NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill book Albert Einstein at School Important Question Answers Lesson 4
Class 11 English Albert Einstein at School Question Answers – Looking for Albert Einstein at School question answers (NCERT solutions) for CBSE Class 11 English Snapshots Book Chapter 4? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 11 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Chapter 4: Albert Einstein at School now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.
Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.
- Albert Einstein at School Extract Based Questions
- Albert Einstein at School Multiple Choice Questions
- Albert Einstein at School Short Answer Questions
- Albert Einstein at School Long Answer questions
Class 11 English Albert Einstein at School Question Answers Lesson 4 – Extract Based Questions
Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.
A. “I can’t see any point in learning dates. One can always look them up in a book.”
Mr Braun was speechless for a few moments.
“You amaze me, Einstein,” he said at last.
“Don’t you realize that one can always look most things up in books? That applies to all the facts you learn at school.”
“Yes, sir.” “Then I suppose you don’t see any point in learning facts.”
“Frankly, sir, I don’t,” said Albert.
“Then you don’t believe in education at all?”
“Oh, yes, sir, I do. I don’t think learning facts is education.”
1 By stating that he does not believe in learning facts he is ………… his perspective.
A) clarifying
B) negotiating
C) amplifying
D) rectifying
Ans. A) clarifying
2 Select the correct inference from the given options on the basis of the extract.
A) Mr. Braun hated Einstein for his lack of interest in history.
B) Mr. Braun was irritated with Einstein for his disinterest in learning facts.
C) Mr. Braun did not want Einstein to stay in the school after this incident.
D) Mr. Braun did not appreciate Einstein negating all of his views.
Ans. B) Mr. Braun was irritated with Einstein for his disinterest in learning facts.
3 Which of the following qualities can be associated with Einstein on the basis of the given extract?
A) Daring
B) Frank
C) Honest
D) Sincerity
Ans. C) Honest
4 Select the option that correctly states the views of Mr. Braun.
A) Education systems focus on what is taught in schools and colleges.
B) Education system does not give any space to one’s opinions.
C) Education system is based on learning facts.
D) Education system is qualitative and does not need students like Einstein to question it
Ans. C) Education system is based on learning facts.
5 Einstein says that he does not believe that education is about learning facts.
Which of the following correctly states Einstein’s perspective regarding education?
A) Views behind events
B) Ideas that lead to creation
C) Opinions
D) All of these
Ans. D) All of these
B. “At least you live among civilized human beings, even if they are all poor students,” said Albert. “They are not all civilized,” Yuri replied.
“Did you not hear that one of them was killed last week in a duel?”
“And what happens to the one who killed him?”
“Nothing, of course. He is even proud of it. His only worry is that the authorities have told him not to fight any more duels. He’s upset about this because he hasn’t a single scar on his face to wear for the rest of his life as a badge of honor.”
“Ugh!” exclaimed Albert. “And these are the students.”
“Well, you’ll be a student one day,” said Yuri.
1 How is Einstein feeling in the given lines?
A) Surprised
B) Annoyed
C) Shaken
D) Disgusted
Ans. D) Disgusted
2 Yuri is trying to ………… Einstein in the given lines.
A) show his care for
B) calm and comfort
C) cheer up
D) help
Ans. B) calm and comfort
3 How did Yuri achieve his purpose?
A) Yuri compared his situation with Einstein’s.
B) Yuri distracted him with news from his locality.
C) Yuri told him about how he feels suffocated.
D) Yuri told him about how he would have a better future.
Ans. A) Yuri compared his situation with Einstein’s.
4 What can be said about the boy who killed another boy in the duel?
A) Arrogant
B) Barbaric
C) Gutsy
D) Egoist
Ans. B) Barbaric
5 “Well, you’ll be a student one day,” said Yuri. What effect does the above lines have on Einstein?
A) Fills him with disgust
B) Intensifies his misery
C) Makes him disbelieve in the education system
D) Both (A) and (B)
Ans. D) Both (A) and (B)
C. Going back to his lodgings did not cheer him up. His father had so little money to spare that Albert had been found a room in one of the poorest quarters of Munich. He did not mind the bad food and lack of comfort, or even the dirt and squalor, but he hated the atmosphere of slum violence. His landlady beat her children regularly, and every Saturday her husband came drunk and beat her.
