Science and Spirituality
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. (A) Read ‘Part I’ and match the words in Column ‘A’ with associating words given in Column ‘B’.
Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’ Science and faith Success of societies Science Solves questions, discovers truth, conceives inventions Better Planet Created by fact and faith Creations and Discoveries Betterment of humanity Conflict Believers of science and religions
1. (B) Read ‘Part II’. Go through the given statements and say whether you agree or disagree to each of them.
a. The Space Research set up facility was planned at Allapi, Kerala – Disagree (It was planned at Thumba, Kerala.)
b. The person who could help and can be contacted was the Bishop – Agree (Father Pereira, the bishop, helped.)
c. It was quite easy to relocate so many people and destroy religious institutions for space-research centre – Disagree (It was challenging, but resolved with cooperation.)
d. Dr. Kalam joined ISRO in 1970 – Disagree (He joined in the 1960s, not specifically 1970.)
e. Science and spirituality seeks prosperity of the human life – Agree (Both aim to improve human well-being.)
1. (C) Go through ‘Part III’ and complete the following statements.
a. The essence of a happy life and a peaceful society lies in one sentence- “What can I give?”
b. To keep this planet liveable and the human race thriving, we have to – replace the attitude of ‘What can I take’ with ‘What can I give’.
c. Mahaswamiji’s greatest contribution is the – establishment of a free residential education system for over nine thousand children.
d. We can remove the impurities obscuring our souls by – living pure and ethical lives and serving humanity.
e. The narrator, Srijan, realised that through Dr. Kalam’s words of wisdom – he was learning from countless great minds.
f. Mahaswamiji possesses powers that kept him so strong were – his spirit of giving and generosity.
2. Choose the correct alternative for the given statements.
(A) Dr. Kalam’s father was an – (d) imam.
(B) Dr. Kalam’s friends discussed on – (d) community’s problems and solutions.
(C) According to Dr. Kalam, the need that is felt more than ever is – (c) a dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations.
(D) Dr. Kalam’s father was a symbol of – (b) simplicity and divinity.
(E) Spirituality takes care of – (c) confusion, misery or failure.
(F) How can academic brilliance diminish? – (c) by a coating of dust.
(G) What was most astonishing about 102-year-old Swamiji? – (d) He looked as steady and alert as any other youngster.
(H) What Dr. Kalam gathered while swimming in silence at the shores of Mahapragyaji? – (c) sands of conscience.
3. Among the three parts, there are people who touched and influenced the life of Dr. A. P. J. Kalam in one or the other ways. Complete the web chart by writing the names of such people.
- Father Bodal
- P.L. Shastrigal
- Dr. Kalam’s Father
- Reverend Peter Bernard Pereira
- Professor Vikram Sarabhai
- Professor Satish Dhawan
- Dr Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji
4. Write the significance of the following years, as given in the text.
- 1960: Dr. Kalam joined ISRO, a fledgling organization.
- 1970: Dr. Kalam made his first unsuccessful launch under Professor Satish Dhawan.
- 1980: Dr. Kalam achieved a successful launch under Professor Satish Dhawan.
- 2009: Dr. Kalam advised Srijan after his graduation from IIMA to transform society.
- 2012: The “What Can I Give” movement was launched to combat corruption and social evils.
5. Who said to whom and when?
a. “Can we give up God’s abode for such a great scientific mission?
” – Reverend Father Pereira to the church congregation, during the Sunday service when Dr. Sarabhai visited.
b. “And then God will shine through us.”
– Professor Satish Dhawan to Dr. Kalam, during a discussion in the early 1980s.
c. “I wonder what power Mahaswamiji possesses, that keeps him so strong.
” – Srijan to Dr. Kalam, a couple of days after Mahaswamiji’s 102nd birthday celebration in 2009.
6. Answer the following in your own words, and write in your notebook.
a. What makes Dr. Kalam a humble personality?
- Dr. Kalam’s humility came from his father’s simplicity and divinity, his upbringing with friends of different faiths, and his belief in serving humanity selflessly.
b. How were different virtues inculcated in Dr. Kalam?
- Virtues like humility, simplicity, and service were inculcated through his father, friends like P.L. Shastrigal and Father Bodal, and mentors like Sarabhai, Pereira, and Dhawan, who taught him faith, ethics, and selflessness.
c. How did the Reverend relate and compare the work that he and Dr. Sarabhai did for people?
- Reverend Pereira said both he and Dr. Sarabhai worked for human prosperity-science improved life through technology, while spirituality offered peace and well-being, making their goals similar.
d. What was so remarkable about Dr Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji?
- At 102, Mahaswamiji stood unsupported, delivered a wise discourse, and fed thousands, showing extraordinary strength and dedication to educating over 9,000 children for free.
e. Why is there an urgent need to replace ‘What can I take’ with ‘What can I give’?
- The mindset of taking leads to corruption, environmental harm, and social injustice, while giving fosters happiness, peace, and a sustainable world, as Dr. Kalam emphasized.
