Chapter 4
A Truly Beautiful Mind
Question 1:
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)
| Headings | Paragraph Number(s) |
|---|---|
| 1. Einstein's birth and childhood | 1 |
| 2. Einstein’s education | 2, 3, 4 |
| 3. Einstein’s working life | 5, 6, 7 |
| 4. Einstein’s scientific achievements | 8, 9 |
| 5. Einstein’s personal life | 10, 11 |
| 6. Einstein’s political views and efforts | 12, 13, 14 |
| 7. Einstein’s death and legacy | 15 |
Question 2:
Who had these opinions about Einstein? Rewrite clearly and in your own words.
-
He was boring.
→ This was what his playmates thought, as young Albert didn’t enjoy playing like other children. -
He was stupid and would never succeed in life.
→ This opinion was held by his school headmaster, who believed Einstein wouldn’t make anything of himself. -
He was a freak.
→ It was his mother who mentioned that others considered Einstein a freak because of how differently he behaved and spoke as a child.
Question 3.
Explain the reasons for the following:
-
Why did Einstein leave the school in Munich for good?
Einstein left the school in Munich because he disliked the rigid discipline and the strict teaching style. He often found himself in conflict with the authoritarian teachers and couldn't tolerate the regimentation any longer. -
Why did Einstein prefer to study in Switzerland instead of Munich?
He chose Switzerland because its education system was more open and liberal, unlike the one in Munich. He felt it would allow him more freedom to think and learn in his own way. -
Why did Einstein consider Mileva as an ally?
Einstein saw Mileva as someone who understood him. She was intelligent and shared his passion for science. He also felt she stood with him against those who criticized or misunderstood him — like many in his family or university.
👉 What do these tell you about Einstein?
These points reflect that Einstein was an independent thinker, who valued personal freedom and intellectual companionship. He wasn’t afraid to go against norms and followed his own path.
Question 4.
What did Einstein call his drawer at the patent office and why?
Einstein jokingly called his desk drawer “the bureau of theoretical physics” because, while working as a clerk, he secretly kept developing groundbreaking scientific ideas — such as his theory of relativity — and stored his papers in that drawer.
Question 5.
Why did Einstein write to President Roosevelt?
Einstein was concerned about the Nazis possibly developing nuclear weapons. To alert the U.S. government, he wrote a letter to President Roosevelt, warning him of the danger and urging action. This letter later influenced the development of the American atomic program.
Question 6.
How did Einstein react to the atomic bombings in Japan?
Einstein was horrified by the destruction caused in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He felt deep regret that his scientific ideas had indirectly contributed to such violence, and he expressed his concern in a public letter to the United Nations.
Question 7.
Why is Einstein remembered as a ‘world citizen’?
Einstein is called a "world citizen" because of his strong belief in peace, international cooperation, and global responsibility. He didn’t limit his concerns to any one country, but cared for all humanity — especially during times of war and political tension.
Question 8.
Chronological order of important events in Einstein’s life:
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Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
-
He attends high school in Munich.
-
His family moves to Milan.
-
He leaves school due to its strict discipline.
-
He joins university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
-
He starts working in a patent office.
-
He publishes the special theory of relativity.
-
He provides a new explanation of gravity.
-
He receives the Nobel Prize in Physics.
-
When Hitler rises to power, Einstein moves to the U.S.
-
He writes to Roosevelt warning him about Nazi atomic bomb efforts.
-
Einstein dies.
Question 1.
Choose the correct word from the brackets to replace the italicised phrases:
-
A few years later, the marriage faltered.
👉 Answer: became weak -
Einstein was constantly at odds with people at the university.
👉 Answer: in disagreement -
The newspapers proclaimed his work as “a scientific revolution.”
👉 Answer: declared -
Einstein got ever more involved in politics, agitating for an end to the arms build-up.
👉 Answer: campaigning -
At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for good.
👉 Answer: permanently -
Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar.
👉 Answer: in a state of commotion -
Science wasn’t the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache.
👉 Answer: interested
Question 2.
Complete the sentences using suitable participial phrases (beginning with –ing verbs or having):
-
Working round the clock, the firefighters finally put out the fire.
(They worked round the clock.) -
She watched the sunset above the mountain, noticing the colours blending softly into one another.
(She noticed the colours blending softly.) -
The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, neighing continually.
