CBSE Class 10 English The Making of a Scientist Assignment Set 02

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. How can one say that Ebright’s curiosity/ inquisitiveness drove him to become a scientist?
Answer: In “The Making of a Scientist,” one can infer that Ebright’s curiosity or inquisitiveness drove him to become a scientist based on his relentless pursuit of knowledge and understanding. The text likely highlights instances where he actively sought answers, questioned the world around him, or engaged in activities that showcased a natural inclination towards scientific exploration. Look for evidence in the text that illustrates how Ebright’s curiosity played a significant role in shaping his path toward becoming a scientist.

Question. Justify how Ebright’s mother played an important part in his becoming a scientist.
                                            Or
How did Ebright’s mother encourage his interest in learning?
                                            Or
How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming a scientist?
                                            ​​​​​​​Or
How did Richard Ebright’s mother help him?
                      ​​​​​​​                      Or
Describe the role of Ebright’s mother in making him a scientist.
Answer: Ebright’s mother played a crucial role in his scientific journey by nurturing his curiosity and providing him with books and resources to explore his interests. She encouraged his inquisitive nature and instilled in him a love for learning, laying the foundation for his future success as a scientist.

Question. How important is curiosity to scientific exploration and discovery? Justify your answer with examples from the story ‘The Making of a Scientist’.
Answer: Curiosity is extremely important to scientific exploration and discovery. It was Ebright’s curiosity that led him to collect items such as butterflies, fossils and coins. His desire to explore and constantly learn served as the foundation for his future scientific pursuits.

Question. What opinion did Mr. Weiherer, Ebright’s Social Science teacher have about him?
Answer: Mr. Weiherer was of a great opinion about Ebright. According to him, Ebright was competitive in a true sense as he didn’t want to just win the competition for the sake of winning it but he wanted to prove his experiments truly and contribute to the field of science.

Question. Do you think Richard’s mother was too indulgent when she bought him things like cameras, telescopes, microscopes? Give two reasons to support your answer.
Answer: Yes, she was indulgent and concerned about her son’s likings and hobbies. Firstly, she arranged for his favourite things to bring out his latent talent. Secondly, this way she helped him to become a scientist naturally and not forcefully.

Question. Suggest two ways by which you feel scientific temperament can be developed in a child.
Answer: Every child is born with more or less scientific temperament inside. This temperament can be further developed by providing him with related toys and games and supporting his experiments. Besides parents can encourage their children by asking questions and replying with satisfactory answers.

Question. Do you think we always need sophisticated instruments for all science experiments? Why/ Why not?
Answer: No, not really. Great discoveries and inventions have been made by using raw instruments in the past. Everyone knows how the falling of an apple gave us the theory of gravitational force. So, it is not necessary that we always need sophisticated instruments to create wonders.

Question. Richard’s mother was his companion and spent a lot of time with him. A parent should try to be a companion to a child. Justify.
Answer: A parent can best judge a child’s needs and psychology. If a parent spends time with his child, like a friend, the child can feel confident, safe and motivated. Richard’s mother supported him by recognising his inclination towards butterflies that helped him in becoming a great scientist.

Question. The book, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ ignited Richard’s curiosity in butterflies further. Do you think sometimes, people or things around us can act as catalysts to shape our lives? Explain how.
Answer: It is absolutely true that sometimes people or things can act as a catalyst to bring a change in our lives. Even a gift, a quotation, a statement or an incident can turn our life 360 degrees. When Richard’s fascination with butterfly collecting was about to fade over, the gifted book opened a new world of butterflies to him and ignited his curiosity to research more about the insects.

Question. Why do you think Mr. Weiherer was pleased that Richard Ebright not only put in the nightly research hours towards butterflies, but also his other interests?
Answer: Mr. Weiherer was pleased that Ebright balanced academics as well as recreational pursuits, his hobbies etc. He was impressed by Richard's commitment towards his work. As a teacher, he wanted Ebright's growth as a well-rounded personality.

Question. Why do you think Mr. Weiherer was pleased that Richard Ebright not only put in the nightly research hours towards butterflies, but also his other interests?
Answer: Mr. Weiherer was pleased that Ebright balanced academics as well as recreational pursuits (hobbies etc.); as a teacher, he wanted Ebright’s growth as a well-rounded personality.

