Q. Where was Kalpana Chawla born? Why is she called an Indian-American?
Ans. Kalpana Chawla was born at Karnal, in Haryaya. She was born in India, but married an American and became a naturalised citizen. So she is called an Indian-American.
Q. When and why did she go to the U.S? Who did she marry?
Ans. Kalpana went to the U.S. for higher studies in aeronautical engineering. There she married the flight instructor Harrison.
Q. How did she become an astronaut? What gave her the idea that she could be an astronaut?
Ans. Kalpana had already got a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering before she went to the U.S. She earned her Ph.D. in aerospace engineering. In 1994 she was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut. She was encouraged by the people around her.
Q. What abilities must an astronaut have, according to the journalist?
Ans. An astronaut needs to know a lot about biology and aeronautical engineering. He/she must have wide knowledge of science subjects.
Q. Describe Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space.
Ans. Kalpana’s first mission in the space shuttle, Columbia, was nearly 16 days long. She went around the earth 252 times. Among her colleagues were a Japanese and a Ukranian astronauts. They performed so many experiments.
Q. What does Kalpana Chawla say about pursuing a dream? Do you agree with her that success is possible?
Ans. Kalpana Chawla, a girl from a small town, touched the skies. In her message to college students of Chandigarh, from space she said that it was always possible to realise one’s dream. One could certainly get success provided one had the vision and the courage. Yes, I do agree with her on this point.
Q. Read the newspaper report to find the following facts about the Columbia’s ill-fated voyage.
- Date and place of lift off: ________________.
- Number of astronauts on board: ____________.
- Number of days it stayed in space: __________.
- Number of experiments done by scientists: ___.
- Date of return journey: __________________.
- Height at which it lost contact: _____________.
Answer
- 16 January, 2003
- Seven
- About 16 days
- eighty experiments
- 1 February, 2003
- 200,000 feet
Q. Match the Following:
| 1. unprecedented space tragedy | something that causes feelings of respect and wonder |
| 2. certified flight instructor | having knowledge of a wide variety of subjects |
| 3. space mission | nowadays, in these times |
| 4. super specialisation | a set of jobs to be done in space by a group |
| 5. encyclopedic knowledge | a person with the correct qualification to teach people to fly planes |
| 6. awe-inspiring | a sad accident of a kind that has never happened before in space |
| 7. in this age | great expertise in a limited field or a particular subject |
Answer
| 1. unprecedented space tragedy | a sad accident of a kind that has never happened before in space |
| 2. certified flight instructor | a person with the correct qualification to teach people to fly planes |
| 3. space mission | a set of jobs to be done in space by a group |
| 4. super specialisation | great expertise in a limited field or a particular subject |
| 5. encyclopaedic knowledge | having knowledge of a wide variety of subjects |
| 6. awe-inspiring | something that causes feelings of respect and wonder |
| 7. in this age | nowadays, in these times |
Q. Use these phrases in sentences of your own, after finding out their meanings.
- broke apart
- streaked over
- spread across
- lifted off
- blast off
- went on
- cheered along
- on board
- carry on
Answer
- broke apart – (parted, separated): The two wheels of my bicycle broke apart suddenly.
- streaked over – (left a thin line or work): The jet plane streaked over our house high in the sky.
- spread across – (became widely known or felt): The flu spread across the whole locality.
- lifted off – (rose from the launching site): The helicopter lifted off the helipad with only two passengers.
- blast off – (take off noisily): The spaceship blasted off at 2.30 a.m. sharp.
- went on – (continued): The discussion went on the whole night.
- cheered along – (encouraged): All the runners were cheered along by their fans.
- on board – (inside the plane): The huge ship had nearly 500 passengers on board.
- carry on – (continue doing something): She decided finally to carry on with her boss.
Q. We add ‘un-‘ to make opposites. For example: true – untrue Add ‘un-‘ to the words below to make their opposites. Then look up the meanings of the words you have formed in the dictionary.
- identified
- controlled
- attended
- successful
- important
- educated
- interesting
- qualified
- trained
- answerable
Answer
- identified – unidentified – which has not been recognised.
- controlled – uncontrolled – totally free, lawless
- attended – unattended – not looked after
- successful – unsuccessful – failed
- important – unimportant – petty, insignificant
- educated – uneducated – illiterate, unlettered
- interesting – uninteresting – dull
- qualified – unqualified – not having the qualification needed for the job.
- trained – untrained – raw hand, without the necessary training or experience.
- answerable – unanswerable – not fit to be answered.
Q. Given below are some words that are spelt differently in British and American English. Fill in the blanks accordingly.
| British | American |
| 1. colour | |
| 2. | labor |
| 3. | traveler |
| 4. counsellor | |
| 5. centre | |
| 6. | theater |
| 7. | organize |
| 8. realise | |
| 9. | defense |
| 10. offence |
Answer
| British | American |
| 1. colour | color |
| 2. labour | labor |
| 3. traveller | traveler |
| 4. counsellor | counselor |
| 5. centre | center |
| 6. theatre | theater |
| 7. organise | organize |
| 8. realise | realize |
| 9. defence | defense |
| 10. offence | offense |