English Prose – Strong Roots – HS English Suggestion 2023
MCQ Questions [Mark – 1] Prose – Strong Roots – Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
1.According to Kalam’s father adversity always presents opportunities for
(a) judgement (b) introspection (C) self-realisation (d) acknowledgement
ans. (b) introspection
2.Kalam’s father started his day at
(a) 4-30 a.m. (b) 5 a.m. (c) 4 a.m.(d) 7 a.m.
ans. (c) 4 a.m.
3.Kalam’s ancestral house was built in the middle of the
(a) 18th century (6) 20th century (c) 21st century (d) 19th century
ans. (d) 19th century
4.The locality where Kalam lived in his childhood was among the
(a) Jains (c) Predominantly Hindu (d) Christians
ans. (b) Predominantly Muslim
5.The ancestrall house of Kalam was situated in
(a) Shiva Temple Road (b) J.C. Bose Road (e) Mosque Street (d) Lakshmana Shastry Street
ans. (e) Mosque Street
6.Kalam normally ate with
(a) his mother (b) his father (c) his brothers(d) the outsiders
ans. (a) his mother
7.Kalam’s father possessed great innate
(a) love (b) kindness (c) hatred (d) wisdom
ans. (d) wisdom
8. Kalam’s father followed his routine till
(a) early sixties (b) late fifties (c) till his death (d) late sixties
ans. (d) late sixties
9.Rameswaram was famous for
(a) the Shiva temple (b) the Buddha temple (c) the mosque (d) Kalam’s residence
ans. (a) the Shiva temple
10.The essay ‘Strong Roots’ has been extracted from
(a) the biography of Kalam’s father (b) the biography of Kalam’s mother (c) the life history of Jainulabdeen (d) ‘Wings of Fire’-Kalam’s autobiography
ans. (d) ‘Wings of Fire’-Kalam’s autobiography
Short Answer Type Question [Mark 1] Prose – Strong Roots – Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
1. What food was served to Kalam in his childhood?
ans. Kalam was served rice, sambar, home-made pickle and a dollop of coconut chutney in his childhood.
2.Where would Kalam’s father take him for the evening
prayers?
ans. “Kalam’s father took him to a very old mosque in their locality for the evening prayers.
3. How would Kalam’s father convey complex spiritu concepts to Kalam?
ans. Kalam’s father would convey complex spiritual cone to Kalam is simple down-to-earth Tamil.
4.What according to Kalam’s father adversity alwa present?
ans. According to Kalam’s father adversity always presenta opportunities for introspection.
5.How would Kalam’s father start his day?
ans. Kalam’s father would start his day at 4 a.m. by reading the namaz.
6. What does Kalam’s father say about the relevance of prayer?
ans. Kalam’s father says that when one prays one becomes a part of the cosmos and it makes possible a communion of the spirit between people.
7. Who was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ in ‘Strong Roots’?
ans. One of Kalam’s mother’s forebears was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur.
8.What was the name of Abdul Kalam’s mother?
ans. The name of Abdul Kalam’s mother was Ashiamma.
9.How was the house of APJ Abdul Kalam?
ans. Ang Kalam’s ancestral house was a fairly large pucca house made of limestone and brick.
10. How far was the Rameswaram temple from Kalam’s house?
ans. The Rameswaram temple was about a ten-minute from Kalam’s house.
11.How far was the coconut grove from Kalam’s house?
ans. The coconut grove was about four miles from Kalam’s house.
Broad Type Questions [Marks 6] Prose – Strong Roots – Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
1.Describe the house in which Kalam spent his childhood. Who were his parents and what kind of childhood did they create for boy Kalam?
2.What did Kalam’s father tell him about the relevance of prayers?
3.What did Kalam recall about his father’s daily routine when his father was in his late sixties?
4.Who was Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry ? How was the relation between P.L. Sastry and Kalam’s father ? What did the relationship signify ?
5.”Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection”-Who said this and to whom ? How did the speaker’s attitude to adversity influenced the person spoken to?
Q:- Character of Kalam’s father./What was Kalam’s father’s routine in his late sixties.
Ans:- In his autobiographical sketch “Strong Roots”, A.P.J Abdul Kalam portraits the character of his father Jainulabdeen. Though he had neither formal education nor much wealth, he was a man of brilliant personality. He possessed great innate wisdom that made him popular. He had a true generosity of spirit which helped him to overcome difficulties. He was a simple, humble and kind hearted man.