1 What does ‘Dirt and Squalor’ mean?
A) Filthiness
B) Garbage
C) Foulness
D) All of these
Ans. D) All of these
2 What kind of surroundings did Albert used to live in?
A) Pathetic
B) Magnificent
C) Ravishing
D) All of these
Ans. A) Pathetic
3 Why could Albert only rent a room in one of the quarters of Munich?
A) For he hailed from a rich family
B) For he hailed from a poor family
C) For he hailed from a middle-class family
D) For he was well off
Ans. B) For he hailed from a poor family
4 What did Albert hate the most?
A) Bad food
B) Lack of comfort
C) Dirt and squalor
D) Slum Violence
Ans. D) Slum Violence
D. “I’m sure you could learn enough to pass the exams, Albert, if you tried,” she said, “I know lots of boys who are much more stupid than you are, who get through. They say you don’t have to know anything, you don’t have to understand what you’re taught, just be able to repeat it in the exams.” “That’s the whole trouble,” said Albert. “I’m no good at learning things by heart.”
1 Who is ‘she’ in the above lines?
A) Edla
B) Elsa
C) Christine
D) Brunt
Ans. B) Elsa
2 What piece of advice was given to Albert by her cousin?
A) To cheat in the exams
B) To skip the exams
C) To cram the things and pass
D) To leave the school forever
Ans. C) To cram the things and pass
3 What was the whole trouble with Albert?
A) He wanted to cram the things and pass
B) He didn’t want to cram the things and pass
C) He wanted to cram the things and fail
D) He didn’t want to cram the things but fail
Ans. B) He didn’t want to cram the things and pass
4 With whom did Albert argue for not learning the dates?
A) Mr. Koch
B) Mr. Braun
C) Headmaster
D) Headmistress
Ans. B) Mr. Braun
E. “I don’t really know how to describe my trouble, Dr Weil,” he began.
“Don’t try,” said the young doctor with a friendly smile. “Yuri has already given me a history of the case.”
“Oh! What did he say?”
“Only that you want me to think you have had a nervous breakdown, and say that you mustn’t go back to that school.”
“Oh dear.” Albert’s face fell. “He shouldn’t have told you that.”
“Why not? Isn’t it true, then?”
1 Who advised Albert to go to Dr. Weil?
A) Elsa
B) Yuri
C) His landlady
D) His father
Ans. B) Yuri
2 What did Albert want Dr. Weil to do?
A) To treat him carefully
B) To diagnose his illness
C) To cure his diseases
D) To hand him in the certificate of having nervous breakdown
Ans. D) To hand him in the certificate of having nervous breakdown
3 For how long did Dr. Weil permit Albert to stay out of school in his certificate?
A) Three months
B) Four months
C) Five months
D) Six months
Ans. D) Six months
4 Why did Albert want to leave his school as soon as possible?
A) He was unable to pay his fee
B) He did not like the students of his class
C) He didn’t want to learn the things which his teacher wanted
D) He had an argument with his headmistress.
Ans. C) He didn’t want to learn the things which his teacher wanted
Class 11 English Snapshots Albert Einstein at School Lesson 4 Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.
Q1 Mr. Braun believes that Einstein does not believe in the education system. Select the option that explains it.
A) Einstein does not believe in learning facts.
B) Einstein is not interested in school.
C) Einstein believes that the education system is faulty.
D) Einstein feels that the school teaches unnecessary things
Ans. A) Einstein does not believe in learning facts.
Q2 . What was Albert’s theory of education?
A) Learning all important facts
B) Memorising
C) Writing everything
D) Ideas behind things
Ans. D) Ideas behind things
Q3 Select the option that lists the feelings Einstein fostered about the school.
(i) Expensive
(ii) Faulty
(iii) Torturous
(iv) Hostile
(v) Dejected
A) (i) and (ii)
B) (ii) and (iii)
C) (iii) and (iv)
D) (iv) and (v)
Ans. B) (ii) and (iii)
Q4 Einstein’s misery was ………… the atmosphere around his lodgings.
