Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 4 – A Truly Beautiful Mind is a biographical account of the life of Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists in human history. The chapter traces his journey from a child who was considered slow and boring by those around him to a revolutionary thinker who changed the world's understanding of physics. It covers his school days in Munich, his education in Switzerland, his personal life with Mileva Maric, his groundbreaking scientific work including the Special Theory of Relativity, and his later years as a campaigner for world peace and democracy.
This chapter is an important part of the CBSE Class 9 English Beehive syllabus. It is tested extensively in school examinations through comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, grammar tasks involving participial phrases, and writing activities like report writing. The chapter also enriches students' general knowledge about Einstein's life and encourages them to think about the responsibilities of scientists towards humanity.
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 4 – A Truly Beautiful Mind
Q.
Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of the paragraph(s) for each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.
Q.
Who had these opinions about Einstein?
(i) He was boring.
(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life.
(iii) He was a freak.
Q.
Explain what the reasons for the following are.
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein? [2x4=8 Marks]
Q.
What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
Q.
Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
Q.
How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Q.
Why does the world remember Einstein as a “world citizen”?
Q.
Here are some facts from Einstein’s life. Arrange them in chronological order.
[ ] Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.
[ ] He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
[ ] Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and warns against Germany’s building of an atomic bomb.
[ ] Einstein attends a high school in Munich.
[ ] Einstein’s family moves to Milan.
[ ] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
[ ] Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
[ ] Einstein dies.
[ ] He provides a new interpretation of gravity.
[ ] Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.
[ ] He works in a patent office as a technical expert.
[ ] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.
Q.
I. Here are some sentences from the story. Choose the word from the brackets which can be substituted for the italicised words in the sentences.
1. A few years later, the marriage faltered. (failed, broke, became weak).
2. Einstein was constantly at odds with people at the university. (on bad terms, in disagreement, unhappy)
3. The newspapers proclaimed his work as “a scientific revolution.” (declared, praised, showed)
4. Einstein got even more involved in politics, agitating for an end to the arms buildup. (campaigning, fighting, supporting)
5. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for good. (permanently, for his benefit, for a short time)
6. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar. (in a state of commotion, full of criticism, in a desperate state)
7. Science wasn’t the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache. (interested, challenged, worried)
Q.
Study the following sentences.
• Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.
• Letters survive in which they put their affection into words, mixing science with tenderness.
The parts underlined in the above sentences begin with –ing verbs, and are called participial phrases. Participial phrases say something more about the person or thing talked about or the idea expressed by the sentence as a whole. For example:
– Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist. He maintained this skill throughout his life.
Complete the sentences below by filling in the blanks with suitable participial clauses. The information that has to be used in the phrases is provided as a sentence in brackets.
1. __________, the firefighters finally put out the fire. (They worked round the clock.)
2. She watched the sunset above the mountain, __________ (She noticed the colours blending softly into one another.)
3. The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, __________ (While it neighed continually.)
4. __________, I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras. (I had taken the wrong train.)
5. __________, I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (I had not bathed for two days)
6. The stone steps, __________needed to be replaced. (They were worn down).
7. The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, __________ (They asked him to send them his photograph.)
Q.
Here are some notes which you could use to write a report.
21 August 2005 — original handwritten manuscript of Albert Einstein unearthed — by student Rowdy Boeynik in the University of the Netherlands — Boeynik researching papers — papers belonging to an old friend of Einstein — fingerprints of Einstein on these papers — 16-page document dated 1924 — Einstein’s work on this last theory — behaviour of atoms at low temperature — now known as the Bose-Einstein condensation — the manuscript to be kept at Leyden University where Einstein got the Nobel Prize.
Write a report which has four paragraphs, one each on:
• What was unearthed.
• Who unearthed it and when.
• What the document contained.
• Where it will be kept.
Your report could begin like this:
Student Unearths Einstein Manuscript
21 AUGUST 2005. An original handwritten Albert Einstein manuscript has been unearthed at a university in the Netherlands...
Q.
Your teacher will dictate these paragraphs to you. Write down the paragraphs with correct punctuation marks.
In 1931 Charlie Chaplin invited Albert Einstein, who was visiting Hollywood, to a private screening of his new film, City Lights. As the two men drove into town together, passersby waved and cheered. Chaplin turned to his guest and explained: “The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me.” One of Einstein’s colleagues asked him for his telephone number one day. Einstein reached for a telephone directory and looked it up. “You don’t remember your own number?” the man asked, startled. “No,” Einstein answered. “Why should I memorise something I can so easily get from a book?” (In fact, Einstein claimed never to memorise anything which could be looked up in less than two minutes.)
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 4 – A Truly Beautiful Mind
Question 1. Who had these opinions about Einstein? (i) He was boring. (ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life. (iii) He was a freak.
Answer:
(i) Einstein's playmates thought he was boring. (ii) Einstein's headmaster said he was stupid and would never succeed in life. (iii) Einstein's mother thought he was a freak.
Question 2. Explain the reasons for the following:
Answer:
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good. Einstein hated the school's strict regimentation and often clashed with his teachers over their authoritarian methods. He found the rigid discipline suffocating and left the school in Munich permanently at the age of fifteen.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than Munich. Einstein wanted to continue his education in Switzerland because he felt that German-speaking Switzerland was more liberal and open-minded than Munich. He preferred an environment that valued freedom of thought.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally. Einstein found in Mileva Maric a person who shared his love for art, literature, and music — passions that many people around him, including his family and university peers, did not appreciate. She understood and supported him, making her a true ally in his eyes.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein? These instances reveal that Einstein was a man of strong will and independent thinking. He loved freedom of expression and refused to accept rigid authority. Though a theoretical scientist, he had a deeply human side — he appreciated art, music, and literature, and had a romantic heart. He was a genius who was also courageous enough to make difficult personal and professional decisions.
