Long Questions and Answers
1. Richards mother had a great influence on him. Discuss.
or Discuss the role of Ebright’s mother in making him a scientist.
Answer: Richard’s mother played a huge role in making him a great scientist. She would take him on trips to encourage learning. He was a single child. After his father died, his mother made him the focus of her life. She would buy him all kinds of microscopes, telescopes and other equipment. After dinner, she gave him problems to solve. This helped Richard to learn a lot. She was his only companion for a long time. She always tried to give him work that required no physical labour but those works enhanced his learning skill. It was his mother who got him the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. This book opened the world of science for Richard. She also wrote to Dr Urquhart to guide her son. The scientist helped Richard and guided him. Thus his mother actually shaped him into an extra-ordinary scientist.
2. Richard Ebright displayed a well-rounded personality. Do you agree? Elucidate in the context of the given text.
Answer: Richard’s genius was obvious by the time he was in his second grade. He managed to collect all 25 species of butterflies around his hometown and classify them. He also loved to collect coins, fossils and rocks. Science was not his only passion. He was an active member of a school’s oratory club and model United Nations Club and was an effective debater and a public speaker. He loved photography as well. He was an enthusiastic and honest and an outdoors person. Learning was easy for him. So, he found it simple to devote time and energy to many other interests. He became a champion in whatever he did. He believed in the spirit of competition to win. But, he did not wish to defeat others just to win. He wanted to win to do his best. Thus, he displayed a well rounded personality.