BEEHIVE

1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have? Did they like them?

Answer: The teachers of Margie and Tommy were different from the teachers of today. They were robotic teachers. They were confined to study rooms and thought mechanically. No, Margie and Tommy did not like them.

2. Why was Margie not doing well in geography? What did her mother do to help her?  2

Answer: Margie was not doing well in geography. Her performance was getting worse day by day. Her mother sent for the County Inspector to help her. He told that the geography sector in Margie’s mechanical teacher was geared up a little too quick.

3. Why did Margie get disappointed after the geography sector of her the teacher was set right?   2

Answer: Margie had a robotic teacher. It had developed some technical snag in its geographic sector. Her mother had asked for the County Inspector. Margie hoped that her mechanical teacher would be taken away for some time. But she was disappointed when the County Inspector set the mechanical teacher right there and then.

4. How were Margie and Tommy assessed in their subjects?   2

Answer: Margie and Tommy had tele-assignments. They used to write their answers in a punch card. They were trained in it. They would insert their special answer sheets in the slot made in the mechanical teacher. Then their marks were calculated in no time.

5. Today Tommy found a real book! From where was the book found and why did it seem peculiar to him and Margie?  2

Answer: Tommy found an old book from the attic of his home. It was a peculiar object for them because they had different books. They had telebooks while it was printed on paper.

6. Why did Margie hate school?   2

Answer: Margie never liked her school. It was monotonous for her. She had mechanical teachers and telebooks. She hated it now more than ever. Her mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and her performance was getting worse day by day.

7. How was the book that Tommy found different from his books?   2

Answer: The book that Tommy found in the attic of his home was a real and old book. It was quite different from his telebooks. The old book was printed on paper and can be thrown after reading, but his telebooks read on the screen can be stored. It cannot be thrown and can be used whenever required.

8. In which respect is your school system different from that of Margie? Which one do you like and why?   4

Answer: My school system is completely different from the school where Margie studies. They don’t have a school at all. They are being taught in their room by a mechanical teacher only. My school is located at a different place. I have a large building and spacious ground. I am taught with my friends. I have good teachers who are humans with human feelings. Margie is being taught and tested by lifeless machines. I am happy with my school system and love it. Margie hates her school system for being monotonous.  

9. When and how was Evelyn’s hearing problem noticed?   2

Answer: Evelyn was only eight-year-old when her hearing problem was noticed by her mother. Her loss of hearing was gradual. One day she was waiting to play the piano. Her name was called but she did not seem to hear.

10. When was Evelyn’s deafness confirmed? What advice was given to her?   2

Answer: Evelyn’s deafness was gradual. By the time she was eleven, her marks had deteriorated. Her teachers advised her parents to take her to a specialist. The specialist advised her that she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf.

11. What kind of recognition did Evelyn get at the Royal Academy of Music?  2

Answer: When Evelyn was seventeen, she joined the Royal Academy of Music. She scored the highest marks in the history of the academy. She was one of the most brilliant students of the academy and won many top awards during her three-year course.

12. Why did Evelyn say, “Men with bushy beards give me trouble”?   2

Answer: Evelyn could understand what others were saying by reading the movement of lips and by watching faces and eyes. It was difficult for her to read the movement of lips of the men with bushy beards. She jokingly remarked that men with bushy beards gave her trouble.

13. What did James Blades say about Evelyn’s music ?   2

Answer: James Blades remarked that God may have taken away her sense of hearing but He has given her something extraordinary. What we hear, she feels, far more deeply than any of us. She is a talented musician who expresses music so beautifully.

14. How did Evelyn inspire the deaf children?   2

Answer: Evelyn is herself a deaf girl but her difficulties never came in her way. She became a world-renowned multi-percussionist. She is an inspiration for deaf children who say, ‘If she can do it, I can.’

