ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT

Class XI

Ch 4- Albert Einstein at School ( Snapshots)

By- Patrick Pringle

*Do the given NCERT questions (1-3 ) and extra questions (4-7) of Ch 4- Albert Einstein at School
( Snapshots)
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ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
Q1. What do you understand of Einstein’s nature from his conversations with his history teacher, his
mathematics teacher and the head teacher?
A. Albert was a boy who believed in standing up for his beliefs. It is evident from the way he portrayed
his views in front of his history teacher. He is someone who puts his energy in understanding logic rather
than facts.
His conversations with his Mathematics teacher tells us how passionate he is about the subject. The
teacher’s  remark that soon Albert will be ready to teach him shows that Albert is hard-working. He is on
very good terms with his mathematics teacher and that is why the teacher gave him a referral. This tells
us that Albert had potential. He was just different from other students of his age.
The head teacher and Einstein never agreed on one thing except when the teacher felt Albert is better-
off without school and vice-versa. Even though Albert felt a bit insulted upon being shown the door, he
resisted his desire to say anything bad or slam the door behind him. This shows that he respected his
elders and was polite. He was not a rude boy.
 
Q2. The school system often curbs individual talents. Discuss.
A. The school system focuses on teaching the same thing to every student and expects them to excel in
all. While the truth is that all children are different and each one of them shines in his own way. School
learning focuses more on learning facts than logic. Instead of teaching them how to think, they teach
little minds what to think.
Students are compared on the basis of marks which promotes unhealthy competition and sense of
inferiority among children at a very young age. Their talents somehow get overshadowed in the race of
scoring ideal marks. The school system, indeed curbs individual talents.
 
Q3. How do you distinguish between information gathering and insight formation?
A. Information gathering and insight information are two very different concepts. Information gathering
is concerned with compilation of facts and figures. It is just retaining already existing information which
can easily be referred to, through books. It only focuses on retention ability and does not add to the
personality of an individual. It is generally concerned with history or something that has happened. For
example, the history dates that Albert is unable to learn.
Insight information, on the other hand, is concerned with the cause and effect relationship of a
phenomenon. It persuades an individual  to think. It teaches them logic. Gaining information that is
insightful will help improve the overall personality of an individual as it helps in shaping minds. It helps
one understand its surroundings and reason with them.
Albert was more interested in Insightful information that information gathering. He was a science and
mathematics enthusiast while on the other hand, he had trouble keeping up with history dates.
Q4. Why was Mr. Braun speechless?

Ans. Mr. Braun was speechless because he asked Einstein in what year the Prussians defeated the
French at Waterloo. Albert could not reply, when he (Braun) demanded the reason responsible for this
he admitted that he did not learn the answer. Later he said that he could not see any point in learning
dates which could be read in a book as well. This made Mr. Braun speechless.
Q5. What made Einstein’s life miserable in the slum where he lived?

Ans. Albert Einstein lived in a slum where his landlady made his life a hell. She most often beat her
children and then occasionally she was beaten by her husband. She was so rude with Einstein that she
didn’t allow him to play his violin for a relief from all this stress. Apart from this, he was constantly sad
for the thought of having to go back to the school where he had not a friend.

Q6. What for did Einstein require a medical certificate?

Ans. Einstein enquired his friend Yuri about a friendly doctor, who would certify him falsely for a
nervous breakdown as he longed to escape from the school. Einstein hated the school at Munich and
longed to escape. But he knew that if he left his studies and went to Italy to join his family, his father
would get angry and send him back. One day he gets an idea. He decides to play a small drama. He
would pretend that he has had a nervous breakdown. He would say that he has been advised by the
doctor to discontinue studies. He asks his friend, Yuri, if he knows a kind and sympathetic doctor.

 Q7. “Albert felt the medical certificate almost burning a hole in his pocket”. What does the author
mean?

Ans. The author means to say that Einstein has worked so hard to get the certificate from the doctor,
and then he was willing to show the certificate to the headmaster and see how he would react.
However, the certificate had then become unnecessary as he was being expelled without its production.