A) subdued by
B) alleviated by
C) intensified by
D) dominated by
Ans. C) intensified by
Q5 The ‘slum violence’ referred to by Einstein included
A) children howling
B) children being beaten by parents
C) drunken landlord
D) All of the above
Ans. B) children being beaten by parents
Q6 “But at least you have a room of your own, which is more than I can say,”
Through the given lines, Yuri is ……… Einstein.
A) comforting
B) admonishing
C) confronting
D) helping
Ans. A) comforting
Q7 Select the suitable option for the given statements, based on your reading of ‘Albert Einstein at School’.
(i) Yuri sounds bitter, almost envious of Einstein.
(ii) Yuri was Einstein’s only friend in Munich.
A) (i) is false but (ii) is true.
B) Both (i) and (ii) are true.
C) (ii) is a fact but unrelated to (i).
D) (i) is the cause for (ii).
Ans. A) (i) is false but (ii) is true.
Q8 “And these are the students.” With what feeling does the speaker utter these words?
A) Exasperation
B) Disgust
C) Shoc
D) Annoyance
Ans. B) Disgust
Q9 As per Einstein, what was a good enough reason to study something?
A) If the reader likes it
B) If it is a part of the curriculum
C) If the reader is forced to study it
D) If the reader is able to justify his knowledge
Ans. A) If the reader likes it
Q10 Classify (1) to (4) as Fact (F) or Opinion (O), based on your reading of ‘Albert Einstein at School.’
1. Yuri really supported Einstein in his plan.
2. Yuri was reluctant to offer Einstein his help.
3. Yuri is Einstein’s only friend in Munich.
4. Einstein cared for Yuri and thus met him on his last day in Munich.
A) F-1, 3, 4; O-2
B) F-2, 3; O-1, 4
C) F-1, 3 ; O-2, 4
D) F-3, 4; O-1, 2
Ans. C) F-1, 3 ; O-2, 4
Q11 Albert was ………… about his appointment with the doctor.
A) annoyed
B) worried
C) passive
D) thrilled
Ans. B) worried
Q12 How did Albert plan to get into a college?
A) By giving an entrance exam
B) Through his father’s reference
C) By getting a reference from his history teacher
D) By getting a reference from his mathematics teacher
Ans. D) By getting a reference from his mathematics teacher
Q13 Mr. Koch offered the reference willingly to Einstein. Select the option that explains it.
A) Mr. Koch also wanted Einstein to leave as he disturbed the class.
B) Mr. Koch felt that Einstein knew everything that he could learn from school.
C) Mr. Koch could see that Einstein was a special child and wanted to help him.
D) Mr. Koch did not want the future of a child to get spoilt because of the school
Ans. B) Mr. Koch felt that Einstein knew everything that he could learn from school.
Q14 What sort of a student Einstein was according to Mr. Braun?
(i) Insincere
(ii) Rebellion
(iii) Troublesome
(iv) Obedient
(v) Notorious
(vi) Talkative
A) (i), (ii) and (iii)
B) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
C) (iii), (iv) and (v)
D) (i), (iv) and (v)
Ans. A) (i), (ii) and (iii)
Q15 Select the suitable option for the given statements, based on your reading of ‘Albert Einstein at School’.
(i) Albert Einstein hated the town as much as he hated the school.
(ii) Einstein’s misery was caused by the slum violence and the constant insults he got from his teachers.
A) (i) is false but (ii) is true.
B) Both (i) and (ii) are true.
C) (ii) is a fact but unrelated to (i).
D) (i) is the cause for (ii).
Ans. B) Both (i) and (ii) are true.
Q16 “He’s not a fool,” Yuri warned Albert. Who is he?
A. the headteacher of the school
B. albert’s math teacher
C. albert’s father
D. doctor Ernest Well
Ans. D. doctor Ernest Well
Q17 Albert was __________ about his appointment with the doctor.
