Albert Einstein at School Class 11 English Important Questions

Please refer to Albert Einstein at School Class 11 English Important Questions with solutions provided below. These questions and answers have been provided for Class 11 English based on the latest syllabus and examination guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT, and KVS. Students should learn these problem solutions as it will help them to gain more marks in examinations. We have provided Important Questions for Class 11 English for all chapters in your book. These Board exam questions have been designed by expert teachers of Standard 11.

Class 11 English Important Questions Albert Einstein at School

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. Einstein was ruthlessly insulted by his history teacher. Comment.
Answer: Einstein was considered to be a nuisance in the class by his history teacher, Mr Braun. The teacher was sarcastic and cruel with him the day they had an argument. He punished Einstein but remarked that it would not help in any way.
He called Einstein a disgrace. Further, he called Einstein an ungrateful boy who should be ashamed of himself.

Question. Why did Einstein say–“I can’t see any point in learning dates?”
Answer: Einstein said this when the history teacher asked him about the dates of the Waterloo battle. He replied honestly that he did not like learning dates at all as there is no use of it. In fact he didn’t see any point in learning facts. He never considered learning facts as education. Rather, he believed in learning ideas or getting insight of a concept.

Question. How was Einstein comforted by the doctor when he met him for the medical certificate?
Answer: Dr Ernst comforted Einstein when he met him by saying that he understood Einstein’s feelings because he was also a student until recently. Dr Ernst also discussed Einstein’s plans about what he wanted to do after leaving school. Both these factors comforted Einstein when he met the doctor.

Question. What does Yuri tell Einstein about the accommodation which he shared with other students?
Answer: Yuri tells Einstein that he was lucky to live in a separate room of his own, whereas Yuri was living with fellow students who always indulged in violence and fighting. In fact, one of the students killed another student in a fight and was even proud of it afterwards. But he was not even punished for this, only was told by the authorities not to fight anymore.

Question. Who was Elsa ? What advice did she give to Einstein ?
Answer: Elsa was Einstein’s cousin and lived in Berlin. She sometimes came to Munich and met Einstein.
Einstein told her that he doubted if he could pass the exams for the school diploma. Elsa told him that she had seen boys who were more stupid than Einstein who had passed the diploma exam. She advised him to learn like a parrot and repeat it in the exam so that he would pass.

Question. How did Einstein leave his school after spending five years?
Answer: Einstein left his school without saying goodbye to any teacher or student. He was not feeling ashamed for being asked to leave the school. He himself wanted to be away from the system of education which this school represented. So he left the school with his head held high.

Question. Why did Einstein want to get a medical certificate?
Answer: Einstein was miserable at school. He knew that if he went home, his father would send him back to Munich. It was unreasonable for him to stay there and waste his father’s money and everybody’s time. He wanted to get a medical certificate so that he could go away from school in Munich and his father wouldn’t send him back.

Question. What made Einstein unhappy at school?
Answer: Einstein had arguments with his teachers, got frequent punishments and was ridiculed by them over his ideas of education. He was considered a ‘disgrace’ for expressing his frank opinion instead of obeying his teachers and learning dates and facts, which made him unhappy at school.

Question. WhowasDrErnstWeil ?Howdid he helpEinstein?
Answer: Dr Ernst Weil was an old acquaintance of Yuri. He had recently qualified as a doctor.
When Einstein asked Yuri for help to get a medical certificate, he recommended Dr Ernst Weil’s name. As the doctor had just stopped being a student himself, he could understand Einstein’s condition very well. So, he asked Einstein for how long he wanted to stay away from school and gave Einstein the medical certificate he wanted.

Question. What was Einstein’s view on education?
Answer: Einstein believed that the existing system of education was incapable of meeting the purpose of education. He believed that memorising dates and facts was not education. Ideas, that come from critical thinking and analysis, form real education.

Question. What did Einstein plan to do after leaving the school and how did he plan to achieve it?
Answer: Einstein wanted to go to Italy for higher studies in maths, where his parents lived and wanted to take admission in an Italian institute for this purpose. But for this, he must have a reference from his teacher. So, he went to his maths teacher, Mr Koch, who had firm faith in Einstein’s abilities and held him in high esteem. He gave Einstein the required reference.

Question. Why did the author refer to Einstein’s interest in music as his only comfort?
Answer: Einstein used to feel miserable both at his school as well as at where he stayed in Munich. The school atmosphere was oppressive, and did not give any opportunity for creativity.
‘Slum violence’ was depressing where he stayed in Munich.
So playingmusic only provided Einstein some comfort in this unpleasant environment.

Question. ‘Einstein’ felt the medical certificate almost burning a hole in his pocket.’’ Why?
Answer: Einstein gave a treat to Yuri as he had helped him get the medical certificate. Finally, it wasn’t needed as the head teacher himself asked Einstein to leave. Einstein felt that he took all the trouble for nothing and that the certificate was not even needed.

