The tranquil atmosphere created by the inhabitants of nature has a long-lasting impact on our mind.
What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about.
(i) The three things the poet wants-to do when he would go back there. (Stanza I)
(ii) What he hears and sees there (Stanza II) and its effect on him?
(iii) What he hears in his "heart's core" even when he is far away from Innisfree? (Stanza III)
Innisfree is a peaceful and tranquil place where the poet had spent a lot of time during the days of his boyhood.
(i) (a) The poet wants to build a small cabin made up of clay and wattles.
(b) He wants to plant nine rows of beans.
(c) He wants to keep a hive for the honeybees and live alone in the bee-loud glade.
(ii) The poet hears the cricket sing as well as experiences peace dropping from the veils of the morning. He enjoys the evenings surrounded by the calmness of the linnet’s wings. The glimmering midnight and the purple glow of the noon unfold a state of serenity which has a very mesmerizing impact on the poet’s mind.
(iii) The poet hears the low sounds of lake water washing the shore in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree.
Look at these words:
... peace comes dropping slow.
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings
What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow ... from the veils of the morning?" What does “to where the cricket sings “mean?
The above lines indicate that peace of mind can be acquired from the natural surroundings of an individual.
It is peace that “comes dropping slow.... from the veils of the morning”.
The phrase “to where the cricket sings” throws light on the tranquil environment where one can hear the melodious sounds of nature – such as the sounds of the cricket at the time of dawn.
By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a temple, natural place, full of beauty and peace.
How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read at stanza III)
The poet is very much attracted towards the calm and beautiful landscape of Innisfree. He constantly yearns for the peace and tranquility he lived in during the days of his boyhood. The singing of the cricket, the sound of linnet’s wings, the purple glow of the noon and the beauty of the glimmering midnight has had an indelible impact on the poet’s mind. In contrast to the urban setting comprising of the roadways and pavements where the poet now stands, he can still hear and feel the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore deep in his “heart’s core”.
Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Although Innisfree is the place where the poet spent his boyhood days, it also represents his state of mind. The wish to escape to Innisfree indicates the poet’s imagination of an ideal place to live which is free from the hustle bustle of his life. Yes, the poet misses the place of his boyhood days which was much more peaceful and tranquil from the place where he now stands. The lapping of the lake water by the shore and the beauty of the Innisfree is deeply cherished by the poet.