Question 3. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
Answer:
Einstein jokingly called his desk drawer at the patent office the "bureau of theoretical physics." It was there, in secret, that he developed many of his most important scientific ideas while working as a technical expert.
Question 4. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
Answer:
Einstein wrote a letter to US President Franklin Roosevelt to warn him about Germany's efforts to build an atomic bomb and the destructive potential of such a weapon. His warning had a significant effect — the Americans went on to develop atomic bombs, which were later dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Question 5. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Answer:
Einstein was deeply shaken and disturbed by the extent of the destruction caused by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He wrote a public letter to the United Nations proposing the formation of a world government to prevent such catastrophes in the future. He spent the rest of his life actively campaigning for peace and democracy and worked tirelessly to put an end to the global arms buildup.
Question 6. Why does the world remember Einstein as a "world citizen"?
Answer:
Einstein is remembered not only as a brilliant scientist but also as a world citizen because of his deep commitment to humanity. He campaigned actively for disarmament, worked towards establishing world peace and democracy, and proposed the formation of a world government. His concern extended beyond scientific discovery to the welfare of all human beings, which is why the world honours him as a responsible and compassionate global citizen.
Question 7. Arrange the facts from Einstein's life in chronological order.
Answer:
- Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
- Einstein attends a high school in Munich.
- Einstein's family moves to Milan.
- Tired of the school's regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.
- Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
- He works in a patent office as a technical expert.
- Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.
- He provides a new interpretation of gravity.
- He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
- When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.
- Einstein writes a letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, warning against Germany's building of an atomic bomb.
- Einstein dies.
Question 8. Choose the correct word from the brackets for the italicised words:
Answer:
- A few years later, the marriage faltered. → became weak
- Einstein was constantly at odds with people at the university. → in disagreement
- The newspapers proclaimed his work as "a scientific revolution." → declared
- Einstein got even more involved in politics, agitating for an end to the arms buildup. → campaigning
- At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for good. → permanently
- Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar. → in a state of commotion
- Science wasn't the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man. → interested
Question 9. Complete the sentences using participial phrases:
Answer:
- Having worked round the clock, the firefighters finally put out the fire.
- She watched the sunset above the mountain, noticing the colours blending softly into one another.
- The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, neighing continually.
- Having taken the wrong train, I found myself in Bangalore instead of Benaras.
- Having not bathed for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom.
- The stone steps, being worn down, needed to be replaced.
- The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, asking him to send them his photograph.
Question 10. Write a report based on the notes given.
Answer:
Student Unearths Einstein Manuscript By Staff Reporter
Amsterdam, 21 August 2005. An original handwritten manuscript of Albert Einstein has been unearthed at a university in the Netherlands. The partially worn-out 16-page German document is dated December 1924.
The document was discovered by Rowdy Boeynik, a research scholar at the University of Netherlands, while he was examining papers belonging to an old friend of Einstein. Fingerprints on these papers have been verified as Einstein's.
The discovery is highly significant as the document contains Einstein's work on what is now known as the Bose-Einstein condensation — a theory derived originally from Satyendra Bose's work on the statistical mechanics of photons and subsequently formalised by Einstein. This is considered one of Einstein's last major scientific works.
The manuscript will be kept at Leyden University, where Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.
Question 11. Write the dictated paragraphs with correct punctuation marks.
Answer:
In 1931, Charlie Chaplin invited Albert Einstein, who was visiting Hollywood, to a private screening of his new film, 'City Lights'. As the two men drove into town together, passersby waved and cheered. Chaplin turned to his guest and explained: "The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me." One of Einstein's colleagues asked him for his telephone number one day. Einstein reached for a telephone directory and looked it up. "You don't remember your own number?" the man asked, startled. "No," Einstein answered. "Why should I memorise something I can so easily get from a book?" (In fact, Einstein claimed never to memorise anything which could be looked up in less than two minutes.)
FAQs – Chapter 4 A Truly Beautiful Mind
Q1. What is the central theme of A Truly Beautiful Mind? The central theme is that true greatness combines intellectual brilliance with moral responsibility. Einstein was not only a revolutionary scientist but also a deeply humane person who used his fame and influence to campaign for peace, democracy, and disarmament. The chapter shows that a truly beautiful mind thinks not just about science but about humanity as a whole.
Q2. Why was Einstein considered slow as a child? Einstein did not speak until he was two and a half years old. His playmates found him boring, his headmaster thought he would never succeed, and even his mother worried that he was unusual. In reality, he was simply a deep thinker who processed ideas slowly but profoundly.
Q3. What was Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity? Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905, which revolutionised physics. It introduced the famous equation E=mc², showing the relationship between energy and mass. The theory changed humanity's understanding of space, time, and the nature of the universe.
Q4. Why did Einstein leave Germany? Einstein left Germany when Adolf Hitler came to power, as the political environment became dangerous for Jewish intellectuals. He moved to the United States, where he continued his scientific work and later campaigned actively against the Nazi regime and for world peace.
Q5. What is a participial phrase? Give an example from the chapter. A participial phrase is a group of words beginning with a verb in the -ing or -ed form that adds information about the subject of the sentence. For example: "Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life." Here, "maintaining this skill throughout his life" is the participial phrase that gives additional information about Einstein.