Class 9, Beehive
Ch. 4 - A Truly Beautiful Mind
Introduction to the Chapter
This chapter is about Albert Einstein. He was a great scientist. The title of the chapter ‘A Truly
Beautiful Mind’ refers to Albert Einstein. This is a short biography of his where some of his
qualities have been highlighted – Albert’s interest in Mathematics and Physics and also his
humanitarian attribute.The title - ‘A Truly Beautiful Mind’ makes one wonder that how can a
scientist’s mind be beautiful. It is so, because in this lesson we come across another aspect of
Einstein. He was a humanitarian. He advocated world peace, non - violence and that is why the
title refers to him as a truly beautiful mind.
Text and Explanation
ALBERT Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in the German city of Ulm, without any
indication that he was destined for greatness.
destined: fate, a predetermined set of events that has to happen in the future.
Albert Einstein was born on 14th March 1879. He was born in a city named Ulm in Germany.
When he was a child, no one could predict that one day he would become a great scientist. He
was like all the other children.
,On the contrary, his mother thought Albert was a freak.
freak: a word used disapprovingly to talk about a person who is unusual and doesn’t behave,
look or think like others
Albert’s mother thought that Albert was a freak because he did not behave, talk or look like
normal people did. He was different from other children of his age. He behaved abnormally. It
seemed as if he had lesser intelligence in comparison to other children.
To her, his head seemed much too large.
Albert’s mother thought that the little boy’s head was a bit too big in comparison to other
children’s heads.
At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking.
Albert Einstein started talking when he was two and a half years of age.
When he finally did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice.
Uttered: spoke
Finally, when Einstein started speaking, he used to repeat the words.
Einstein did not know what to do with other children, and his playmates called him “Brother
Boring.”
His playmates used to call him ‘brother boring’ because he remained to himself, he did not play
or talk to them.
So the youngster played by himself much of the time.
Einstein remained to himself all the time. He used to play with himself only.
He especially loved mechanical toys.
, From the very beginning, since his childhood, he loved mechanical toys - such toys in which
some kind of machinery was used such as automated cars, automated airplanes.
Looking at his newborn sister, Maja, he is said to have said: “Fine, but where are her wheels”?
When his sister was born, and he looked at her, he could not see her feet. He was wondering
where the baby’s wheels were, that means the feet of the baby. As Albert Einstein used to play
with toys and all the toys had a set of wheels, to him Maja seemed to be a toy too and so, he
might have thought that where were her wheels.
A headmaster once told his father that what Einstein chose as a profession wouldn’t matter,
because “he’ll never make a success at anything.”
The headmaster of Einstein’s school told Einstein’s father that Einstein would never be
successful in whatever profession he chose.
Einstein began learning to play the violin at the age of six, because his mother wanted him to;
he later became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.
amateur: doing something for personal enjoyment rather than as a profession, something which
is your hobby and you do it as a pastime.
Einstein was a very good violinist, he learned playing the violin at the age of six because his
mother wanted him to learn to play it. All his life, he was an amateur violinist, he played the
violin as a hobby not as a profession.
But Albert Einstein was not a bad pupil. He went to high school in Munich, where Einstein’s
family had moved when he was 15 months old and scored good marks in almost every subject.
pupil: student
Albert Einstein was a very good student. He went to a school in Munich because his family had
moved from Ulm to Munich when he was 15 months old and scored good marks in almost every
subject.
Einstein hated the school’s regimentation, and often clashed with his teachers.
regimentation: order or discipline taken to an extreme
Ch. 4 - A Truly Beautiful Mind
Introduction to the Chapter
This chapter is about Albert Einstein. He was a great scientist. The title of the chapter ‘A Truly
Beautiful Mind’ refers to Albert Einstein. This is a short biography of his where some of his
qualities have been highlighted – Albert’s interest in Mathematics and Physics and also his
humanitarian attribute.The title - ‘A Truly Beautiful Mind’ makes one wonder that how can a
scientist’s mind be beautiful. It is so, because in this lesson we come across another aspect of
Einstein. He was a humanitarian. He advocated world peace, non - violence and that is why the
title refers to him as a truly beautiful mind.
Text and Explanation
ALBERT Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in the German city of Ulm, without any
indication that he was destined for greatness.
destined: fate, a predetermined set of events that has to happen in the future.
Albert Einstein was born on 14th March 1879. He was born in a city named Ulm in Germany.
When he was a child, no one could predict that one day he would become a great scientist. He
was like all the other children.
,On the contrary, his mother thought Albert was a freak.
freak: a word used disapprovingly to talk about a person who is unusual and doesn’t behave,
look or think like others
Albert’s mother thought that Albert was a freak because he did not behave, talk or look like
normal people did. He was different from other children of his age. He behaved abnormally. It
seemed as if he had lesser intelligence in comparison to other children.
To her, his head seemed much too large.
Albert’s mother thought that the little boy’s head was a bit too big in comparison to other
children’s heads.
At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking.
Albert Einstein started talking when he was two and a half years of age.
When he finally did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice.
Uttered: spoke
Finally, when Einstein started speaking, he used to repeat the words.
Einstein did not know what to do with other children, and his playmates called him “Brother
Boring.”
His playmates used to call him ‘brother boring’ because he remained to himself, he did not play
or talk to them.
So the youngster played by himself much of the time.
Einstein remained to himself all the time. He used to play with himself only.
He especially loved mechanical toys.
, From the very beginning, since his childhood, he loved mechanical toys - such toys in which
some kind of machinery was used such as automated cars, automated airplanes.
Looking at his newborn sister, Maja, he is said to have said: “Fine, but where are her wheels”?
When his sister was born, and he looked at her, he could not see her feet. He was wondering
where the baby’s wheels were, that means the feet of the baby. As Albert Einstein used to play
with toys and all the toys had a set of wheels, to him Maja seemed to be a toy too and so, he
might have thought that where were her wheels.
A headmaster once told his father that what Einstein chose as a profession wouldn’t matter,
because “he’ll never make a success at anything.”
The headmaster of Einstein’s school told Einstein’s father that Einstein would never be
successful in whatever profession he chose.
Einstein began learning to play the violin at the age of six, because his mother wanted him to;
he later became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.
amateur: doing something for personal enjoyment rather than as a profession, something which
is your hobby and you do it as a pastime.
Einstein was a very good violinist, he learned playing the violin at the age of six because his
mother wanted him to learn to play it. All his life, he was an amateur violinist, he played the
violin as a hobby not as a profession.
But Albert Einstein was not a bad pupil. He went to high school in Munich, where Einstein’s
family had moved when he was 15 months old and scored good marks in almost every subject.
pupil: student
Albert Einstein was a very good student. He went to a school in Munich because his family had
moved from Ulm to Munich when he was 15 months old and scored good marks in almost every
subject.
Einstein hated the school’s regimentation, and often clashed with his teachers.
regimentation: order or discipline taken to an extreme