Question. What lesson did Ebright learn when in the seventh grade he entered a country science fair?
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What lesson did Ebright learn when he could not win a prize at the science fair?
Answer: Ebright exhibited slides of frog tissues at a country science fair. He did not get any prize. He learnt an important lesson that science is not just about display. It is about projects and real experiments. He began conducting experiments from that day onwards.

Question. Which book did Ebright’s mother get for him? How did it change his life?
Answer: Ebright’s mother got him a children’s book called ‘The Travels of Monarch X.’
1. The book described how Monarch butterflies migrate to Central America.
2. This opened the world of science to young Ebright.

Question. Who were the important people in Ebright’s life? Why?
Answer: Ebright’s mother who encouraged him as a child and Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart who had inspired him to study about butterflies were quite important in Ebright’s life. Also, Richard A Weiherer, Ebright’s Social Studies teacher opened Ebright’s mind to new ideas and praised him for his hardwork and indomitable spirit.

Question. What, according to Mr. Weiherer, makes Richard Ebright a winner?
                      ​​​​​​​                      Or
According to Mr. Weiherer, what makes Richard Ebright a winner?
Answer: According to Mr. Weiherer, Richard Ebright was not interested in winning for winning's sake or winning to get a prize. Rather, he was a winner because he wanted to do the best job he could.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. You have been requested to write a brief blog post for a Science blog for kids on the theme-‘Science is Real’. Based on your understanding of the chapter, write the blog highlighting how science pervades every aspect of our lives. You may begin like this:
Scienceforkidsblogger.com
Monday, October 19, 2021
Science Is Real
Answer: Scienceforkidsblogger.com
Monday, October 19, 2021
Science Is Real
Science is present in every aspect of our life. Science is not just a theory to learn from books. It has to be observed minutely because science is real. If you want to understand science in an easy and practical way, you should visit the kitchen or the garden in your house. Try to understand the science working behind the small objects present in our kitchens – lemon squeezer, garlic presser, grater etc. Have you ever asked your mother why the ginger turns to pink colour when lemon juice is poured on it? One can understand the concept of condensation by taking up the lid from a cooking utensil. If you have a scientific temperament you can experience that science is real and it pervades every field of our life.

Question. The will to win, for the right reasons, was a quality that Richard had. Do you think this quality alone can help us accomplish great feats? Why/ Why not?
Answer: It is an important quality that is seen among winners. But, I feel, this quality alone cannot help us accomplish great feats. Besides the will to win, several other factors like family support, physical and mental well-being, awareness, financial status etc. do matter in making someone a winner. Richard was an average student in his school but his mother’s timely support and other favourable conditions worked positively to help him to become a successful scientist. No doubt once stepped onto the right path, he worked hard with determination and never looked back.

Question. Richard’s mother had been invited to a talk show after Richard’s graduation from Harvard with the highest honours. You attended that talk show. Write the most memorable thing she spoke about and what you think it reveals about her.
Answer: The Talk Show With Richard's Mother
Host: Well, Ms Ebright, how do you feel about Richard’s homecoming with the greatest Honours from Harvard.
Mother: It feels really great! My son has brought honours to me and our country.
Host: Was he a special child or an average child?
Mother: He was absolutely an average child in his school. He used to observe things happening in nature very keenly and it helped him a lot. He kept himself busy researching whatever fascinated him.
Host: Do you want to give any parenting tips?
Mother: Keep your kids busy with constructive ideas and try to understand their talent at the initial stage itself.
Host: Do you see any change in Richard’s attitude now?
Mother: Oh yes, he is more sincere, more determined and more dedicated now.

Question. Imagine Richard wrote a letter to his mother when he was studying at Harvard University for motivating him and being a constant source of support throughout his growing up years. Write that letter of gratitude as Richard. You may begin like this:
Harvard University
Cambridge
Massachusetts
20 September 1981
Mrs Ebright
Reading
Pennsylvania
Dear Mom
It’s been long since I’ve written to you.
Answer: Letter of gratitude as Richard
Harvard University
Cambridge
Massachusetts
20 September 1981
Mrs Ebright
Reading
Pennsylvania
Dear Mom,
It has been long since I have written to you. You will be glad to know that all the teachers here praise me for my real knowledge of Science. You know, all the credit goes to you. I can never forget your friendly and fun-filled ways to enable me to learn new things. The evenings we spent together at the dining table were proved to be most helpful. I don’t know how you managed to buy those toys and materials after my father’s death.
Your foresightedness in buying ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ changed my life all the way for good.
Mumma, I am blessed to have a mother like you. I wish you to be my mother in every birth. Take care.
Goodbye
Your loving son
Richie