As a devout Muslim, he started his day by reading Namaz at 4 a.m. before the dawn went to the mosque for the evening prayer. Their locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were a number of Hindu families too. All loved him very much from the core of the heart. The high priest of Rameswaram Temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was very colse friend of his father. They discussed their spiritual matters with each other.
When he came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outsides and waiting for him. There are bowls, full of water in their hands. Kalam’s father would dip his fingers in them and say a prayer. This water then carried home for invalids. The people also came to thank him after being cured. He always helped and gave advice to others. He was an honest man, ideal father, caring and dutyful husband as well as simple person. He always told people to thank Allah, the merciful.
Q:- Character of Kalam’s mother./How did kalam eat in the kitchen?
Ans:- In the autobiographical sketch “Strong Roots”, A.P.J Abdul Kalam said that his parents were an ideal couple. From the piece, we know about his mother Ashiamma. Kalam could remember that his mother used to feed a number of people each day, among them the outsiders are more than that of family members. Kalam normally ate with his mother, sitting on the floor of the kitchen. She would place a banana leaf before him, on which she then ladled rice and aromatic sambar, a variety of sharp, home-made pickle as well as dollop of fresh coconut chutney.
According to him, his mother’s linage was more distinguished. One of her forebears having been bestowed the title of “Bahadur” by the British. She was also the ideal helpmate of her wise husband.
Q:- Kalam’s locality./ Discuss the communal harmony from the story.
Ans:- From the autobiographical sketch “Strong Roots” by A.P.J Abdul Kalam, we get the picture of communal harmoney. He was born into a middle-class Tamil Muslim family in the island of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state. He spent his childhood in his ancestral house. It was located on the mosque street in Rameswaram. About his locality, he said, “Our locality was predominantly Muslim, but there were quite a lot of Hindu families too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbours. “There reigned a perfect harmony.
There was a very old mosque there where his father fook him for the evening prayer. The Shiva Temple of Rameswaram made the place famous. It was about a ten-minute walk from his house. When he came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outsides and waiting for him. There are bowls, full of water in their hands. Kalam’s father would dip his fingers in them and say a prayer. This water then carried home for invalids. The people also came to thank him after being cured.
The high priest of Rameswaram Temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was very colse friend of his father. They discussed their spiritual matters with each other.
Q:- “Is there anything mysterious about prayer?”explain./ Discuss the relevance of prayer.
Ans:- In the autobiographical sketch “Strong Roots”,Kalam asked his father about the relevance of prayer.
Kalam’s father’s behaviour was just like a friend. He told him that, there is nothing mysterious about prayer. According to him, “Rather, prayer made possible a communication of the spirit between people. “He also advised that when we pray, we transcend our body and become a part of the cosmos, whuch knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed.
Q:- “Why don’t you say this to the people who come to you for help and advice?”- explain./”This is not a correct approach at all and should never be followed.”- explain./ “Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection…”explain./”I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths.”- explain.
Ans:- The above line is taken from the autobiographical sketch “Strong Roots”, written by A.P.J Abdul Kalam. When Kalam was a little boy, his used to take him to the nearby mosque for the evening prayer.
When he came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outsides and waiting for him. There are bowls, full of water in their hands. Kalam’s father would dip his fingers in them and say a prayer. This water then carried home for invalids. The people also came to thank him after being cured. They believed that his father’s prayer would cure the disease. On his enquiry, his father his father confessed that there is nothing mysterious about prayer. His father could convey complex spiritual concepts in very simple, down-to-earth Tamil. According to him, every human being is a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being. We should face our sufferings, difficulties. Because, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
Then little Kalam asked his father why did not he tell the fact to the people who came. His father put his hands on his shoulder and looked straight in his eyes. He tried to judge him if he would understand his words. His wise father then answered, When we are in trouble, we always find a middle person who can consol us as well as make communication between God and us.
The people who came to him in distress for special help, he tried to join their effort to propitate divine forces with prayers and offerings. Though he knew that it was not correct approach and it should not be followed. He didn’t tell them as they were ordinary ignorant people as well as they didn’t understand the complexness of the matter.