(While it neighed continually.) -
Having taken the wrong train, I found myself in Bangalore instead of Benaras.
(I had taken the wrong train.) -
Not having bathed for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom.
(I had not bathed for two days.) -
The stone steps, being worn down, needed to be replaced.
(They were worn down.) -
The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, asking him to send them his photograph.
(They asked him to send a photo.)
Student Unearths Einstein Manuscript
21 August 2005
In a surprising and important discovery, a handwritten scientific manuscript by the world-famous scientist Albert Einstein has been found in the Netherlands. The document had been lying unnoticed for many years before it came to light.
This valuable document was discovered by a student named Rowdy Boeynik while he was studying and researching the papers of one of Einstein’s close companions. The event occurred during his academic work at a university in the Netherlands.
The manuscript contains some of Einstein’s final research, focusing on the behaviour of atoms at extremely low temperatures. This scientific concept later came to be known as the Bose-Einstein Condensation, a major contribution to modern physics.
The university authorities have decided to preserve this rare and historic manuscript at Leyden University, the same place where Einstein once delivered lectures and was honoured with the Nobel Prize.
Question 1:
Your teacher will dictate these paragraphs to you. Write down the paragraphs with correct punctuation marks.
Answer:
In the year 1931, when Albert Einstein was visiting Hollywood, the famous actor Charlie Chaplin invited him to a special screening of his latest film City Lights. As they drove through the streets together, the crowd cheered and waved at them. Chaplin smiled and remarked to Einstein, “They are cheering for you because none of them understands you, and for me because everyone understands me.”
On another occasion, one of Einstein’s fellow scientists asked him for his telephone number. To the man’s surprise, Einstein opened a telephone directory and searched for it. Shocked, the colleague asked, “You don’t know your own number?” Einstein calmly replied, “No. Why should I memorize something that I can find in a book so easily?” (Einstein often said that he never bothered to remember anything that could be found within two minutes.)
Question 1:
A headmaster once told his father that whatever Einstein chose as a profession would not matter, because “he will never make a success at anything”. Einstein began learning to play the violin at the age of six, because his mother wanted him to. He later became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.
(a) What was the headmaster’s opinion about Einstein?
(b) Why did Einstein learn to play the violin?
(c) Find a word from the passage that means “having great natural ability”.
Answer:
(a) The headmaster believed that Einstein would not succeed in any career he chose.
(b) Einstein started learning the violin to fulfil his mother's wish.
(c) The word is "gifted".
Question 2:
Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. This time he wrote a public missive to the United Nations. In it he proposed the formation of a world government. Unlike the letter to Roosevelt, this one made no impact.
(a) What did Einstein write and to whom?
(b) Why had he earlier written to Roosevelt?
(c) Find the word from the extract that means “a long and official letter”.
Answer:
(a) Einstein wrote a formal letter to the United Nations, suggesting the creation of a global government.
(b) He had earlier written to Roosevelt to warn him about Germany’s potential to develop atomic bombs.
(c) The word is "missive".
Question 3:
“The pair finally got married in January 1903, and had two sons. But a few years later, the marriage faltered.”
(a) Who does “the pair” refer to?
(b) What happened to their marriage?
(c) Which word in the passage means “became weak”?
Answer:
(a) “The pair” refers to Albert Einstein and his wife, Mileva Marić.
(b) Their relationship declined over the years and ultimately failed.
(c) The word is "faltered".
Question 4:
He also felt a special interest in a fellow student, Mileva Marić, 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.
(a) Who is referred to as the “clever creature” and “young Serb”?
(b) Why had she come to Switzerland?
(c) What was Einstein’s attitude towards her?
Answer:
(a) The “clever creature” and “young Serb” is Mileva Marić, Einstein’s fellow student.
(b) She came to Switzerland because the Zurich university allowed women to earn degrees, unlike most other places in Europe at that time.
(c) Einstein admired her intelligence and considered her a companion in his struggle against narrow-minded people.
Or
(a) Who took special interest in Mileva Marić and why?
(b) Why did Mileva come to Switzerland?
(c) Which word in the passage means “softness”?
Answer:
(a) Albert Einstein was interested in Mileva because he found her intelligent and supportive.
(b) Mileva came to Switzerland to study in one of the rare universities in Europe that admitted women.
(c) The word is “tenderness”.