Question. Albert Einstein said, ‘The important thing is to never stop questioning.’ Richard was a genius who proved this quote true. Justify.
Answer: Surely, this statement is true in the case of Richard Ebright because he always kept himself busy in constructive experiments since his early childhood. Richard had a habit of asking questions about new things and his mother answered all his questions in the most satisfying manner. This question and answer round turned into a habit in Richard and he kept on probing things. His scientific bent of mind led him to carry on experiment after experiment and reach a purposeful conclusion. Although to reach his goal he was helped by many people in his journey, especially his mother whose contribution is commendable. He had patiently waited for almost a year to study butterflies’ migration. This shows that he never stopped midway and finally became a great scientist.

Question. Imagine you are Richard. You have been invited by Mr Weiherer to deliver a short address to the students at your erstwhile school. You have been asked to encourage them to take an interest in the study of Science and how research in Science can help the world. Write that short speech.
Answer: Hello, my dear young friends
It is an honour to stand amongst you and say a few words on how the study of science changed my life. I think curiosity is the key to invention. You know, as a child, I was always curious to know why things happened in a particular way. Curiosity led me to experiment and experiments led me to conclusions and eventually inventions. You must be knowing that all the inventions are backed by a series of research by great scientists. Scientific developments have created all the facilities we enjoy in our lives today. From a small needle to a big aeroplane everything is the product of scientists’ hard work and patience. I feel that every child should take up the study of science in school to grow with confidence in life. Stop cramming and start experimenting.

Question. Richard Ebright displayed a well-rounded personality. Do you agree? Elucidate in the context of the given text.
Answer: Richard’s genius was obvious by the time he was in his second grade. He managed to collect all twenty-five species of butterflies around his hometown and classify them. He also loved to collect coins, fossils and rocks. Science was not his only passion. He was an active member of his school’s oratory club and model United Nations club and was an effective debater and a public speaker. He loved photography as well.
He was an enthusiastic canoeist and an all-around outdoors person. Learning was easy for him. So he found it simple to devote time and energy to many other interests. He became a champion in whatever he did. He believed in the spirit of competition to win. But, he did not wish to defeat others just to win. He wanted to win to do his best. Thus, he displayed a well-rounded personality.

Question. How did Ebright use determination and perseverance to achieve his aim of becoming a scientist?
Answer: Richard Ebright had been inquisitive since his kindergarten days. His quest for scientific knowledge prompted him to collect rocks, fossils, coins and butterflies. His mother was a great source of encouragement and played a prominent role in his career. His mother got him books that would help him get a deeper understanding about the world of science. Then in the seventh grade, he got a hint of what real science is when he entered a country science fair and lost. He realized that winners had tried to do real experiments, not simply make a neat display. Thereafter, Ebright worked sincerely on every science project he got every year in school. Then he stood first in a county fair that gave him entry into international science and engineering fair where he won third place. He then went on to win the highest honours and graduated from Harvard. His high school research into the purpose of the spots on a monarch pupa eventually led him to his theory about cell life. Thus he became a celebrated scientist.

Question. “Richard was the focus of his mother’s attention”. Compose a thesis on this.
Answer: Richard was three years old when he lost his father. Then he became the whole life of his mother. His mother was his only companion until he started school. His mother brought home friends for him. At night they just did things together. His mother encouraged his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras and other equipment that helped him in many other ways. It was his mother who brought him the book “The Travels of Monarch X”. Thus he was the focus of his mother’s attention.

Question. “Where there is a will, there is a way.”. Elaborate in context of the story of ‘The Making of a Scientist.’
Answer: Ebright had a will to become a scientist. However, he did not have enough resources for his dream. This curiosity and will made him work hard on various projects and models and helped him win many prizes. As a high school junior, he continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa. His hard work and determination rewarded him and he won a prize. In his senior year he got an opportunity to work at the army laboratory where he was able to conduct many experiments. This shows that if one has a will to do something, then God opens all doors for him. Ebright’s will to work and his curiosity overcame the lack of resources and helped him in becoming a successful scientist.

