CBSE Class 10 English The Making of a Scientist Assignment Set 03

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. Which project did Ebright submit in his eighth grade? Why did he win?
Answer: For his eighth grade project he tried to find the cause of a viral disease that killed nearly all monarch caterpillars every few years. He thought it all happened because of a beetle and tried raising caterpillars in the presence of beetles but he did not get any results. But he went ahead and showed his experiments and trials and won a prize.

Question. Why did Ebright raise a flock of butterflies?
Answer: Ebright wanted to tag the monarch butterflies to study their migration. Since butterfly season lasted only six weeks he wouldn’t be able to catch many and tag them.

Question. What were the factors which contributed to making Ebright a scientist?
Answer: There are some genuine factors that contribute to making Ebright a scientist. First, he had a ‘driving curiosity along with a bright mind’ and zeal to try new ideas. Secondly, his mother’s encouragement and inspiration stood him in good stead to create interest in science. Finally, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ opened the world of science to Ebright.

Question. Mention any two of Ebright’s contributions to the world of science.
Answer: In his senior year in the high school, Ebright began to search for an unknown hormone in the gold spots of the butterflies. He proved that the cells of a monarch would develop into a normal butterfly wing only if they were fed the hormone from the gold spots.
Another contribution of Ebright in the world of science is that he discovered how the cell could read the blueprint of its DNA.

Question. Why did Richard Ebright give up tagging butterflies?
Answer: Richard Ebright gave up tagging butterflies because he gradually lost interest in it. He found it to be a tedious work. Moreover, there was not much feedback. He tagged many butterflies but only two of them were captured. In fact, in the book, “The Travels of Monarch”, readers were asked by Dr. Frederick to tag butterflies for research.

Question. What other interests besides science did Richard Ebright pursue?
Answer: Richard Ebright had other interests besides science. To his credit, he became a champion debater and public speaker. He was also a good canoeist and an all-around outdoor person. He was also an expert photographer, particularly of nature and scientific exhibits.

Question. Who is Richard H. Ebright? What was he fond of collecting?
Answer: Richard H. Ebright, an award-winning scientist, was the only child of his parents. He grew up north of Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. He was fond of collecting butterflies, rocks, fossils, and coins. He first started collecting butterflies when he was in kindergarten.

Question. What did Richard Ebright like and want to do ever since his childhood? How many species of butterflies had he collected by the time he was in the second grade?
Answer: Ever since his childhood, Richard Ebright liked and wanted to learn. Therefore, he earned top grades in school. Also, by the time he was in the second grade, Ebright had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown.

Question. Which children’s book opened the world of science to the young Ebright?
Answer: Ebright’s mother got him a children’s book called ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. That book, which told how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America, opened the world of science for the young Richard Ebright.

Question. From where had Richard Ebright graduated? What did he do immediately after graduation?
Answer: Richard Ebright had graduated from Harvard with highest honours, being second in his class of 1,510. After graduation, he went on to become a graduate student researcher at Harvard Medical School.

Question. What can Ebright’s theory of cell life lead to if it is proved correct?
Answer: If Ebright’s theory of cell life is proved correct, it will be a big step towards understanding the process of life. It might also lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and other diseases.

Question. If the theory proves correct, it will be a big step towards understanding the processes of life. What is the theory and who proposed it?
Answer: Richard Ebright’s new theory was about cell life. It came to him while he was looking at X-ray photos of the chemical structure of a hormone. The photos gave him an answer as to how the cell can read the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It determines the form and function of the cell. Thus, DNA is the blueprint for life. Ebright proposed this theory with the help of his roommate James R. Wong.

Question. Identify four values which Richard Ebright projected as a man of substance.
Answer: Ebright was not only a good scientist but also a keen observer. He was good as a champion debater and a public speaker. He was an expert photographer, particularly of nature and scientific exhibits.

Question. Why do viceroy butterflies copy monarchs?
Answer: Ebright’s theory proved that viceroys look like monarchs because monarchs don’t taste good to birds. But viceroys taste good to birds. Therefore, butterflies try to look like (copy) monarchs so that they can be saved.

Question. “When he saw those photos.” Which photos did he see and what discovery did this lead to?
Answer: He saw photos of the chemical structure of a hormone in the X-ray. This photo enabled him to answer one of the biology puzzles. His doubt on DNA was solved. He determined that DNA is the substance in the nucleus that controls heredity. So DNA was established to be the blueprint for life.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Describe Richard Ebright’s childhood.
Answer: Richard Ebright grew up in the north of Reading, Pennsylvania. Beginning in the Kindergarten, he had the fascination to collect butterflies. From the dawn of his life, he had a driving curiosity with a bright mind. Ebright was everything for his mother since his father’s death. However, he used to get top grades in the school. When he was in second standard, he collected twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. The book, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ brought a turning point in his life. When he was in the eighth standard, he tried to find the cause of the viral disease of the monarchs. His trial of this experiment won him a prize. Thus, Ebright bids fair to be an outstanding scientist in future.