15. What did Evelyn want to do? How did her teachers react to that? Who helped her?   2

Answer: Evelyn wanted to live a normal life and pursue her interest in music. She wanted to play the xylophone. Most of her teachers discouraged her but Ron Forbes spotted her potential and motivated her to learn music differently.

16. How did Ron Forbes help Evelyn? How could Evelyn sense certain notes?

Answer: Ron Forbes spotted her potential and tuned two large drums to different notes. He advised her not to listen through her ears but to sense in some other way. Evelyn discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. She learned to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations.

17. What was her achievement? What did she say about it?   2

Answer: Evelyn worked hard with a strong determination to learn music. She toured the United Kingdom by the time she was sixteen. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music. At the end of three years, she had captured most of the top awards. Evelyn says, “If you work hard and know where you are going. You’ll get there.”

18. What did Evelyn determine to do?    2

Answer: Evelyn determined to lead a normal life despite her deafness and wanted to pursue her interest in music with hard work and confidence.

19. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the Pungi?   2

Answer: Emperor Aurangzeb did not like the sound of Pungi. He found it shrill and unpleasant. He decided to ban its use in the royal residence. Later on it was perfected by a barber.  

20. How is Shehnai different from Pungi?     2

Answer: Shehnai is different from Pungi. It is longer and broader than Pungi. It is made of the natural hollow stem of Burma teak wood. It has seven holes in it. It is played by opening and closing some of the holes. It is played on every auspicious occasion.

21. Where was the Shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this practice?   2

Answer: Traditionally, the Shehnai was played only in temples and at marriages. It was confined to the royal palaces alone. But Bismillah Khan changed this practice. He made it popular and brought it on the classical stage.

22. How is the Shehnai instrument made?    2

Answer: A barber of the family chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem. The hollow stem was longer and broader than the original Pungi. He drilled seven holes in it. It produced an impressive sonorous tonal sound. He played it in the presence of the emperor who liked it. Nowadays, Shehnai is made out of seasoned Burma teak wood.

23. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a Shehnai school in the USA?   2

Answer: Bismillah Khan was fond of Benaras and the holy river Ganga. He had many disciples from abroad too. One of his students wanted him to head a school in the United States. He refused to do so because he could not take the Ganga to the United States. He could never leave India.

24. How can you say that Bismillah Khan loved India and Benaras?  4

Answer: Bismillah Khan loved Benaras and the holy river Ganga. He could never think of leaving the two. He refused an offer from a student from the United Kingdom who wanted him to settle in the USA and head a school. He remarked that whenever he was in a foreign country he kept yearning to see India. It shows that he loved India especially Benaras.

25. What was Bismillah Khan’s achievement when he was just five-years-old?

Answer: Bismillah Khan was fond of music right from his childhood. As a five-year-old child, he used to visit Bihariji temple at Dumraon to sing Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’. He used to sing so well that he was awarded a 1.25 kg Laddu by the local Maharaja.

26. Why did Bismillah Khan stop scoring music for movies?   2

Answer: Bismillah Khan gave music in two movies, i.e. Gunj Utthi Shehnai and Sanadhi Apanna. He was not happy with his work. He stopped scoring music for movies because he could not adjust with the artificiality and glamour of the celluloid world.

27. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?   2

Answer: With the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938, Bismillah Khan got a big break. He became an often-heard Shehnai player on Radio. When India gained Independence on 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai.

28. Where did Bismillah Khan play the Shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?    2

Answer: Bismillah Khan played the Shehnai from the Red Fort on 15 August 1947. It was a historic event because he became the first Indian to greet the nation on the occasion of first Independence Day. This programme was attended by Nehru and Gandhiji.

29. Music has no religion. How did Bismillah Khan’s Shehnai prove it? Do you also think so?   2

Answer: Yes, music indeed has no religion. Bismillah Khan was a Muslim but his music, his Shehnai, was for all. He used to play Shehnai in temples. The flowing water of Ganga inspired him. All the ceremonies of the Hindus were incomplete without his Shehnai. He was equally loved and respected by all religions.

30. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?  2

Answer: Kezia was a little girl. She was afraid of her father. He was very strict. He had big hands and heavy face. He never played with her. He was a figure to be feared.

31. What was the morning routine of Kezia and her father?    2

Answer: Before going to his office, Kezia’s father used to visit Kezia in the room. He would give Kezia a casual kiss. She responded with “Goodbye, father”. Since she was afraid of him, she always felt relieved after his departure.

32. What was the nightmare that Kezia had?   2

Answer: Kezia always had a nightmare. It was a butcher with a knife and a rope, who came nearer and nearer. The butcher had a smile on his face. Kezia could only stand still. She used to cry out ‘Grandma! Grandma!.’

33. Why was Kezia scared when her mother and grandmother were not at home?   2

Answer: One day Kezia was alone. Her mother and grandmother had gone to the hospital. Kezia had the same nightmare of a butcher with a knife in hand and a dreadful smile on his face. Kezia was scared. 

34. Who was Mr MacDonald? How was he different from Kezia’s father?   2

Answer: Mr Macdonald was Kezia’s next-door neighbour. He had a happy family of five children. He was always happy with his family and could be seen playing with his children in the garden. He was not a hard and harsh father.

35. How did Kezia’s grandmother console her after she was punished by her father?   2

Answer: Kezia was punished by her father for tearing his important papers. Her grandmother wrapped her in a shawl after she was beaten by her father. Her grandmother gave her a hanky and sent her to her bed.

36. Why did Kezia always stutter while talking to her father?   2

Answer: Kezia was a normal girl but whenever she was in front of her father she felt nervous. She would try hard to speak words but would end up in stuttering. She was very afraid of her father.

37. What did Kezia usually find when she wanted to interact with her parents? 2

Answer: Kezia’s grandmother used to send Kezia to her parents to talk to them. When she would go to the drawing-room, she would find her mother reading some books and her father sleeping soundly and snoring. 

38. How did Kezia make a pin-cushion for her father?   2

Answer: Kezia’s grandmother advised her to make a pin-cushion for her father on his birthday. She made it out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk. She wanted something to fill it with. She found some sheets of papers lying on the bed table. She tore them up and filled in the pin-cushion.

39. Why was Kezia punished by her father?    2

Answer: Kezia wanted to give a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday. She filled it with some papers. These papers contained an important speech for the Port Authority. When her father came to know about it, he punished Kezia.

40. What orders were passed to Kezia in the evening when the father returned home from the office?    2

Answer: When father returned home from the office, in his loud voice he ordered Kezia to bring tea for him in the drawing-room. He also asked whether the paper had come. He also asked her to bring his slippers.

41. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?    2

Answer: Einstein called his desk drawer at the patent office the ‘Bureau of Theoretical Physics’. It was named so because he was always busy in developing new ideas. He kept all the papers related to his ideas in the desk while in the office.

42. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?   2

Answer: Einstein was a peace-loving person. He feared that Nazis could make an atom bomb and use that against the United States. He wrote a letter to President Roosevelt warning against the approaching threat.

43. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? 2

Answer: Einstein knew that his invention would be misused. He was deeply shaken by the extent of destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He immediately wrote a letter to the United Nations and proposed the formation of a world government. 

44. What did the headmaster think about Einstein?    2

Answer: The headmaster did not like Einstein. He thought that Einstein was a stupid boy. Once he told his father that whatever profession he chose for Einstein, he would never make a success in his life. He thought that Einstein was incapable of achieving anything in life.

45. How did Einstein fare in high school?    2

Answer: Einstein was a bright student. While studying in Munich in high school, he scored good marks in almost all the subjects. He had a special interest in Maths and Physics. Later on, he became a great scientist.

46. When and where did Einstein meet Mileva Maric?   2

Answer: Einstein met Mileva Maric at a university in Zurich. He found her to be a clever girl. She had come to study in Switzerland. He developed a special interest in her. Later they got married.

