Class 12 English Solution
Strong Roots
1. MCQs Question Answer
1. When Kalam’s father was offered bowls of water, he would sanctify it by
a) pouring medicine
b) saying a prayer
c) adding syrup
d) by dipping his fingertips and saying a prayer ✔
2. During meals the food was served on
a) steel utensils
b) dishes
c) banana leaves ✔
d) plastics
3. When people, after being cured, thanked Kalam’s father, he would smile and
a) ask them to thank Allah ✔
b) utter prayers
c) ask them to thank the priest
d) ask them to offer something to the poor
4. The synonym of the word ‘normally’ is
a) casually
b) occasionally
c) specially
d) generally ✔
5. The synonym of the word ‘aromatic’ is
a) armorial
b) pleasant
c) fragrant ✔
d) sweet
6. The synonym of the word ‘predominantly’ is
a) mostly ✔
b) predictably
c) slowly
d) clearly
7. “/ ———- ate with my mother sitting on the floor of the kitchen.”
a) personally
b) generally
c) normally ✔
d) usually
8. “The Shiva temple, which made Rameswaram so famous to pilgrims, was about a from our house.”
a) ten-minute walk ✔
b) five-minute walk
c) eight-minute walk
d) twenty-minute walk
9. “Our locality was
a) predominantly Hindu
b) predominantly Muslim ✔
c) partially Hindu
d) partially Muslim
10. “There were quite a lot of Hindu families, too, living amicably with their neighbours.”
a) Christian
b) Buddhist
c) Jain
d) Muslim ✔
11. “There was a very old mosque in our locality where my father would take me for
a) morning prayers
b) evening prayers ✔
c) teaching Arabi
d) religious education
12. APJ Abdul Kalam was born into a
a) middle class family ✔
b) upper class family
c) lower middle class family
d) upper middle class family
13.APJ Abdul Kalam was born in a
a) Bengali family
b) Oriya family
c) Tamil family ✔
d) Telugu family
14. APJ Abdul Kalam was born in the island town of
a) Goa
b) Port Blair
c) Rajasthan
d) Rameswaram ✔
15. Jainulabdeen is the name of APJ Abdul Kalam’s
a) mother
b) father ✔
c) brother
c) uncle
16. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father had
a) much formal education
b) much wealth
c) much formal education and wealth
d) neither much formal education nor much wealth ✔
6. The name of Abdul Kalam’s mother is
a) Ashiamma ✔
b) Ashima
c) Shiamma
d) Hiamma
17. Kalam’s father had
a) great innate wisdom
b) a true generosity of spirit
c) great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit ✔
d) neither innate wisdom nor a true generosity of spirit
18. Jainulabdeen found an ideal helpmate in
a) P. L. Sastry
b) Jalaludeen
c) bdul Kalam
d) Ashiamma ✔
19. According to APJ Abdul Kalam,
a) far more outsiders ate with them than all the members of their family put together ✔
b) less number of outsiders ate with them than all the members of their family put together
c) as many outsiders ate with them as all the family members
d) some outsiders ate with the members of his family
20. APJ Abdul Kalam’s parents were widely regarded as an
a) sympathetic couple
b) contemplating couple
c) ideal couple ✔
d) idle couple
21. The title ‘Bahadur’ was bestowed on
a) APJ Abdul Kalam
b) Abdul Kalam’s father
c) one of the forebears of Kalam’s father
d) one of the forebears of Kalam’s mother ✔
22. According to APJ Abdul Kalam, his parents were
a) tall
b) tall and handsome ✔
c) handsome
d) short but handsome
23. In his childhood, Kalam lived in their
a) ancestral house ✔
b) rented house
c) newly built house
d) hut
24. The ancestral house of APJ Abdul Kalam was
a) a fairly small pucca house
b) a fairly large pucca house ✔
c) a fairly small hut
d) a newly built large house
25. The ancestral house of APJ Abdul Kalam is situated on
a) the Temple Road in Rameswaram
b) the Mosque Street in Rameswaram ✔
c) the Church Street in Rameswaram
d) the Vivekananda Street in Rameswaram
26. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father had no fascination for
a) inessential comforts and luxuries ✔
b) all sorts of comforts and luxuries
c) all modern amenities
d) all essential comforts and luxuries
27. In Kalam’s estimate, he had a
a) very insecure childhood
b) very painful childhood
c) very uncertain childhood
d) very secure childhood ✔
28. The synonym of the word ‘erstwhile’ is
a) former ✔
b) present
c) latter
d) next
29. The synonym of the word ‘state’ is
a) announce
b) structure
c) province ✔
d) place
30.The synonym of the word ‘innate’ is
a) inborn ✔
b) inner
c) improper
d) special
2. Short Question Answer
1. Whom does the opening pronoun ‘I’ refer to in ‘Strong Roots’?
Ans. In ‘Strong Roots’ the opening pronoun ‘I’ refers to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
2. Where was APJ Abdul Kalam born?
Or, In which town was Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam born?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam was born at Rameswaram in Tamilnadu.