Question. What other interests besides science did Richard Ebright pursue? What opinion did Mr. Weiherer, his social studies teacher, have about Ebright?
                                            Or
What opinion did Mr Weiherer, his social studies teacher, have about Ebright?
Answer: Besides science, Richard Ebright had also interest in other fields. He also became a champion debater and public speaker. He was a good canoeist and an all-round outdoors-person. He was an expert photographer, particularly of nature and scientific exhibits. In high school, Richard Ebright was a straight-A student. He rendered a lot of energy towards the Debating and Model United Nations Club.
Mr Weiherer, his social studies teacher, cherished a high opinion about Richard Ebright. He admired the extra efforts that Richard gave for doing debate research besides his research with butterflies and other interests. Mr Weiherer emphasized that Richard was winning because he wanted to do the best job he could do. For the right reasons, he wanted to be the best of the best.

Question. When did Ebright learn what real science is? How did it help him to become a successful scientist?
Answer: When Ebright could not win anything at a science fair, he understood that he would have to do real experiments to win the prize. So, his competitive spirit encouraged him to do a real experiment. Moreover, the book, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’, opened the world of science to him. After that he never lost in the competition as he had learnt what real science is. The book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ helped him to become a successful scientist. It inspired him to research the fact how Monarch butterflies migrated to Central America.

Question. Hobbies play a very important role in one’s life. Elaborate this with reference to ‘The Making of a Scientist.’
Answer: Hobbies channelize one’s energy and increase one’s creativity and curiosity. Richard Ebright had collected butterflies as a hobby and also collected rocks, fossils and coins. He even became an eager astronomer, sometimes stargazing all night. These hobbies increased his creativity and curiosity about the world, and he wanted to learn more and more about the mysteries that he saw around him. Because hobbies make the mind bright and inculcate a spirit of trying new ideas, Richard Ebright’s mind was opened to the world of science when he read the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. In the end, it was Ebright’s reading habit or curiosity as a child that has made him the scientist he is today.

Question. What was the impact of the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ on Richard Ebright?
Answer: Richard Ebright had started collecting butterflies when he was in kindergarten. So, to maintain his interest in this field in his later years, his mother had got him a children’s book called ‘The Travels of Monarch X.’ This book had told how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America. The impact of this book was so strong on Ebright’s mind that it opened the world of science for him. At the end of this book, readers had been invited to help study butterfly migrations. They had been asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart of the university of Toronto, Canada. Ebright’s mother wrote to Dr. Urquhart, and soon Ebright was also taking part in the study by attaching light adhesive tags to the wings of the monarchs. According to the research, anyone who found a tagged butterfly was asked to send the tag to Dr. Urquhart. Ultimately, it was Richard’s fascination for butterflies that opened the world of science to him. It also indirectly led to his theory on how cells work.

Question. Imagine that you are Richard Ebright. Write a diary entry stating how your mother looked after you and encouraged you.
Answer: Diary Entry
Wednesday,
25 May, 20XX 10.30 p.m.
It makes me proud to think how great my mother is. She has not only taken very good care of me but has also always encouraged me to learn more and more. She took me on trips, bought me telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipment. She has also helped me in many other ways that cannot be highlighted in words.
She even devoted her complete attention to me, until I started going to school. After that she would bring home friends for me. Unfortunately, my father died when I was in third grade. But still, as always she wished that I should learn more and more. Above all, my mother got me a children’s book called ‘The Travels of Monarch X.’ This book had a great impact on me and my fascination for collecting and tagging butterflies grew more and more. This fascination opened a world of science to me and this was all because my mother has always supported me.
Richard Ebright

Question. What did Richard Ebright find about the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa?
Answer: When Richard Ebright was in second year in high school, he tried to answer one question through his research: What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa? Ebright said that everyone assumed the spots were just ornamental, but Dr. Urquhart did not believe it. To find the answer, Ebright and another excellent science student named James R. Wong first had to build a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This research led Ebright to the discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it also led to his new theory on the life of cells. This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair, where he won third place for zoology.

Question. How did Richard Ebright get the idea for his new theory about cell life? What was the idea?
Answer: Ebright got the idea for his new theory about cell life when he was looking at X-ray photos of the chemical structure of a hormone. When Ebright saw those photos, he believed that, along with his findings about insect hormones, the photos gave him the answer to one of biology’s puzzles: how the cell can ‘read’ the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It determines the form and function of the cell. Thus, DNA is the blueprint for life. 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.

Question. What are the values required to become a successful scientist like Richard Ebright? Elaborate with reference to the lesson ‘The Making of a Scientist’.
Answer: Curiosity to know more and a motivation to find reasons for the existence of anything or any phenomena are necessary for becoming a successful scientist. The urge to know more develops the scientific aptitude in a person.
At a very young age, Ebright became competitive by participating in various county fairs. He never lost hope and kept on trying to do better. In addition to curiosity and motivation, Ebright displayed the qualities of hard work, sincerity, determination and patience. He also accepted failure and success in the right spirit. Thus, he became a successful scientist.