47. What was the invention of Einstein? 2

Answer: Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity in the year 1915. His theory gave a new interpretation of gravity. His theory was proved accurate in 1919.

48. Why does the world remember Einstein as a World Citizen?    2

Answer: Einstein is remembered as a world citizen because he cared for the whole of mankind. Using his popularity as a renowned person, he campaigned for world peace and democracy. People admired him for his good deeds.

49. Why did Einstein not mix up with other children?  2

Answer: Einstein did not mix up with other children in his childhood. He learnt to speak very late. Till two and a half years he did no talking. He used to utter every word twice. He remained aloof and did not mix up socially with the children.

50. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they become later?  2

Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Arvindan and Sivaprakashan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends. Later Ramanadha Sastry became the priest of Rameswaram temple. Arvindan started transport business and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

51. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?   2

Answer: During the World War an emergency was declared. The stoppage of trains at Rameswaram was suspended. His cousin Samsuddin needed a helping hand who could catch the bundle at the station thrown from the train. Abdul offered his help and earned his first wages.

52. What characteristics did Abdul inherit from his parents?   2

Answer: Abdul’s parents were simple but full of wisdom. His father avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries. Abdul inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

53. What did Abdul tell about his days during the World War?   2

Answer: Abdul Kalam was only eight years old when the World War broke out in 1939. His brother-in-law Jallaluddin used to tell him stories about the Second World War. He read these stories in the newspapers too.

54. What did the new teacher do in the classroom ?   2

Answer: The new teacher tried to isolate Kalam from his friends. He could not see a Muslim boy sitting with a Brahmin boy. He asked Abdul to sit in the last row of the class. He hurt the feelings of the children.

55. What lesson did the priest Lakshmana Sastry teach the new teacher?   2

Answer: The young teacher asked Abdul not to sit in the front row with the son of the priest as he was a Muslim. When Lakshmana Sastry came to know about this, he scolded the teacher and told him not to spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children.

56. Why was the science teacher called a rebel?   2

Answer: Mr Sivasubramania, a science teacher, was a rebel of his own kind. He did not believe in social barriers. He held these barriers responsible for social division and communal hatred. He wanted to break all the social barriers.

57. How was Abdul treated by the wife of his science teacher when he was invited to have a meal?   2

Answer: Sivasubramania’s wife was a conservative lady. She did not like the idea that a Muslim boy should come and eat in her ritually pure kitchen. She didn’t allow Abdul to eat in her kitchen. However, for the second time, she changed her stand and gave food to Abdul by her own hands.  

58. How did the author’s wife react to the proposal of sending Bruno to Mysore?   2

Answer: The author’s wife was upset when she came to know about the proposal. She was very sad. She was not in a position to console herself. She wept and fretted. For a few days, she refused to eat anything.

59. How did Bruno and the author’s wife react when they met at Mysore zoo?  2

Answer: The author’s wife went to see Bruno in the zoo at Mysore. When she was a few yards away from his cage, he recognised her. Baba howled with happiness. She also ran towards him and patted him within the cage.

60. How was Bruno found by the author?   2

Answer: Bruno was found by the author from a sugar cane field near Mysore. His mother was shot dead by one of the friends of the author. The baby bear was riding on its back. The author took the baby bear and gave it to his wife who named it Bruno.

61. What were the things that Bruno ate?   2

Answer: When Bruno was brought, he did not know how to eat and drink. He started drinking milk from a bottle. Within a few days, he started eating and drinking everything else. He used to eat porridge, vegetables, fruits, nuts, meat, eggs and many more things.

62. What efforts did the author’s wife make to take Baba back from Mysore zoo?   2

Answer: When the author’s wife visited the zoo and met Bruno, she was disturbed. She wanted to take Bruno back home. She asked the curator if she could do so. He advised her to see the superintendent. The superintendent gave his consent to take Baba back home after she pleaded in the most heart-rending way.