A. worried
B. thrilled
C. annoyed
D. passive
Ans. A. worried
Q18 What did Albert plan to do after he left school?
A. look for a job
B. get into college or institute
C. start his own business
D. do nothing
Ans.B. get into college or institute
Q19 For how long was Albert supposed to stay away from school as per the certificate?
A. one month
B. two months
C. six months
D. three months
Ans. C. six months
Q20 The doctor seemed to understand what Albert was going through because __________.
A. he himself had been a student
B. he was paid well
C. he was new at being a doctor
D. none of the above
Ans. A. he himself had been a student
Class 11 English Albert Einstein at School Question Answers (including questions from Previous Years Question Papers)
In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from the Chapter 4 Albert Einstein at School for CBSE Class 11 exams for the coming session.
Q1.Why did Einstein say–“I can’t see any point in learning dates?”
Answer. When his history teacher asked him about the dates of the Waterloo battle, Einstein said this. He replied honestly that he disliked learning dates because they were useless.
In fact, he saw no point in learning facts. He never thought of learning facts as education. Rather, he believed in gaining knowledge or understanding of a concept.
Q2.What was Einstein’s view on education?
Answer. Einstein believed that the current educational system was incapable of meeting the purpose of education. He considered memorizing dates and facts to be uneducational. Real education is formed by ideas derived from critical thinking and analysis.
Q3. Do you think Einstein was being impolite while answering the history teacher?
Answer. I don’t believe Einstein was rude or impolite in his response to his history teacher. He simply wanted to express his candid thoughts on education. He was chastised and punished because his opinions differed from those of the teacher.
Q4. What made Einstein unhappy at school?
Answer. Einstein argued with his teachers, received frequent punishments, and was mocked by them for his educational ideas. He was labeled a “disgrace” for expressing his true feelings rather than obeying his teachers and memorizing dates and facts, which made him unhappy at school.
Q5. Einstein was ruthlessly insulted by his history teacher. Comment.
Answer. Mr Braun, Einstein’s history teacher, thought he was a nuisance in class. When they had an argument, the teacher was sarcastic and cruel to him. He punished Einstein but stated that it would be ineffective.
Einstein, he said, was a disgrace. He also referred to Einstein as an ungrateful boy who should be ashamed of himself.
Q6.What does Yuri tell Einstein about the accommodation which he shared with other students?
Answer. Yuri tells Einstein that he was fortunate to have his own room, whereas Yuri shared a room with other students who were constantly violent and fighting. In fact, during a fight, one of the students killed another student and was even proud of it afterwards. But he wasn’t even punished for it; the authorities simply told him not to fight anymore.
Q7.Who was Elsa? What advice did she give to Einstein?
Answer. Elsa Einstein was Einstein’s cousin who lived in Berlin. She visited Munich on occasion and met Einstein.
Einstein expressed his doubts about passing the school diploma exams. Elsa informed him that she had seen boys who were dumber than Einstein pass the diploma exam. She advised him to memorize everything and repeat it in the exam so that he would pass.
Q8.Why did the author refer to Einstein’s interest in music as his only comfort?
Answer. Einstein used to be unhappy at both his school and where he lived in Munich. The school environment was oppressive and provided no opportunity for creativity. Where he stayed in Munich, the slum violence’ was depressing. So playing music only provided Einstein with some solace in this unpleasant situation.
Q9.Why did Einstein want to get a medical certificate?
Answer. Einstein struggled in school. He was aware that if he returned home, his father would deport him to Munich. It was absurd for him to stay and waste his father’s money and everyone’s time. He wanted to get a medical certificate so he wouldn’t be sent back to school in Munich by his father.
Q10. Yuri calls Einstein ‘the world’s worst liar’. Is it a compliment or an insult to Einstein?
Answer. It was meant as a compliment. Einstein believed in honesty and truth. He couldn’t tell a deliberate lie. Even if he tried to lie, his face revealed it, and people could tell he was.
Class 11 Albert Einstein at School Long Answer Questions Lesson 4
Q1. Discuss Einstein’s relatively poor performance in school in terms of what that might mean to students today who may not do as well as they are capable of doing.
