Chapter 3.2 - The Night I Met Einstein
In this article, the writer was invited to dine at the house of a powerful business man. After the dinner, there was a concert and a pianist (someone who plays the piano) was invited to perform. The writer was very disappointed about the concert as he was tone-deaf, he was feeling bored and inattentive. But the writer’s neighbour (Einstein) understood the problem of the writer that he did not understand anything about classical music and he did not know about the composers. Einstein took genuine interest in the author who was a stranger and in making him experience the facts and truth about music. He took him to another room which had a gramophone and played what the writer knew and had interest in. Einstein gradually made him learn and sing by giving certain examples and made him capable of appreciating music sincerely.
dine : have dinner
hostess : a woman who invites guest to a social event
concert : performance of music by players or singers
pianist : someone who plays the piano
tone-deaf : unable to hear the difference between high and low notes of music
Bach : Johann Sebastian Bach, a German organist and composer of the 17th century.
gramophone : machine for playing recorded music.
nodded : moved head up and down to indicate agreement
Bing Crosby : American singer and actor
Warming up!
1. With your bench-mate, prepare a profile of Albert Einstein.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
Profession :
Ans: German Mathematician, Scientist and physicist.
Field of Science :
Ans: Physics and Philosophy.
World famous theory proposed :
Ans: Theory of Relativity
Awards :
Ans: Nobel Prize
Disability in childhood :
Ans: Learning disability.
Books written :
Ans:
(a) The world as I see it
(b) Relatively: The special and the General
(c) Ideas and opinions
2. Look at the pictures of musical instruments and write their names; what the player of the instrument is called and a famous player of the instrument.
Ans:
3. Separate the words in the columns they belong to.
(chorus, ballet, melody, swar, kathak, raga, salsa, symphony, mudra, serenade, choreography, tune, audience, tango, allegro, duet, odissi, choir, concert, performance, hip-hop)
Ans:
In Between The LESSON
Q1. What was the entertainment arranged for by the hostess ?
Ans: The entertainment arranged was a concert to be performed by a pianist.
Q2. What was the writer’s reaction to classical music?
Ans: The writer was not able to understand classical music; he was tone-deaf. As a result he felt forced to pay attention to it.
Q3. What do you learn from Einstein’s treatment to the young man ?
Ans: Einstein showed a good relationship and instead of getting frustrated, he accepted the writer’s lack of ability and taught him to appreciate music. From this I learnt that we should be friendly, helpful, and empathetic. We should listen to others and overcome prejudice.
Q4. Do you think the comparison between music and arithmetic was a good one? In what ways ?
Ans: Yes, I think the comparison between music and arithmetic was a good one. Einstein managed to see so much. Perhaps, more significant to me is his arithmetic example. A math teacher starts the chapter with elementary things then proceeds from simple to complex. When the child acquires the skill with the simplest problems it leads the child to solve division & fractions. Similarly, the writer had never heard the basics of music and he directly heard the complex parts of classical music. When the writer had mastered his skill of listening to understand the basics he was able to clap sincerely.
Q5. As far as listening is concerned, what difference do you notice between the writer and Einstein?
Ans: As far as listening is concerned, the writer did not understand classical music at all as he was tone-deaf. Whereas Einstein was fond of classical music and Bach was his favourite composer, which is why he had come to attend the concert.
Q6. How did Einstein help the narrator appreciate music ?
Ans: The writer told Einstein that he was tone-deaf. Einstein took him to a room which had a gramophone and played the type of music which the writer had heard and could understand well.
Q7. What does the last line tell you about Einstein?
Ans: The last line tells us about Einstein’s genuine attempt which opens the door of interest for beauty of music which explains the writer to work around with his eyes and ears opened. Make him learn that one should be open to everything around him and not to be afraid to experience or try new things. creativity will come gradually.
This line put the writer in his endless debt.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Complete the following sentences.
(a) The narrator was not happy about the concert because _______________.
Ans: he did not understand classical music and was tone-deaf.
(b) When the narrator turned to look at his neighbour, he _______________.
Ans: Saw a very famous face.
(c) Einstein was surprised to hear that _______________.
