Albert Einstein Class 11 Questions and Answers English and summary along with previous year's paper notes or solution. Also get the textual question answer.
Summary
The story starts with a boy named Albert Einstein having trouble with his history class because he doesn't pay much attention and doesn't know the answers. He gives a speech in class about how what they're learning doesn't seem important to him. His teacher punishes him, which isn't a new thing for Albert.
Albert doesn't like his neighbourhood because it's not safe, and he talks to his cousin Elsa about it. She thinks he can do better if he tries. Albert starts thinking about how to get out of school, and he comes up with a plan involving a doctor. He wants the doctor to say he's too sick to go to school. Yuri, his friend, helps set up a meeting with a doctor who knows about the plan.
When Albert meets the doctor, he realizes that Yuri already told the doctor everything. The doctor understands that school can be tough and agrees to help Albert by giving him a medical certificate. The doctor also suggests taking Yuri out for a meal as a thank-you.
Next, Albert talks to his math teacher, who gives him a referral to make it easier for him to go to college for higher math. Albert has already learned a lot of math on his own. Then, he's called to the head teacher's office, where he's told to leave because he's disruptive. Even though Albert wants to tell the head teacher what he really thinks about the school, he decides to leave without causing any trouble. He says goodbye to his friend Yuri, and Elsa has already gone back to Berlin. Finally, Albert is out of school.
Textual Questions Answers
1. What do you understand of Einstein’s nature from his conversations with his history teacher, his mathematics teacher, and the head teacher? (2017, 2021)
Ans: Einstein is a student who is very respectful to his teachers, but he's much smarter than his history and head teachers when it comes to intelligence and mental abilities. His history teacher focuses on memorizing facts, but Einstein believes it's more important to understand the meaning behind historical events, not just remember facts. So, Einstein is clearly more talented than his history teacher in this regard.
However, he greatly respects his mathematics teacher, who acknowledges Einstein's intelligence and doesn't have an ego problem. The math teacher recognizes that Einstein is exceptional in math.
Einstein dislikes his head teacher, who, along with the history teacher, represents the problems with the education system for highly gifted students like him. In conversations with these teachers, Einstein clearly shows that he is much more intellectually advanced than them.
2. The school system often curbs individual talents. Discuss. (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021)
Ans: The story about Albert Einstein's school experience shows that the school system often doesn't recognize individual talents. Einstein had a history teacher who emphasized memorizing facts, which wasn't suitable for gifted students like him. Einstein wanted to understand why things happened, not just remember facts. So, this kind of education seemed silly for talented students.
Einstein found a way around this by getting a certificate from Dr. Weil, which allowed him to continue his education without following the usual system. However, this traditional system caused a lot of stress for students as intelligent as Einstein.
The head teacher, who represents this system, didn't understand the problem. Instead of trying to figure out why students like Einstein were struggling, he simply wanted Einstein to leave the school before expelling him for being disobedient. This system doesn't work well for students as smart as Einstein; it holds back their abilities.
3. How do you distinguish between information gathering and insight formation? (2018, 2020, 2021)
Ans: The difference between gathering information and gaining insight becomes clear in the conversation between the history teacher and Einstein. Simply knowing when events in history happened is like collecting information. It's like memorizing facts and doesn't really help in developing one's understanding or intelligence. But when you dig deeper and try to understand why things happened, that's when you're forming insights.
Einstein wasn't interested in just knowing facts, which is basically gathering information. He was more interested in the ideas and reasons behind the information, which is insight formation.
In a real education system, the goal shouldn't be just collecting information but developing insights. Developing insight is what helps a person become a well-rounded human being. This should be the true aim of school, college, or university education. It's about going beyond facts and understanding the deeper meaning and significance of what we learn.
Previous Years Paper Solutions
1. Describe the circumstances leading to Albert getting a medical certificate issued declaring him unfit to continue school. (2015)
Ans: Albert's journey to obtaining a medical certificate that declared him unfit to continue school began with his general disinterest in traditional education, as seen in his history class when he couldn't answer a question. This incident led to a speech by Albert in his class where he expressed his beliefs about what education should focus on, which didn't align with the teacher's approach. This disagreement resulted in Albert being punished by the teacher. Albert also disliked his neighbourhood due to the violence there, which he discussed with his cousin Elsa, who suggested he could pass if he made some effort. Frustrated with school, Albert and his friend Yuri devised a plan involving a sympathetic doctor who could help him escape. During his meeting with the doctor, it became clear that Yuri had already informed the doctor about their plan, and the doctor understood the toll school was taking on Albert. Consequently, the doctor issued a medical certificate declaring Albert unfit for school, allowing him to finally leave the educational system he found unsuitable for his needs and interests.