7. In your notebook, write a short paragraph on each of the following covering up their profession and personality traits with examples.
a. Rev. Peter Bernard Pereira:
He was a bishop who led the church at Thumba. His selflessness and wisdom shone when he convinced his congregation to give up their homes and church for a scientific mission, showing his dedication to humanity’s progress.
b. Dr Sri Sri Shivakumar Mahaswamiji:
A spiritual leader, he ran a free education system for over 9,000 children. His strength at 102, standing tall and serving others, reflected his generosity and commitment to giving.
c. Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam:
A scientist and former President of India, he was humble and spiritual. His work at ISRO, advice to transform society, and belief in “What can I give” showed his brilliance and selflessness.
8. Write in your own simple words what the following expressions convey in the context they occur in the text.
a. Faith and fact can, together, create a better planet:
Science (fact) and spirituality (faith) can work together to improve life and society.
b. Dr Kalam’s own life was nourished by multiple faiths:
He grew up influenced by Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity through his family and friends.
c. But there was a major roadblock:
A big problem stopped progress, like relocating people for the space centre.
(d) Only when the dust is removed, does the mirror shine and the reflection becomes
clear.
Only when the dust is removed, does the mirror shine and the reflection becomes clear: Purity in life makes your true self shine, like cleaning a dusty mirror.
e. Through his (Kalam’s) words of wisdom, I was getting to learn from countless great minds:
Dr. Kalam shared lessons from many wise people he met.
f. He gathered the sands of conscience to be our guide, our best friend:
He collected moral lessons to help us live better.
g. ‘What can I take?’ is the thought which is responsible for all the wrong, seen around us:
Greed causes problems like corruption and destruction.
9. (A) From the lesson, pick out one word for each of the following.
a. increase the speed – accelerates
b. point of view – perspective
c. nearness in space – proximity
d. a place of residence – abode
e. eager to know everything – inquisitive
f. echoed loudly – reverberated
g. giving away much to the needy – munificence
h. without making a difference – indiscriminately
9. (B) Arrange the following words in alphabetical order.
- indiscriminately, inequity, inquisitive, institutions, interactions, inventions, indisputable
9. (C) Find from the lesson the noun forms of –
- combine – combination
- solve – solution
- simple – simplicity
- divine – divinity
- advance – advancement
- tranquil – tranquility
- liveable – liveability
- strong – strength
10. Match the word connectors with reference to part I, II, III respectively. Make sentences of each of these connectors.
—- government officials Government officials predicted relocation would be impossible. betterment of humanity Science and faith work for the betterment of humanity. pure and ethical life We must live a pure and ethical life. community’s problems They discussed the community’s problems. religions service He learned about religious service at ISRO. astonishing aspect The astonishing aspect was Swamiji’s strength. technological advancement Science gives us technological advancement. frank dialogue We need a frank dialogue among cultures. social evils The movement fought social evils. faith curbs Faith curbs science within limits. inquisitive discipline Dr. Kalam was an inquisitive disciple. academic brilliance Academic brilliance can diminish like a mirror. environmental degradation Taking causes environmental degradation. pin-drop silence There was pin-drop silence in the church. alternate accommodation Alternate accommodation was offered. remarkable person Mahaswamiji was a remarkable person. silent motivation This became my silent motivation. famished bodies He fed famished bodies. unsuccessful launch His first launch was unsuccessful. space-research centre They built a space-research centre.
11. Say whether the predicates in the following sentences have an object/a complement/an adverbial.
- There was silence – complement
- Alexander Bell invented the telephone – object
- They have a holiday – object
- The dancer danced gracefully – adverbial
- The milkman comes daily – adverbial
- The hostess served tea – object
- The kite soared upwards – adverbial
12. (A) Punctuate the following sentences to make them meaningful.
- Dinesh took a bus that stopped at Nanded railway station after crossing Somvar Peth.
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the past president of India; by the way, he was a great scientist, orator, and humanitarian.
- Nouns are of different types: common, proper, abstract, concrete, material.
- “What a lot of noise you all make!” said the teacher. “Can’t you keep quiet for a while?”
- “Wow! How lovely that cake looks!” they said. “We can’t wait to eat it.”
12. (B) Copy the first paragraph on page 92 in your notebook, carefully. Encircle all the punctuation marks with a colored pencil/pen.
Paragraph from Page 92: “Dear children, here is a scientist, Dr Vikram Sarabhai. What does science do for us? We benefit from the devices that science has developed to light up our homes. I am able to talk to you using this mic, thanks to technological advancement. Medical science allows doctors to diagnose and treat patients. Science and technology enhance the overall comfort and quality of human life. And what do I do as a preacher? I pray for you, for your well-being, and for your peace. In short, Vikram and I are doing the same job. Both science and spirituality seek the Almighty’s blessings for the prosperity of the human mind and body.”
Punctuation Marks Identified:
- “ (Quotation mark – opening)
- , (Comma after “children”)
- , (Comma after “scientist”)
- . (Full stop after “Sarabhai”)
- ? (Question mark after “us”)
- . (Full stop after “homes”)
- , (Comma after “mic”)
- . (Full stop after “advancement”)
- . (Full stop after “patients”)
- . (Full stop after “life”)
- ? (Question mark after “preacher”)
- , (Comma after “you”)
- , (Comma after “well-being”)
- . (Full stop after “peace”)
- , (Comma after “short”)
- . (Full stop after “job”)
- ‘ (Apostrophe in “Almighty’s”)
- . (Full stop after “body”)
- “ (Quotation mark – closing)
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