Question. Do you think Einstein was being impolite while answering the history teacher?
Answer: I think Einstein was not being rude or impolite while answering his history teacher. He just wanted to express his frank opinion about education. As his views did not match with that of the teacher’s, he was scolded and punished.

Question. Yuri calls Einstein ‘the world’s worst liar’. Is it a compliment or an insult to Einstein?
Answer: It was a compliment. Einstein believed in truth and honesty. He was unable to tell a deliberate lie. Even if he tried to lie, his face betrayed it and people could make out that he was lying.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. 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? I hope that you are doing much better than me. You wrote in your last letter that you wanted to know what my school was like. But frankly, my experience at this school has been quite shocking.
Here, school education is totally unproductive. The teachers believe that learning facts is education. They don’t want to use innovative ideas to make their subject interesting. I am not criticising all the teachers of my school. In fact, my maths teacher, Mr Koch, is quite different from the rest. He understands our problems and always tries to help us.
In contrast, my history teacher, Mr Braun, punished me just because I could not tell the year when Prussia defeated France at Waterloo. His approach is quite primitive. What I hate the most is that he discourages new ideas presented by the students. When I told him that I don’t feel that learning these facts would be of much importance, he insulted me.
I hope to get rid of this hateful place as soon as possible.
Yours truly
Einstein

Question. Today’s school system curbs individual talent and ignores the genius in students, imposing a teacher—school centred approach upon the students. Discuss in the context of the chapter ‘Albert Einstein at School’.
Answer: Einstein studied in a school inMunich where he was unhappy with the teaching system. Einstein liked maths, which required reasoning to be applied. But he was averse to rote learning which emphasised learning without understanding just to pass the examination. When Einstein’s history teacher asked him the dates of specific battles, he could not remember themas he was not interested inmemorising dates.His history teacher got annoyed and refused to listen to his views about what education should be. In fact, he punished Einstein for disobedience.
An understanding teacher would have at least listened to his point of view and tried to reason with the student. Further, the head teacher considered himself supreme and was equally unconcerned about the student. He took the most extreme measure of expelling the student without giving him an opportunity to express his point of view.
It was really ridiculous that a teacher centred approach failed to recognise the genius of Einstein.

Question. 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: It is true that education is an important part of our lives. The future of a child totally depends on the quality of education it gets. But sometimes the students don’t get what they deserve in the school. One of the reasons is that nowadays education is based more on facts than ideas. Students are being taught but not in a result oriented manner.
Even if Einstein didn’t find history classes interesting, it was his teacher’s responsibility to make him realise that it is also important. Rather than taking an innovative way to teach Einstein, he thought of punishing him. Such a situation could have been avoided if the teacher had been understanding.
One should not tolerate this kind of system; rather, one should raise one’s voice against such a deplorable education system and must have enough courage to stand up against it and express our views like Einstein did.

Question. 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: In Einstein’s time, most of the teachers emphasised on learning facts. According to them, education was about rote learning and memorising facts and figures. Obviously, a young student will get bored with such type of education and that’s what happened to Einstein too.
It is well said that if ‘‘you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend the rest of its life believing that it is stupid’’. We all know that Einstein was one of the greatest physicists who ever lived. Still his school grades said otherwise. His poor grades can be attributed to the fact that some of his teachers failed to recognise his true potential because of their primitive thinking.
In short, we can say that grades are not the right criteria to measure one’s ability. We are not good at everything.
Students today are suffering from the same problem. It is the responsibility of their teachers to understand the special abilities of their students and bring out their latent talents.

Question. What do you understand about Einstein’s nature from his conversation with his history teacher, his mathematics teacher and the head teacher?
Answer: Einstein’s nature appears to be that of a rebel. He did not believe in the prevailing rote learning system of education.
Thus, he found memorising facts and dates useless. Ideas interested him more than facts because of which he had an argument with his history teacher.
From his conversation with the maths teacher, we come to know that he was a genius at maths, because his maths teacher frankly told him that Einstein could even teach maths soon to the teacher himself.
Thus, Einstein can be recognised as a person of rebellious nature, who is very honest and straightforward about his thoughts. He is also a genius at maths and thus, his history teacher’s comment about him being a disgrace and ungrateful is incorrect. Later, when he confronts the head teacher, we find him defensive at the beginning and carefree at the end of the meeting.
His interaction with the head teacher shows him as a mature person who doesn’t want to get into pointless arguments.