3. "The school system often curbs individual talent" — Discuss with reference to Einstein's experience at school. (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021)
Ans: See Above Qno. 2 (textual question-answer)
4. What was Einstein's idea of education? (2016, 2018)
Ans: Albert believed that education should focus on ideas rather than just facts. He said that one could get these facts from books. He was more interested in knowing why soldiers killed soldiers in war and not in knowing how many were killed.
5. What do you make of Einstein's nature from his conversations with his history teacher, his mathematics teacher, and the head teacher? (2017, 2021)
Ans: See Above Qno. 1 (textual question-answer)
6. Why does Einstein think that learning facts is no education at all? (2017, 2021)
Ans: Einstein didn't care much about collecting facts, which are just pieces of information. He was more interested in the big ideas behind that information. He believed that true education isn't just about gathering facts; it's about gaining a deeper understanding and insight.
7. How do you distinguish between information gathering and insight formation? (2018, 2020, 2021)
Ans: See Above Qno. 3 (textual question-answer)
8. " I think it's not facts that matter, but ideas". Evaluate briefly Albert Einstein's concept of real education in light of this statement. (2019)
Ans: Albert Einstein's concept of real education, as highlighted by the statement, "I think it's not facts that matter, but ideas," emphasizes the importance of understanding and insight over mere memorization of facts. His perspective suggests that education should go beyond the accumulation of information and focus on fostering critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to connect ideas. Einstein believed that a true education should encourage students to question, explore, and develop a deeper understanding of the concepts and principles underlying the facts. In this view, education is not about rote learning but about cultivating the capacity to think critically, solve problems, and contribute to society through innovative thinking and meaningful ideas.
9. What is highlighted as the basic difference between the idea of learning as advocated by Elsa and Albert during their short conversation? (2019)
Ans: Elsa believed that learning meant memorizing information and reciting it during exams without truly understanding it. She thought that students didn't need to grasp the concepts they were taught.
On the contrary, Einstein valued ideas more than facts. He didn't see the point in memorizing the dates of battles or details about victorious armies. Instead, he was curious about understanding why conflicts happened and what drove people to fight each other.
11. Why did Albert see no point in learning dates and facts from History books? (2020)
Ans: Albert Einstein saw no point in learning dates and facts from history books because he believed that the emphasis on rote memorization of historical facts and dates did not contribute significantly to true education. He was more interested in understanding the underlying ideas and concepts behind historical events, rather than simply accumulating factual information. Einstein valued critical thinking and the ability to analyze and question the reasons why things happened in history, as opposed to memorizing a list of dates and events. He believed that real education should focus on developing a deeper understanding of the principles and ideas that shape the world, rather than just memorizing isolated facts.
12. Who was Yuri? How did he help Albert? (2021)
Ans: Yuri was Albert's friend, and he was the only one who supported Albert when he was very unhappy at school and where he lived. Yuri gave Albert helpful advice, and he also introduced him to a doctor friend who was willing to give Albert a medical certificate. Yuri was there for Albert when he needed help and guidance.
14. How did music help Albert? (2022)
Ans: Music made Albert feel better because it helped him forget about his boring daily life. Besides reading science books, the only thing that brought him comfort was playing the violin. He used to play it often, but he had to stop when his landlady told him to.
15. What kind of a student was Einstein? (2022)
Ans: Einstein was not a conventional or traditional student. He was known for his independent and unconventional approach to education. He disliked memorizing facts and dates, which made him appear disinterested and uncooperative in the classroom. He preferred to focus on subjects that genuinely interested him, such as mathematics and science and was highly motivated to pursue his own intellectual pursuits rather than conform to the standard educational system. This non-conformist attitude led to conflicts with his teachers and ultimately his departure from formal schooling.
16. Explain the cause of conflict between the history teacher and Albert? (2023)
Ans: The main cause of conflict between the history teacher and Albert Einstein was Einstein's refusal to conform to traditional teaching methods and his scepticism about the value of memorizing dates and historical facts. He believed that such rote learning was pointless, preferring to focus on subjects that truly interested him, like science. This clashed with the history teacher's expectations and led to their disagreement, eventually resulting in Einstein being asked to leave the classroom.
Snapshots
Albert Einstein
The Voice of the Rain
