GAJERA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, SURAT

SUBJECT: ENGLISH (STUDY MATERIAL)

Date: 07/04/2020 STD: IX TOPIC: Unit- 4(Beehive)

Lesson 4 - A Truly Beautiful Mind

Introduction to the lesson This chapter is about Albert Einstein. He was a great scientist. The title of the chapter ‘A Truly Beautiful Mind’ refers to Albert Einstein. This is a short biography of his where some of his qualities have been highlighted – Albert’s interest in Mathematics and Physics and also his humanitarian attribute. The title - ‘A Truly Beautiful Mind’ makes one wonder that how can a scientist’s mind be beautiful. It is so, because in this lesson we come across another aspect of Einstein. He was a humanitarian. He advocated world peace, non - violence and that is why the title refers to him as a truly beautiful mind.

Summary

Albert Einstein was born on 14th March in 1879, in the German city of Ulm. Till the age of two and half years, he could not speak and when he started speaking, he spoke every word twice. His playmates considered him to be boring and his mother thought that he was crazy because of the abnormally large size of his

head. At school, his head master regarded him as stupid and good for nothing.

But he proved them all wrong. At the age of 6, at the insistence of his mother, he learned to play the violin. He became a gifted violinist. At the age of 15, his family shifted to Munich. He did not feel comfortable with the strict discipline at the school and left it. On completing his schooling, he joined the University at Zurich because the atmosphere there was more liberal and accepted new ideas and concepts. He showed more interest in Physics and Mathematics. He met a fellow student, Mileva Maric at the University. She was equally intelligent and clever. Later on, they married and had 2 sons but unfortunately their marriage did not survive Mileva was unhappy from this marriage, she could not fulfil her career dreams, so, finally in the year 1919 after prolonged fighting both of them separated.

Albert Einstein married the second time. He married his cousin Elsa. At the time Einstein married Elsa, another thing coincided. The second thing was Einstein’s rise to world fame. Einstein became world famous. Everyone acknowledged him as a great scientist. After completing his education, Albert worked as a technical expert in the patent office at Bern. Here, he worked secretly on his idea on relativity.

Albert Einstein had calculated in the year 1915 that in the year 1919 there would

be a solar eclipse. Due to it, the apparent position of the stars would change to

some extend. His calculation was accurate. So, it was announced that Albert

Einstein’s work was a scientific revolution.

Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in1921.

In 1915, he published his paper on special theory of relativity, followed by the world-famous equation E = mc2.In 1915, he published his paper on General Theory of Relativity, which gave an absolutely new definition to concept of gravity. This theory made him a famous figure. In 1919, during the solar eclipse, his theory came out to be accurate and revolutionized physics. In 1933, he emigrated to USA as Nazis had come to power in Germany. He did not want his finding and research to be used for destruction. In 1938, when Germany discovered the principle of Nuclear Fission, he was the first person to write to the American President about the dangers of the atomic bombs. In 1945, when America dropped the Atomic Bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, he was deeply hurt and wrote to the United Nations for the formation of a world government to prevent recurrence of such destruction.

He spent his later days in politics advocating world peace and democracy. He died at the age of 76 in the year 1955.

MESSAGE “This account of the life and personality of the famous scientist Einstein gives us the message that a beautiful mind possesses not only innovative ideas but also makes sincere efforts to use these ideas for the well being of mankind. Science should be solely devoted to the promotion of worldwide peace and prosperity. If used for destructive purposes, the scientific inventions and discoveries can wreak havoc on the earth.”

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each) Q1. Who is a ‘freak’? Why did Einstein’s mother think him to be a ‘freak’? Ans: A ‘freak’ is a word used disapprovingly for a person who is unusual in looks and behaviour. Einstein’s mother thought him to be a ‘freak’ because

his head seemed too large to her. This made him look different from the other children of his age. Q2. During his childhood, Einstein did not show any traces of becoming a genius one day. How? Ans: As a child, Einstein had a large head and did not start to speak till he was two-and-a-half years old. Finally, when he did speak, he used to utter everything twice. He could not interact freely with his playmates either. All this showed the absence of any traces in him of becoming a genius one day. Q3. Why did Einstein’s playmates call him “Brother Boring”?