Extract Based Questions :

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
“In that case,” said the history teacher with heavy sarcasm, “perhaps you will be so kind as to tell the class the Einstein theory of education.”
Albert flushed.
“I think it’s not facts that matter, but ideas,” he said.
“I don’t see the point in learning the dates of battles, or even which of the armies killed more men. I’d be more interested in learning why those soldiers were trying to kill each other.”
“That’s enough,” Mr Braun’s eyes were cold and cruel. “We don’t want a lecture from you, Einstein.
You will stay in for an extra period today, although I don’t imagine it will do you much good. It won’t do
the school any good, either. You are a disgrace. I don’t know why you continue to come.”
(i) Do you think Mr. Braun is offended by Albert?
(ii) What is the concept of education as proposed by Einstein?
(iii) Mr. Braun cannot accept Einstein’s opinions regarding education. Comment.
(iv) Do you approve of teachers of Mr. Braun? Justify.
(v) Why do you think Einstein is in the school even when he does not approve of the education system?
Answer: (i) Yes, I feel that Mr. Braun is offended by Albert for not believing in learning fact as the basis of education system.
(ii) Einstein proposes that education is not at all about learning fact. According to him, it is the ideas, perspectives and beliefs behind the things that matter.
(iii) Mr. Braun cannot accept Einstein’s opinions regarding education because since he has been teaching he had been told that learning facts constitute education. In this light, Einstein perspective comes in stark contrast and thus he cannot accept it.
(iv) No, I do not approve of teachers like Mr. Braun who cannot accept other’s opinions and go on to insult the students for negating his opinion.
(v) Einstein has to come to school because his father had send him to Munich to get a School diploma and would not call him back until he had got it.

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
He soon found out. Before he had a chance to ask for an interview with the head teacher, he was summoned to the head’s room.
“Well, it saves me the trouble of having to wait an hour or two outside,” he thought.
He hardly bothered to wonder why he had been sent for, but vaguely supposed he was to be punished again for bad work and laziness. Well, he had finished with punishments.
“I’m not going to punish you,” the head teacher said, to Albert’s surprise. “Your work is terrible, and I’m not prepared to have you here any longer, Einstein. I want you to leave the school now.”
‘‘Leave school now?” repeated Albert, dazed.’’
(i) What did he found out?
(ii) Do you think Einstein considered the fact that he was going to be expelled?
(iii) What does the given extract tell us about what his teacher thought about him?
(iv) Why does the head teacher ask Einstein to leave?
(v) Justify the significance of the given lines.
Answer: (i) Einstein found out how Mr. Koch knew about him leaving soon, even before he himself knew.
(ii) No, I don’t think Einstein considered even the chance that he would be expelled. He felt that he was getting summoned for some punishment.
(iii) The given extract shows us that the teachers did not really appreciate Einstein as a student. They felt that he was a lazy boy who did no good staying in the school.
(iv) The head teacher asks Einstein to leave because his presence was interrupting the learning of other pupils.
(v) The given lines are significant because they not only state how the education system ignores the needs of unique students like Einstein but also how Einstein’s work to get the medical certificate had gone waste.

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow:
“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?”
“Yes, that’s the trouble. Now you’ll say there’s nothing wrong with me, and you’ll tell me to go back to school.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” said the doctor. “As a matter of fact I am pretty sure you are in a nervous state about that school.”
“But I haven’t told you anything about it,” said Albert, wide eyed. “How can you know that?”
(i) Why had Einstein visited Dr. Weil?
(ii) ‘‘He shouldn’t have told you that.’’ Who is ‘he’ in this line?
(iii) Do you think Dr. Weil is right in giving the certificate to Einstein?
(iv) Albert feels dejected when he gets to know that Yuri had told the truth to the doctor. Explain.
(v) How does the Dr. justify his action to Einstein?
Answer: (i) Einstein visited Dr. Weil to get a medical certificate that would get him out of school for a longer period with his father’s consent.
(ii) ‘He’ refers to Yuri, Einstein’s only friend in Munich. He told Dr. Weil what Einstein need from him.
(iii) Ethically, it is not correct for a Doctor to give a fake medical certificate but Dr. Weil believes that Einstein is actually on the verge of a nervous breakdown. So yes, I think Dr. Weil is right in giving the certificate to Einstein.
(iv) Albert feels dejected when he gets to know that Yuri had told the truth to the doctor because he feels that the doctor would not help him in his idea and then he would have to stay in the school.
(v) The doctor tells Einstein that the fact that Einstein has to do such things to get out of school is indicative of how close he was to a nervous breakdown and thus, he was going to give him the medical certificate.

Extract Based MCQs :

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“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 realise 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.”

Question. 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

Question. 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.

Question. 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

Question. By stating that he does not believe in learning facts he is ………… his perspective.
(a) clarifying
(b) negotiating
(c) amplifying
(d) rectifying

Question. 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.

2. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow:
“At least you live among civilised human beings, even if they are all poor students,” said Albert.
“They are not all civilised,” 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 honour.”
“Ugh!” exclaimed Albert. “And these are the students.”
“Well, you’ll be a student one day,” said Yuri.

Question. How did Yuri achieve his purpose?
(a) Yuri compared his situation with Einstein’s.
(b) Yuri distracted him with a 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.

Question. What can be said about the boy who killed another boy in the duel?
(a) Arrogant
(b) Barbaric
(c) Gutsy
(d) Egoist

Question. “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)

Question. How is Einstein feeling in the given lines?
(a) Surprised
(b) Annoyed
(c) Shaken
(d) Disgusted

Question. Yuri is trying to ………… Einstein in the given lines.
(a) show his care for
(b) calm and comfort
(c) cheer up
(d) help