3. Into what type of family was Abdul Kalam born?
Ans. Abdul Kalam was born into a middle class Tamil family.
4. Who were Kalam’s parents?
Or, What was the name of Kalam’s father?
Ans. Jainulabdeen was APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, and Ashiamma was his mother.
5. What does Kalam write about his father’s education and weaith?
Ans. According to APJ Abdul Kalam, his father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth.
6. What, according to Kalam, did his father possess?
Ans. According to APJ Abdul Kalam, his father possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit.
7. In whom did Abdul Kalam’s father have an ideal helpmate?
Or, Who was the ideal helpmate of Kalam’s father?
Ans. In Ashiamma, APJ Abdul Kalam’s father had an ideal helpmate.
8. “I was born into a middle class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram…..”-Who is the speaker here? [এখানে বক্তা কে?]
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam, a great Indian scientist, is the speaker here.
9. “…he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit”. Who is ‘he’?
Ans. Here ‘he’ refers to APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, who was a pious man.
10. “I do not recall the exact number of people she fed every Ans day…”-Who is ‘she’?
Ans. Here ‘she refers to APJ Abdul Kalam’s mother. Ashiamma who was very affectionate
11. “However, all necessities were provided for…”-What basic necessities does the speaker mention here?
Ans. The speaker, APJ Abdul Kalam, mentions food, medicine and clothing as basic necessities.
12. Why has Kalam used the adjective ‘austere’ to describe his father?
Ans. While describing his father, APJ Abdul Kalam has used the adjective ‘austere’ to point out his father’s plain and simple life-style. ‘austere’
13. What was the name of Abdul Kalam’s mother?
Ans. The name of APJ Abdul Kalam’s mother was Ashiamma.
14. How was the house of APJ Abdul Kalam?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam lived in their ancestral house which was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick.
15. How does Kalam describe his appearance?
Or, How would Kalam look in his boyhood?
Ans. Kalam describes himself as a short boy with rather undistinguished looks.
16. How were Kalam’s parents looked upon by others?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam’s parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple.
17. What is said about Kalam’s mother’s lineage?
Or, Why was the lineags of Kalam’s mother more distinguished?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage was more distinguished than that of his father since one of her ancestors had been bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British.
18. How does Kalam compare his looks in childhood with that of his parents?
Ans. In APJ Abdul Kalam’s opinion, he was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks while his parents were tall and handsome.
19. In what kind of house did Kalam live in his childhood?
Ans. In his childhood, APJ Abdul Kalam lived at Rameswaram in his ancestral house that was built in the middle of the 19th century.
20. How was Kalam’s ancestral house?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house which was built in the middle of the 19th century was a fairly large, pucca house, made of limestone and brick.
21. Where was Kalam’s ancestral house located?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house was located on Mosque Street in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
22. What did Kalam’s austere father avoid?
Or, What did Abdul Kalam’s father use to avoid?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam’s austere father avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries .
23. How was Kalam’s childhood?
Or, What sort of childhood Kalam had?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam enjoyed a very secure childhood, both materially (মেটিরিয়ালি) and emotionally
24. Who was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ in ‘Strong Roots’?
Ans. One of forebears of Kalam’s mother was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur!
25. How many people did Kalam’s mother feed everyday?
Ans. Although APJ Abdul Kalam could not recall the exact number of people his mother fed every day, he was sure that more outsiders ate with them than the total number of family members.
3. Long Question Answer
1. Give a brief account of Kalam’s childhood, as presented in his ‘Strong Roots’.
Or, What does APJ Abdul Kalam say about his childhood?
Or, What did APJ Abdul Kalam say of his childhood in ‘Strong Roots’?
Ans. The family in which Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born and brought up was a middle class Tamil family. His parents were an ideal couple. Although Kalam’s family was not an affluent one, he was given everything he needed. All necessities in terms of food, medicine and clothing were provided for Kalam in his childhood. He had a congenial family atmosphere. He had no emotional disturbance (ডিসটার্বেন্স) or material want. He was brought up in happiness. So Kalam claims that he had a secure childhood.
