My Childhood
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each .
1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house ?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was in Rameswaram.
আব্দুল কালামৰ ঘৰ ৰামেশ্বৰমত।
2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of ? Give a reason for your answer .
Answer: Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the second world war’s news in the headlines of this newspaper.
দীনমনি এখন বাতৰি কাকতৰ নাম। এই বাতৰি কাকতখনৰ শিৰোনামত আব্দুল কালামে দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধৰ বাতৰি প্ৰকাশ কৰিছিল।
3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends ? What did they later become ?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s school friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. Later Ramanadha become the high priest of the Rameswaram temple, Aravindan went in to the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims and Sivaprakasan become a catering contractor for the southern Railways.
আব্দুল কালামৰ স্কুলৰ বন্ধু আছিল ৰামানাধ শাস্ত্ৰী, অৰবিন্দন আৰু শিৱপ্ৰকাশন ।পৰৱৰ্তী সময়ত ৰামানাধ শাস্ত্ৰী মন্দিৰৰ প্ৰধান পুৰোহিত হৈছিল। ঠিক তেনেদৰে অৰবিন্দনে তীৰ্থ যাত্ৰী সকলৰ যাতায়তৰ ব্যৱসায়ত হাত দিছিল আৰু শিৱপ্ৰকাশনে দক্ষিণ ৰেলবিভাগৰ বাবে খাদ্য যোগানৰ কাম কৰিছিল।
4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages ?
Answer: Abdul Kalam earn his first wage by distributing newspaper.
আব্দুল কালামে প্ৰথম আয় বাতৰি কাকত বিতৰণ কৰি উপাৰ্জন কৰিছিল।
5. Had he earned any money before that ? In what way ?
Answer: Yes he had earned money before that. He used to sell tamarind seeds to a provision shop on Mosque street for which he got one anna.
( হয় ইয়াৰ পূৰ্বেও তেখেতে পইচা উপাৰ্জন কৰিছিল। তেখেতে মস্ক ষ্টীটৰ এখন পাইকাৰী দোকানত তেতেলীৰ গুটি বিক্ৰী কৰি পইচা অৰ্জন কৰিছিল যাৰ বাবে তেওঁ এক অনাকৈ টকা পাইছিল।)
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph ( about 30 words )
1. How does the author describe : (i) his father , (ii) his mother , (iii ) himself ?
Answer:
2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents ?
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III . Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each .
1. ” On the whole , the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups , ” says the author .
Answer:
(i) Which social grous does he mention ? Were these groups easily identifiable ( for example , by the way they dressed ) ?
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(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences ? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house ; of who his friends were ; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house)
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(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences . Can you identify such people in the text ?
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(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created , and also how they can be resolved . How can people change their attitudes ?
Answer:
2 . (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram ?
(ii) What did his father say to this ?
(iii) What do you think his words mean ? Why do you think he spoke those words ?