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Read the extract and answer the following questions-
Extract:
ALBERT Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in the German city of Ulm, without any indication that he was destined for greatness. On the contrary, his mother thought Albert was a freak. To her, his head seemed much too large. At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking. When he finally did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do with other children, and his playmates called him “Brother Boring.”
(A Truly Beautiful Mind)
Question (i)
What literary device is used in the sentence “At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking.”?
- (a) Hyperbole
- (b) Irony
- (c) Alliteration
- (d) Foreshadowing
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(d) Foreshadowing
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify the literary device that is used in the sentence from the extract.
- A literary device is a technique that a writer uses to create a special effect or meaning in their writing.
- Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally.
- Irony is a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens or what is said and what is meant.
- Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of words that are close together.
- Foreshadowing is a hint or clue about what will happen later in the story.
- The sentence “At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking.” uses foreshadowing as a literary device.😮
- This sentence hints at Einstein’s later genius and achievements in science, which contrast with his delayed speech development as a child.😲
- Therefore, the answer is foreshadowing.👍
Question (ii)
What did Einstein's mother think of his head when he was born? Answer in one word.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Freak
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to recall the second sentence of the extract: " On the contrary, his mother thought Albert was a freak. "
- The sentence tells us what Einstein's mother thought of him when he was born, which is a freak.
- A freak is someone who is very unusual or abnormal in some way.
- Therefore, the answer is freak.😮
Question (iii)
State True or False.
Einstein started talking at the age of two-and-a-half.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
True
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to recall the third sentence of the extract: " At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking ."
- The sentence tells us that Einstein did not talk until he was two-and-a-half years old.
- Therefore, the statement that Einstein started talking at the age of two-and-a-half is true.😊
Question (iv)
How would you express Einstein's boredom with other children if you were to write a dialogue for him in this extract? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
"I don't want to play with you. You are all so dull and stupid. I have better things to do than waste my time with you."
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to imagine how Einstein would speak to other children based on the extract.
- The extract tells us that Einstein did not know what to do with other children and that his playmates called him "Brother Boring".
- This suggests that Einstein was not interested in or good at socializing with other children and that he found them boring and unchallenging.
- Therefore, a possible dialogue for him in this extract could be: "I don't want to play with you. You are all so dull and stupid. I have better things to do than waste my time with you."😒