Question. Dr. Urquhart contributed significantly to Ebright’s growth as a scientist. Explain.
Answer: Richard had become bored with collecting butterflies. His mother got him a book on the migration of butterflies. Richard came in contact with Dr. Urquhart through the book. Dr. Urquhart directed him to study the migration pattern of butterflies.
When he did not win any prize in the science fair in seventh grade, he again wrote to Dr. Urquhart to guide him. The scientist gave him many suggestions for new experiments. Richard performed these experiments throughout his high school and won many prizes. Later, he worked on why bright spots are found on a monarch pupa, motivated by Dr. Urquhart. It led to the discovery of a new hormone. The discovery of this new hormone further led to an important theory. The theory was about how cells read their DNA. In this way Dr. Urquhart proved to be his true mentor.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
From the first he had a driving curiosity along with a bright mind. He also had a mother who encouraged his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials, and other equipment and helped him in many other ways.
“I was his only companion until he started school,” his mother said. “After that I would bring home friends for him. But at night we just did things together. Richie was my whole life after his father died when Richie was in third grade.”

Question. State any one inference about Mrs. Ebright from the given context.
Answer: She nurtured her son’s curiosity and provided him with learning aids.

Question. State which of the options from (a) to (d) can be applied to the given question or context?
Can we say that what set Ebright apart from other children of his age was only curiosity?
(a) True because that was the most unique trait in his personality.
(b) False because his mother entirely drove his success.
(c) Partially true because he also had a bright mind and a strong desire to learn.
(d) Not applicable because his interest waned in butterflies and he stopped collecting them.
Answer: (c) Partially true because he also had a bright mind and a strong desire to learn.

Question. What was the approach of Richard’s mother towards his life as a parent?
She says, ‘Richie was my whole life after his father died when Richie was in third grade.”
Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: She did not merely spend time with him but invested it fruitfully. She gave his life direction, played a major role in his success, and ensured above all his emotional well-being by being his friend and companion because there were no children in the neighbourhood.

Question. Which phrase would be the correct antonym of ‘curiosity’ in the given sentence from the extract?
“From the first, he had a driving curiosity along with a bright mind.”
Answer: apathy

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
The butterfly collecting season around Reading lasts six weeks in late summer. If you’re going to chase them one by one, you won’t catch very many. So the next step for Ebright was to raise a flock of butterflies. He would catch a female monarch, take her eggs, and raise them in his basement through their life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly. Then he would tag the butterflies’ wings and let them go. For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarchs in different stages of development.

Question. State any one inference about the butterfly specimens from the given context.
Answer: It is practical to have your own stock of specimen butterflies for research.

Question. State which of the options from (a) to (d) is True and can be applied to the given statement.
Ebright tagged the butterflies to determine their movement and migration patterns because he was working on _____.
(a) a hypothesis: what happens if a butterfly species do not migrate?
(b) an assumption that all butterflies migrate.
(c) a premise that monarch butterflies fly thousands of miles.
(d) a theory that all winged insects migrate.
Answer: (c) a premise that monarch butterflies fly thousands of miles.

Question. ‘He would catch a female monarch, take her eggs, and raise them in his basement through their life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly’- What does this show us about Ebright? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: Ebright’s basement was host to thousands of monarch butterflies in different stages of development that he painstakingly preserved and observed. It shows Ebright’s perseverance, dedication, and resolve as a researcher.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘basement’ in the given sentence from the extract?
For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarchs in different stages of development.
Answer: cellar or mezzanine floor

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
When he saw those photos, Ebright didn’t shout, ‘Eureka!’ or even, ‘I’ve got it!’ But he believed that, along with his findings about insect hormones, the photos gave him the answer to one of biology’s puzzles: how the cell can ‘read’ the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It determines the form and function of the cell. Thus, DNA is the blueprint for life. 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.

Question. State any one inference about Richard Ebright from the given context.
When he saw those photos, Ebright didn’t shout, ‘Eureka!’ or even, ‘I’ve got it!’
Answer: Ebright displayed a well-rounded, mature personality.

Question. State which of the options from (a) to (d) can be applied to the given statement or context.
According to the extract, DNA can be considered the fulcrum around which the nucleus of a cell, the form and function of the cell revolve.
(a) A hypothesis
(b) An assumption
(c) A premise
(d) A theory
Answer: (d) A theory

Question. ‘Together they later wrote the paper that explained the theory.’ What were the repercussions of the theory going to be for mankind? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: If the theory about cell life would prove correct, it will be a big step toward understanding the processes of life. It might also lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and other diseases.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘blueprint’ in the given sentence from the extract?
“Thus, DNA is the blueprint for life.”
Answer: plan or design