Ans: Writer did not know anything about Bach.
(d) The narrator’s memory has an image of Einstein as _______________.
Ans: Music Lover, Mentor and a good human being.
(e) The greatest act towards human beings is _______________.
Ans: To make them realize their capability.
2. Who said to whom?
Ans:
3. List all the words from the story related to ‘Music’.
Ans: Pianist; Gramophone; Trumpeter; Concert; Tone-deaf
4. Rewrite the following sentences inserting the appropriate phrases in their proper form.
(to get out of, to come up, to turn on, to give in, to get into, to come down, to work out, to turn off, to give off, to give out, to work in)
(a) He …………… bed and …………… the living room, to see if the door was closed.
Ans: He got out of bed and came up to the living room, to see if the door was closed.
(b) To enjoy the music and relax, he …………… the music and …………… the lights.
Ans: To enjoy the music and relax, he turned on the music and turned off the lights.
(c) Smita …………… to her desire and …………… her favourite toys to the poor it.
Ans: Smita gave in to her desire and gave off her favourite toys to the poor it.
(d) You should ……………… Mathematics so that you can …………….. problem.
Ans: You should work on Mathematics so that you can work out problem.
5. (A) Give two points of difference between :
(A)
Ans:
(B)
Ans:
6. Prepare a word list of occupations in alphabetical order from the letters A upto T. (You may skip ‘K’ and ‘Q’)
Ans:
A – Actor
B – Banker
C – Carpenter / Cook
D – Doctor / Dancer
E – Engineer
F – Farmer / fashion designer
G – Goldsmith / gardener
H – Historian
I – Interior designer
J – Judge / Jeweller
L – Lawyer / lecturer
M – Manager / Musician
N – Nurse
O – Orthopaedic
P – Photographer / Painter
R – Radiographer
S – Singer
T – Teacher
7. Rewrite the following in indirect narration.
(a) ‘‘You are not tone-deaf’’, he said to me.
Ans: He told me that I was not tone-deaf.
(b) ‘‘Could you have done it?’’, said Einstein.
Ans: Einstein asked if I could have done it.
(c) ‘‘Sing that back’’, he ordered me.
Ans: He ordered me to sing that back.
(d) He said, ‘‘What kind of music do you like?’’
Ans: He asked what kind of Music I liked.
(e) ‘‘I’m so sorry, Dr. Einstein’’, she said.
Ans: She said to Dr. Einstein that she was really sorry.
8. (A) Degrees of Comparison (Positive / Comparative / Superlative) Insert the appropriate expressions, choosing from those given after each sentence, for the positive degree.
(1) I am not _____ my friend.
(taller than / more taller / just as tall as)
Ans: I am not _____ my friend.
(2) They are _____ their neighbours.
(as helpful as / most helpful / more helpful)
Ans: They are _____ their neighbours.
(3) No other desert in Africa is _____ the Sahara Desert.
(biggest of all / nearly so big as / bigger as)
Ans: No other desert in Africa is _____ the Sahara Desert.
(4) Very few animals in the wild are _____ an elephant.
(exactly huger than / exactly as huge as / hugest than)
Ans: Very few animals in the wild are _____ an elephant.
(5) Some snacks are _____ a pizza.
(at least as tasty as / tastier as / most tasty as)
Ans: Some snacks are _____ a pizza.
(B) Change the Degree of Comparison, as directed and rewrite without changing the meaning.
(1) No one in the class is as brilliant as Tanvi. (Superlative)
Ans: Tanvi is the most brilliant in the class.
(2) A diamond is one of the most precious of all stones. (Comparative)
Ans: Diamond is more precious than most other stones.
(3) Her handwriting is better than that of her sister. (Positive)
Ans: Her sister’s handwriting is not as good as hers.
(4) Jupiter is the largest of all planets. (Comparative)
Ans: Jupiter is larger than all other planets.
(5) He is not the greatest of all leaders. (Positive)
Ans: Few other leaders are at least as great as he is.
(6) This painting is better than any other painting in the palace. (Superlative)
Ans: This is the best painting in the palace.