Or Why did Einstein play all alone when he was a child? Ans: Einstein did not know what to do with other children. His shy and introvert nature made his company boring to his playmates. So, they teased him as “Brother Boring” and did not include him in their games. Therefore, he played all alone when he was a child. Q4. What kind of toys attracted the attention of Einstein when he was a child? Why? Ans: Einstein could not enjoy the company of playmates because of his introvert nature. Instead as a child, he was attracted only by mechanical toys. It showed his scientific temperament since mechanical toys work on some kind of scientific principles. Q5. Why did Einstein try to look for wheels on the body of his newly born sister? Ans: Einstein was much too interested in mechanical toys and had scientific inclinations. When his sister was born, he thought her to be a new toy; that is why he tried to search for wheels on her body. Q6. What was the opinion of the school headmaster about Einstein? Ans: The school headmaster considered Einstein to be a good-for-nothing boy. He was of the opinion that Einstein would never succeed in any profession. Therefore, choice of profession would not make any difference in the results of his efforts. Q7. Which musical instrument did Einstein begin to learn? Why? Ans: Einstein began to learn to play upon the violin at the young age of six. He kept this interest alive throughout his life and became a gifted amateur violinist. He began learning the violin because his mother wanted him to. Q8. How did Einstein perform in various subjects while studying in Munich? Ans: Although as a young child Einstein was very slow, still while studying in Munich, he showed great progress in almost all the subjects and scored very good marks. He showed a special interest in Physics and Mathematics. Q9. Why did Einstein leave the school in Munich? (Textual) Ans: Einstein left the school in Munich because of the stifling environment that suppressed his scientifically curious mind. The excessively stern

discipline and rigid rules in that school led to frequent clashes with his teachers. He thus began to feel that such a place was inappropriate for a liberal person like him. Q 10. Why did Einstein shift to Switzerland to continue his education? (Textual) Ans: Einstein shifted to the German-speaking part of Switzerland to continue his education because he had left his school in Munich midway. This new place was more liberal than Munich and Einstein’s curious and free temperament got a favourable environment over here. Q11. Why did Einstein see an ally in Mileva Maric? (Textual) Ans: Einstein saw an ally in his Serbian fellow student Mileva Maric because, like him, she too was against philistines – the people who have disregard for art and culture. As both shared similar tastes, Einstein developed a liking for her and they both fell in love. Q12. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why? (Textual) Ans: Einstein jokingly called his desk drawer at the patent office as “Bureau of theoretical physics”. He did so because his office job required him to assess the inventions of other people while he secretly developed his own ideas regarding his keen interest in Physics. Q13. Why did Einstein’s mother not want him to marry Mileva? Ans: There were two reasons for Einstein’s mother not wanting him to marry Mileva. Firstly, the girl was three years older than Einstein and secondly, she was much too intelligent – ‘a book’ just like him, in his mother’s opinion. Q14. Why did Einstein’s marriage with Mileva not survive long? Ans: Although Einstein and Mileva had been in love, still their marriage did not survive long because Mileva gradually lost her intellectual vigour and aspirations. She became a frustrated housewife. There were frequent scuffles between the couple which resulted in their ultimate divorce in 1919. Q15. What was the new personal chapter in Einstein’s life? How did it coincide with his fame?