Question 1:
Why did the people call Einstein a world citizen?
Answer:
Einstein was called a world citizen because he stood for global peace and opposed war and weapons. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he strongly supported disarmament and worked for the betterment of humanity across nations.
Question 2:
Why did Albert Einstein leave his school?
Answer:
Einstein left school because he didn’t like its rigid rules and strict discipline. He felt trapped and uncomfortable in such a system, so he chose to leave it for good.
Question 3:
Why did Einstein hate school?
Answer:
He hated school because it forced students to follow strict rules without encouraging creativity or independent thinking. The rigid discipline made him feel suffocated.
Question 4:
Why does the world remember Einstein as a world citizen?
Answer:
Einstein is remembered as a world citizen because he cared about all humanity, not just one nation. He spoke out against war and supported peace, democracy, and global cooperation.
Question 5:
Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
Answer:
Einstein wrote to Roosevelt to warn that Nazi Germany might develop an atomic bomb using nuclear fission. He urged the U.S. to act quickly to prevent this threat.
Question 6:
What is Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity?
Answer:
Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity says that time and distance are not fixed — they change depending on speed. From this theory, he gave the famous formula: E = mc², showing the link between mass and energy.
Question 7:
Why did Einstein’s playmates call him “Brother Boring”?
Answer:
His friends called him “Brother Boring” because he didn’t enjoy their games, repeated words while speaking, and seemed different from other kids. He was quiet and not very playful.
Question 8:
How was Einstein’s private life unraveling after he finished his studies?
Answer:
Einstein wanted to marry Mileva, his classmate, but his mother opposed the marriage. She felt Mileva was older and too intelligent for her son, which created problems in Einstein’s personal life.
Question 9:
What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office and why?
Answer:
Einstein jokingly called his desk drawer the “bureau of theoretical physics” because, while doing regular office work, he was secretly working on his own scientific ideas and theories.
Question 10:
How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Answer:
Einstein was deeply disturbed by the massive destruction. He wrote to the United Nations, asking for the creation of a world government to prevent such disasters in the future.
Question 1:
Write down the achievements of Albert Einstein.
(Board Term 1, 2012, ELI-022)
Answer:
Albert Einstein was one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. He had a natural talent for mathematics and a deep interest in physics. Even before completing his formal education, he started working on the theory of relativity. In 1902, he got a job at the patent office in Bern, Switzerland, but continued to work on his scientific theories during his free time. His most famous work, the theory of relativity, changed the way people understood time and space. In recognition of his work, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Einstein’s contributions earned him global recognition, and he was invited by many institutions and honored worldwide.
Question 2:
Einstein was an unusual child with no indication of his potential greatness. Comment.
(Board Term 1, 2012, ELI-039)
Answer:
Einstein’s childhood did not suggest he would become a great scientist. At birth, his head was unusually large. He didn’t speak until the age of two-and-a-half, which worried his parents. At school, he was quiet and did not enjoy socializing, so other children called him “Brother Boring.” His teachers believed he would never succeed in life. He disliked the strict discipline at school and eventually dropped out. Even his headmaster told his father that he wouldn’t do well in any career. These early signs showed no clue of the brilliant mind he would later become.
Question 3:
What was the outcome of Einstein’s letter which he wrote to the American President, Roosevelt? Did his warning have any impact on America?
(Board Term 1, 2012, ELI-051)
Answer:
When Einstein learned that Germany had discovered nuclear fission, he feared the Nazis might build an atomic bomb. At the request of a fellow scientist, he wrote a letter to the U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, warning about the possible dangers. His warning was taken seriously, and the U.S. government secretly began work on building its own atomic bomb—the Manhattan Project. Eventually, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Although Einstein had warned about the danger, he was deeply saddened by the destruction caused. Later, he appealed to the United Nations for the formation of a world government to maintain peace.
Question 1:
Do you think that in today’s context national boundaries are overcome by global issues?
Answer:
Yes, in today's interconnected world, national boundaries are often crossed by global issues like climate change, nuclear threats, pandemics, and terrorism. These challenges affect all countries, and no single nation can solve them alone. The example of Albert Einstein writing to the U.S. President about the dangers of nuclear weapons shows how global concerns demand international attention and cooperation. It is a shared responsibility for everyone to contribute towards making the world a safer and better place.