Question. How and why did Richard Ebright raise a flock of butterflies?
                      ​​​​​​​                      Or
Why did Richard Ebright raise a flock of butterflies?
Answer: At the end of the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ the readers were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart of the university of Toronto, Canada. So, soon Ebright was attaching light adhesive tags to the wings of monarchs to help Dr. Urquhart in his research. But the butterfly collecting season around Ebright’s hometown, Reading, was for only six weeks in late summer. Hence, it was not possible to catch many butterflies by chasing them one by one.
Therefore, the next step for Ebright was to raise a flock of butterflies. He would catch a female monarch and take her eggs. Then he would raise them in his basement throughout their life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly. Then he would tag the butterflies’ wings and let them go.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The question he tried to answer was simple: What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa?
“Everyone assumed the spots were just ornamental,” Ebright said.
“But Dr. Urquhart didn’t believe it.”
To find the answer, Ebright and another excellent science student first had to build a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair. There he won third place for zoology. He also got a chance to work during the summer at the entomology laboratory of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Question. State any one inference about Dr. Urquhart from the given context:
Everyone assumed the spots were just ornamental,” Ebright said, “But Dr. Urquhart didn’t believe it.”
Answer: From the given context, it can be said that Dr. Urquhart was a great scientist who had a curiosity to question assumptions.

Question. State TRUE or FALSE.
None of the terms (a) - (d) below, can be applied to the question - What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa?
(a) A hypothesis - a proposed explanation for a phenomenon.
(b) An assumption - something that is taken for granted or assumed to be true without proof.
(c) A premise - a proposition that forms the basis of an argument.
(d) A theory - a well-substantiated explanation for a natural phenomenon.
Answer: True

Question. Ebright’s approach towards finding the purpose of the gold spots on a monarch pupa was highly effective. Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: Ebright’s approach towards finding the purpose of the gold spots on a monarch pupa was indeed highly effective. He built a device that showed the spots were producing a hormone that was necessary for a butterfly’s full development. His approach cleared the assumption that the spots were just ornamental on the butterflies.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘a chance’, in the given sentence from the extract?
He also got a chance to work during the summer at the entomology laboratory of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
Answer: an opportunity

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
“Richard would always give that extra effort, Mr. Weiherer said. What pleased me was, here was this person who put in three or four hours at night doing debate research besides doing all his research with butterflies and his other interests. ‘Richard was competitive,’ Mr. Weiherer continued, ‘but not in a bad sense’. He explained, “Richard wasn’t interested in winning for winning’s sake or winning to get a prize. Rather, he was winning because he wanted to do the best job he could. For the right reasons, he wants to be the best.”

Question. Why did Mr. Weiherer consider Richard to be a hard worker?
Answer: Mr. Weiherer considered Richard to be a hard worker because he put in three or four hours at night doing debate research besides doing all his research with butterflies and his other interests.

Question. State TRUE or FALSE.
Only option (d) correctly corresponds to the extract.
(a) A review
(b) An interview
(c) An analysis
(d) A comment
Answer: True

Question. Why did Mr. Weiherer call Richard a true winner? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Mr. Weiherer called Richard a true winner because he wasn’t interested in winning for winning’s sake or winning to get a prize. Rather, he wanted to give his best.

Question. Why was Richard trying to win?
Answer: Richard was trying to win because he wanted to do the best job he could.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
Ebright and his college roommate, James R Wong, worked all that night drawing pictures and constructing plastic models of molecules to show how it could happen. Together they later wrote the paper that explained the theory. Surprising no one who knew him, Richard Ebright graduated from Harvard with highest honours, second in his class of 1510.

Question. How did Richard Ebright graduate?
Answer: Richard Ebright graduated with highest honours as second in a class of 1510 from Harvard University.

Question. State true or false.
None of the terms (a)-(d) can be applied to the statement — Ebright was a spectacular student.
(a) A hypothesis - a proposed explanation for a phenomenon
(b) An assumption - something that is taken for granted or assumed to be true
(c) A hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
(d) A premise - a proposition that forms the basis of an argument
Answer: False

Question. What paper was written by Ebright and his friend? Where was it published?
Answer: The paper about a theory of how cells work was written by Ebright and his friend. It was published in the scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science’.

Question. Which word would correctly substitute ‘making’, in the given sentence from the extract?
My friend, Rahul, was busy making a 3D-wallpaper when I went to see him.
Answer: constructing