9. Prepare a word chain.
Ans:
10. Pick out words that refer to the following:
(1) A musical performance in public
Ans: concert
(2) A lady who invites and looks after guests
Ans: hostess
(3) A device used to play recorded music
Ans: gramophone
(4) One who is poor at deciphering musical notes
Ans: tone deaf
(5) Boundaries or limits of a field
Ans: frontiers
11. ‘Music is the medicine of the mind’. Narrate an experience that leads to the above conclusion. Write it in your own words, in your notebook.
Ans: Everybody considers that music is a mode of relaxation or entertainment. Very few of us are aware that music has magical healing properties too. Several scientific studies have proved that music therapy benefits patients by improving cognitive ability, reducing stress levels, relieving acute pain, and causing several other positive changes in our body and mind.
There are several experiences that prove the statement ‘Music is the medicine of the mind’.
(i) A recent study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, published in V. K., concluded that people with depression who listened to music for at least one hour each day reported a reduction of symptoms by up to 25%.
(ii) Mumbai- based psychiatrist Rajan Bhonsle claims music has helped to cure many stress-related illnesses in his patients, like one patient who had a bad case of psoriasis, a skin condition. He had consulted several specialists, but nothing had worked. Dr. Rajan Bhonsle told him to listen to his favourite music every day. It was found that over a period of time, psoriasis got cured. Apart from its healing properties, listening to music also enhances our concentration and creativity.
12. You will come across many famous personalities in the story. Go to library or search on internet the following names and write a few lines about the personalities given below.
(a) Albert Einstein
Ans: Albert Einstein is one of the greatest scientists and physicists of all time, as well as a fine amateur pianist and violinist. He is best known for his theories of relativity and theories of matter and heat. He was born into a musical family. At the age of five, he began playing the classical violin. His feelings flamed into love when he discovered the works of Mozart and Bach. Music became a pure outlet for Einstein’s passion. On the contrary, he did not show any signs of genius at an early age; he was considered a dull, boring, and slow learner. But later he realized this and started to draw attention to himself, and thereafter he never looked back and succeeded in achieving his goal.
(b) Johann S. Bach
Ans: Harry Lillis Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor. He was the first multimedia star from 1931 to 1954. Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses. He is one of 33 people to have three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
(c) Bing Crosby
Ans: Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He is known for instrumental compositions. Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach into a great musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the town. His father taught him to play the violin and harpsichord. He continued his hobby into his profession and succeeded in achieving the title of “Royal Court Composer.”
(d) John McCormack
Ans: John Francis McCormack was an Irish tenor, celebrated for his performances of operatic and popular song repertoires, and renowned for his diction and breath control. He was also a papal count. He made hundreds of recordings in those days. He was one of the first artists to record the popular ballad and was the first artist to record the famous World War II song ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’. His career was a huge financial success. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States and donated $11,458 towards the USA’s World War II effort.
13. Imagine you are the monitor of the class. You are asked to conduct an interview of a famous scientist who is in your city/village. Frame 8 to 10 interview questions with the help of the following points.
(1) Early life and education
(2) Interest for this particular field
(3) Any inspirational incident that occurred in his/her life
(4) Guru or mentor
(5) Inventions and awards
(6) Future plans
(7) Advice/Message to youngsters
Ans:
(i) From where did you do your schooling?
(ii) What was your favourite subject in school?
(iii) How did you acquire interest in this field?
(iv) Why is your research important?
(v) How did it feel to receive India’s highest civilian honour?
(vi) What is your biggest goal in life?
(vii) What was the most challenging aspect in your carrier?
(viii) What was your proudest professional moment?
(ix) Any inspirational incident that proved a turning point in your life.
(x) What are your future plans?
(xi) What is your advice to young scientist enthusiasts who want to research and establish a career in science and technology?
14. Project :
Divide the class into four groups. Collect pictures or draw images of various musical instruments, of the following categories.
(a) Stringed Instruments (Guitar)
(b) Wind Instruments (Flute)
(c) Percussion Instruments (Tabla)
(d) Solid Metal Instruments (Cymbals)
Paste and decorate pictures on separate sheets of paper. Give proper headings and names. Compile into a file with a cover and suitable file-title.
Ans: Students should do this on their own.