Answer. Most teachers during Einstein’s time focused on memorizing facts. They saw education as rote learning and memorizing facts and figures. Obviously, a young student will become bored with this type of education, as Einstein did.
It is said that if a fish is judged by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend the rest of its life thinking it is stupid. We all know that Albert Einstein was one of the greatest physicists of all time. Nonetheless, his school grades indicated otherwise. His poor grades can be attributed to the fact that some of his teachers, due to their primitive thinking, failed to recognise his true potential.
To summarize, grades are not the best way to assess someone’s ability. We are not experts in every field. Students today are dealing with the same issue. It is the responsibility of their teachers to understand their students’ special abilities and to bring out their latent talents.
Q2. Today’s school system curbs individual talent and ignores the genius in students, imposing a teacher—school centered approach upon the students. Discuss in the context of the chapter ‘Albert Einstein at School’.
Answer. Einstein attended a school in Munich where he was dissatisfied with the educational system. Einstein enjoyed math because it required reasoning. He was, however, opposed to rote learning, which emphasized learning without understanding in order to pass an exam. When Einstein’s history teacher asked him about specific battle dates, he couldn’t recall them because he wasn’t interested in memorizing dates. His history teacher became irritated and refused to listen to his ideas about education. In fact, he punished Einstein for disobeying his orders.
An understanding teacher would have listened to his point of view and attempted to reason with him. Furthermore, the head teacher saw himself as supreme and was unconcerned about the student. He went so far as to expel the student without even giving him the opportunity to express himself. It was absurd that a teacher-centered approach failed to recognise Einstein’s genius.
Q3.Suppose you are Einstein. Write a letter to your friend describing the present education system in Germany. Also express your views about how the education system can change.
Answer –
30 Hudson Colony, Munich
26th December, 19XX
Dear John
How are you doing? I hope you’re doing much better than I am. You mentioned in your last letter that you were curious about my school. But, to be honest, my experience at this school has been shocking.
School education is completely ineffective in this country. Teachers believe that learning facts is equivalent to education. They do not want to use novel approaches to make their subject more interesting. I am not criticizing all of my school’s teachers. In fact, my Math teacher, Mr Koch, is unlike the others. He understands our problems and is always willing to assist us.
Mr Braun, on the other hand, punished me solely because I couldn’t recall the year when Prussia defeated France at Waterloo. His method is quite primitive. What I despise the most about him is that he discourages students from presenting new ideas. When I told him that I didn’t think learning these facts is important, he insulted me. I’m hoping to get rid of this despicable place as soon as possible.
Yours truly
Einstein
Q4. What do you understand about Einstein’s nature from his conversation with his history teacher, his mathematics teacher and the head teacher?
Answer. Einstein appears to have a rebellious nature. He did not believe in the prevalent rote learning educational system. As a result, he found memorizing facts and dates to be useless. He was more interested in ideas than facts, which led to an argument with his history teacher. We learn from his conversation with the math teacher that he was a math genius, because his math teacher openly stated that Einstein could soon teach math to the teacher himself.
Thus, Einstein can be identified as a rebellious individual who is open and honest about his thoughts. He is also a math genius, so his history teacher’s remark about him being a disgrace and ungrateful is incorrect. Later, when he confronts the principal, we find him defensive at first and carefree at the end of the meeting.
His interaction with the principal demonstrates that he is a mature individual who does not wish to engage in pointless debate.
Q5. Do you think that one should raise one’s voice against the deplorable education system? Discuss with reference to the chapter ‘Albert Einstein at School’.
Answer. True, education is an important aspect of our lives. A child’s future is entirely dependent on the quality of education he or she receives. However, students are not always given what they deserve in school. One of the reasons is that education nowadays is more focused on facts than ideas. Students are being taught, but not in a way that is focused on results. Even if Einstein did not enjoy history classes, it was his teacher’s responsibility to make him realize how important it is. Rather than finding a creative way to teach Einstein, he considered punishing him. A situation like this could have been avoided if the teacher had been patient.
