question_answer

Read the following passage carefully:

From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it's been a long journey. Taking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher's Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life's toughest lessons learnt and his mission being a teacher to the Indian youth. "A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth," says President Kalam.

There's still a child in him though, and he's still curious about learning new things. Life's a mission for President Kalam.

Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. "I was studying in

Standard V and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania lyer was telling how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said, "I didn't understand." Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly," he recalls.

"That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameshwaram shore," the President continues, "My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us. Where is the bird's engine and how is it powered?' I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds' dynamics."

(i) When did Nona Walia talk to the President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam?

(ii) What did the teacher draw on the blackboard?

(iii) What did Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam learn when the entire class was taken to the Rameshwaram shore?

(iv) (a) Give the antonyms of:

(i) remembers

(ii) toughest.

(b) Which words in the passage mean the following:

(i) fate

(ii) forces that produce movement.

(v) What inspiration do you gain after reading about Dr. Kalam's experiences as a student?

Answer:

(i) Nona Walia spoke to the President Dr. A.P. J. Abdul Kalam on the eve of Teacher?s Day.

(ii) The teacher drew a detailed diagram of a bird on the blackboard showing the wings, tail and the body with the head.

(iii) He learnt that birds were powered by their own life and motivation and all about birds ?dynamics?.

(iv) (a) (i) forgets (ii) easiest

(b) (i) destiny (ii) motivation

(v) This passage teaches us that one must have a craving to learn more and more in life. I also learnt that by asking questions we can learn more. If we don?t understand a particular concept, we must ask the teacher and not keep the doubts to ourselves.