Or “Einstein’s new personal chapter coincided with his rise to world fame”. What new personal chapter in Einstein’s life is the author talking about here? Ans: The new personal chapter in Einstein’s life was his marriage to his cousin Elsa in the year 1919 immediately after his divorce from Mileva. This chapter coincided with his rise to world fame when his paper on General Theory of Relativity, published in 1915, was found to be accurate due to the proof that came through the eclipse of the sun in 1919. Q16. When and for what did Einstein gain international fame? Ans: Einstein gained international fame when his paper on General Theory of Relativity was found to be accurate in 1919. As per this theory, the

calculations made by Einstein in advance about the deflection of light in the solar gravitational field during the eclipse were proven true. This theory was treated as “a scientific revolution.” Q17. How was Einstein honoured for his achievements? Ans: Honours came pouring in for Einstein after his theories proved him to be a scientist with exceptional abilities. He was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. Honours and invitations were conferred on him from all over the world. The newspapers too applauded his genius. Q18. What was the effect of Einstein’s letter on Roosevelt? Ans: The warning sounded by Einstein in his letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt about how dangerous an atom bomb made by German)’ could be, had a lightening effect on the Americans. They at once rose to action and secretly developed an atom bomb of their own. Q19. How did Einstein react to the bombing of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki by America? (Textual) Ans: Einstein was completely shaken by the immense destruction caused due to the bombing of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki by America. As a reaction to this tragic event, he wrote a letter to the United Nations proposing the establishment of a world government that could counter such fierce enmity among nations.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (to be answered in about 100 – 150 words each) Q1.Write a short note on Einstein’s education from school to university. Ans: As a young boy, Einstein did not show any symptoms of an intellectual genius. His headmaster had a very poor opinion about him and he even declared that Einstein would fail in any career that he chose. However, as he grew up and joined a school in Munich, he showed appreciable progress in studies scoring good marks in almost all the subjects. But the strict discipline of the school was not in accordance with the free spirit of Einstein. As a result, he frequently had scuffles with his teachers. Being a person of liberal ideas, he felt so suffocated that he ultimately left that school for good. He chose to complete his studies in a school in Switzerland where the environment was more liberal as compared to Munich. Highly gifted in mathematics and having a great interest in Physics, Einstein joined the university in Zurich after completing school and from where he graduated in 1900. Q2. What researches and theories proved that Einstein was a true genius? How was he rewarded for his scientific achievements? Ans: Einstein proved to be an intellectual and scientific genius after the completion of his university education. Although he was jobless for some time and gave private tuitions, he finally got a job of a technical expert in a

patent office in Bern. Here, along with the job, he kept developing secretly his own ideas and came out with the publication of his famous research paper on ‘Special Theory of Relativity’, according to which time and distance are not absolute. His theory about the relationship between mass and energy was developed into the world famous formula E = mc2, and this equation made him a renowned scientist. Einstein earned international acclaim with the publication of his General Theory of Relativity which enabled him to calculate in advance the extent of the deflection of light from fixed stars as it passed through the gravitational field of the sun. The theory was declared as “a scientific revolution” by the newspapers. For his contribution to the development of science, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. After this, a number of honours were bestowed upon him and he was invited by different countries in the world. Newspapers too hailed his scientific genius. Q3. The author talks about two important letters that Einstein wrote -one to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the other to the United Nations. What prompted Einstein to write these letters? What impact did they make? Ans: At the insistence of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 warning him that the atomic bomb, if made and used by Germany, could not only destroy the whole port on which it could be dropped but also the territory surrounding it. The impact of the letter was both deep and rapid as the Americans secretly developed their own atomic bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945. As expected, these bombs caused terrible destruction. The large-scale damage caused by these bombings on Japan perturbed Einstein so much that this time he wrote a letter to the United Nations. In this letter, he proposed that there should be only one government in the world. This would put an end to the enmity between nations and hence stop the massacres caused in the name of wars. But this letter did not have any impact. Thus, unlike the letter to Roosevelt, Einstein’s letter to the United Nations failed to evoke any response.

Poem

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

By William Butler Yeats

Introduction to the poem This poem is a lyric. It is a musical poem. It explores the poet’s longing for the peace and tranquility of Innisfree, a place where he spent a lot of time as a boy. Innisfree is the name of a place. It is a very quiet place and that is the reason the poet wants to go there. He had spent his childhood in this place. He has very sweet memories of that place, that is why he wanted to go back to the lake island of Innisfree.