2. Write about Dr. Kalam’s ancestry.
Ans. In ‘Strong Roots, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has mentioned only a part of his ancestry. His parents were Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma. His father was neither formally (ফরমালি) educated nor very rich. But he was very generous. He had an innate wisdom. His mother came of a more distinguished family than his father. One of her ancestors had been given the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British. She was an ideal life-partner of Kalam’s father. She was equally generous. She would feed many outsiders everyday. It was her affectionate nature.
3. How does Dr. Kalam remember his mother in ‘Strong Roots’?
Ans. In the autobiographical writing ‘Strong Roots, Dr. APJ
Abdul Kalam has expressed his deep admiration for his parents. His mother, Ashiamma, came of a distinguished family. One of her ancestors had been given the title of ‘Bahadur by the British. She was generous and affectionate by nature, an ideal helpmate to his father. Everyday she would feed many outsiders. In his childhood, Kalam had a strong attachment (অ্যাটাচমেন্ট) with his mother. He would eat with his mother, sitting on the floor of the kitchen. She would serve rice, aromatic sambar, home-made pickle and fresh coconut chutney. Dr. Kalam has fond memories of his mother.
4. What picture of communal harmony do you find in the extract from APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography?
Ans. In the autobiographical piece ‘Strong Roots’ Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has presented a fine picture of communal harmony that prevailed in Rameswaram during his childhood days. Although Rameswaram was famous for the Shiva temple, there were mosques too. The locality in which Kalam lived was predominantly Muslim. But there were a lot of Hindu families, too, living amicably with their Muslim neighbours. Kalam recounts a vivid memory of his childhood. Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, was an intimate friend of his father’s. Although they belonged to two different religious communities, they had friendly discussions on spiritual matters. There was no enmity or rivalry between them.
5. How, according to Jainulabdeen, do human beings react to trouble and impasse?
Ans. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, was a close observer (অবজার্ভার) of human life and situations, as reflected (রিফ্লেকটেড) in ‘Strong Roots’ by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He observed that human beings face recurrent (রেকারেন্ট) anguish (অ্যাংগুইশ), longing and desire, and each type of sorrow finds its own helper. In life, human beings may reach an impasse and find no way out. In such a situation, they look for a guide who can show them the way out. Similarly, whenever they are in trouble that destroys happiness and peace, they look for someone to help them. In a troublesome situation, human beings get confused and lose calmness of mind. Only a true guide can provide them with strength and energy required for overcoming the trouble.
6. “Every recurrent anguish, longing and desire finds its own special helper.”-Who said this? How did he act as a special helper?
Ans. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, said this. • Dr. Kalam’s father acted as a special helper to the people who came to him in distress. People often come to him for help and advice. He believed that for people in distress he played the role of a mediator. Common men thought some demonic forces were responsible for their misery. So they wanted to please and calm those evil forces by offering prayers and gifts. In their attempts to appease demonic forces with prayer and offerings, Kalam’s father acted a medium.
7. Comment on the title ‘Strong Roots’.
Or, Do you think strong roots are necessary for success in life?
Answer from your reading of ‘Strong Roots’.
Or, What are the ‘strong roots’ Kalam speaks of in ‘Strong Roots’?
Or, Is ‘Strong Roots’ an apt title?
Ans. The first chapter of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s best-selling autobiography, ‘Wings of Fire’ has been entitled ‘Strong Roots’ In ‘Strong Roots, Dr. Kalam goes back to his childhood days and analyses how his childhood experiences helped him in his future life. He shows a strong connection with his parents. His father helped him to build a spiritual sensibility which provided a strong foundation for his progressive ideas. He enjoyed a very secure childhood, materially and emotionally. His father’s ideas about prayer, attitude to adversity strongly impressed him. His parents’ generosity of spirit and cordial relations with people of all religions, caste and creed made him a firm believer in equality. Therefore, the strong connections with his family as well as the fundamental truths and values of life he learnt in childhood, shape his personality. As the title significantly indicates the theme, it is apt. Strong roots are necessary for success in life.
8. How did Kalam’s father explain prayer and spirituality?
Ans. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father was a spiritual person Jainulabdeen had neither much formal education nor much wealth. Despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He did not consider prayers mysterious, rather prayers made possible a communion of the spirit between people. He believed that at the time of prayer, one transcends one’s body and becomes a part of the cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, caste, or creed. He believed adversity always presents opportunities for introspection; so there is no cause to be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems. He helped the people who came to him in distress as a go-between in their efforts to calm demonic forces with prayers and offerings.