This type of system should not be tolerated; rather, one should speak out against such a deplorable education system and must have the courage to stand up to it and express one’s views, as Einstein did.
Q6. Yuri was a great help to Albert while in Munich. Comment and Justify.
Answer. Albert Einstein was a loner, a boy who was isolated both at school and in his Munich lodgings. Yuri, Albert’s friend, was the only one who stood by him. He explained his situation to Yuri and asked for his assistance in leaving both his school and the city. Yuri tried unsuccessfully to persuade. Albert must pass the school diploma exam. Finally, Yuri agreed to take Albert to Dr Ernst Well for a medical certificate. Albert was certified by the doctor as being on the verge of a nervous breakdown and required to be absent from school for at least six months. Yuri also advised Albert to obtain a recommendation from his math teacher.
He finally said goodbye and good luck to Albert, before the latter left Munich for Milan.
Q7. Bring out the contribution of Yuri, Maths teacher, Mr Koch and Dr Ernst Well in enabling Albert to move off to Milan?
Answer. Albert was unhappy at his Munich high school. Neither the teachers nor the quality of education were appealing to him. He desired to leave Munich and return to his parents’ home in Milan for further studies. He felt he was squandering his time at the Munich school. In this regard, he sought the assistance of his only friend, Yuri. Yuri assisted him in obtaining a medical certificate from his doctor friend, Ernst Weil. Albert needed a change for six months, according to the doctor, because he was at risk of having a nervous breakdown. Mr Koch, the math teacher, was also very helpful. He admitted that Albert knew a little more Math than him and that he should go to college to study higher Math.Thus, these three persons accelerated his departure.
Q8. Bring out some of the distinguished qualities of Albert’s character.
Answer. In Munich, Albert Einstein had a terrible time. His teacher completely misunderstood him. They thought the boy was a constant annoyance because he refused to learn facts and figures and was rebellious or unruly by nature, so he should drop out. Albert, on the other hand, had a brilliant mind and was far ahead of his classmates. He was particularly interested in higher mathematics, science, and geology. He was sensitive and headstrong, but also very honest and direct. His preferences were refined. He was a musician who played the violin. He wanted to go to college and study higher math. He was also unhappy in his lodging. He despised the slum-like atmosphere and violence. He wanted to go beyond the textbook and explore his favorite subjects deeply.
Q9. What was Albert’s philosophy of education? Do you subscribe to his view?
Answer. Albert possessed a brilliant mind. He studied geology at a time when science was scarcely taught in schools. One day, he had a disagreement with his History teacher. He declared that he saw no point in learning battle dates. He presented his educational theory to the class. He stated that ideas were more important than battle dates.
Mr Braun called him a disgrace, an ungrateful boy who should drop out. Albert Einstein’s educational philosophy makes a lot of sense. No rational person can support simply cramming the subjects in order to pass the exams.
Q10.The present educational system is by and large out of tune with the times. We need an efficient system of education. Explain with reference to the chapter ‘Albert Einstein at School’.
Answer. The current educational system is entirely based on cramming. Students are expected to memorize facts and figures, historical data, and research conducted in various fields in the past. They lack imaginative creativity. If a student demonstrates signs of innovation, he is demoted and his teachers label him a rebel. As a result, the student’s initiative is stifled, and he finds himself suffocating. Students who have new ideas should be encouraged and, if possible, given all the assistance they need to develop and implement their innovative ideas. Today, success is measured by how well you answer some of the exam’s pet questions.
Instead of rote learning, teachers should highlight students’ true ability and intelligence, and they should be encouraged to continue on the path of their new ideas. Many students demonstrate extraordinary talent, but they become a laughingstock only because their teachers are unable to keep up with them. Special training should be provided for such students in order for them to bring honor to their institutes and their parents. Albert would not have gained recognition and his talent would not have blossomed into full-fledged theories that proved to be a boon to the world if he had not left Munich for Milan.
Also See:
- Albert Einstein at School Explanation, Summary
- Albert Einstein at School MCQ Question Answers
- Class 11 English Question Answers
- Class 11 English Lesson Explanation
- Class 11 English Snapshots Book Lesson word meaning