THEME The poem revolves around the idea that the idyllic life in the countryside with beautiful, peaceful and natural surroundings gives much more pleasure than life in cities with its noise and din, sound and fury. The poet who had, during his boyhood, spent his summers on the green and watery landscape of the Lake Isle of Innisfree, feels a deep longing to shun the city life and to settle down in the peaceful environment on the island. A simple life with only a few simple needs will be more delightful than the complicated and hectic life in the city.

Poem and Explanation

Stanza 1 I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. arise: stand up cabin: room wattles: twisted sticks for making fences, walls glade: clearing, open space Bee loud refers to the sound made by the buzzing of the bees. ‘I’ here refer to the poet William Yeats. He says that he wants to go to Innisfree. Over there, he will build a small room for himself with clay and small sticks which are used to make the walls or the fences of the cabin. As he will need some food to eat also, so he will grow nine rows of beans near his room. Also, he will get the honey from the honey bee hive. He says that the open space, where he will build his room will be full of the buzzing sound of the bees an over there he will live all alone, in peace and tranquility.

Stanza 2 And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evenings full of the linnet’s wings.

veils: a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or hide the face cricket: an insect related to the grasshoppers but with shorter legs. The male produces a characteristic musical chirping sound. linnet: a small brown and grey bird with a short beak glimmer means something which is shining. In this stanza the poet says that when in Innisfree, he will feel peaceful, and he says that the feeling of peace is felt slowly and gradually. He describes how he would feel peaceful. In the morning time, when it is cloudy, and the view is not very clear, then it will appear as if the morning has worn a veil and has hidden itself. Looking at this scene will make him feel peaceful. Further he says that when the male cricket insect will sing a song, that sound will bring him at peace. Also, at midnight when he will see the twinkling stars in the open sky, their shine will give him peace. In the afternoon, when the sun light will give a purplish glow, it will also give him peace. During the evening, when he will see the linnet bird flying in the sky, then also he will feel peaceful.

Stanza 3 I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart’s core. night and day: all the time lapping: striking heart’s core: the innermost part of the heart In this stanza the poet says that now he will stand up and go to Innisfree because all the time, the sound of the lake waters striking the shore repeats in his mind. This sound attracts him towards the lake. Wherever he is – either standing on the roadway or on the grey - coloured pavements, he hears the sound deep in the innermost part of his heart.

Question and Answers 1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about: (i) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I); (ii) what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II); (iii) what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III). A. (i) The three things that the poet wants to do when he goes to Innisfree are as follows – a) he wants to build a small cabin with clay and wattles. b) he wants to plant nine rows of beans. c) he wants to keep a honeybee hive. (ii) The poet sees the cloudy morning which looks like the sky is wearing a veil. He hears the song of the cricket. He sees the linnet bird flying in the evening sky. The shimmering stars in the night sky and the purplish glow of the afternoon Sun. All these give him a feeling of being at peace.

(iii) Even when the poet is far away from Innisfree, he hears the sound of the lake water hitting the shore in the depth of his heart. 2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read stanza III.) A. The poet describes lake Innisfree as a place full of the bounties of nature. He sees the cloudy sky, the shimmering stars in the night sky, the purplish glow of the afternoon Sun and the linnet bird flying in the evening sky. The sound of the cricket’s song is also pleasing to him. On the other hand, the place where he stands now is an urban place which is devoid of all these beauties of nature. He says that there are roadways and grey – coloured pavements around him. 3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?

A. Innisfree is a place that the poet used to visit in his boyhood. As he lives in the city now, he expresses a desire to go to Innisfree which had peaceful surroundings. This shows his state of mind. Yes, he misses lake Innisfree when he says that the sound of the lake water hitting the shore echoes in the core of his heart.

4. 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? A. These lines indicate that the feeling of being ‘at peace’ seeps in slowly and gradually. As one sees the cloudy morning which is followed by the pleasant song of the cricket, the poet gains peace of mind. These vibrant sounds and scenes of nature

bring a feeling of peacefulness experienced by the poet.