An Indian-American Woman in Space: 6th English Ch 04

An Indian-American Woman in Space: NCERT 6th CBSE Honeysuckle English Chapter 04

Question: Answer the following questions.

1. Where was Kalpana Chawla born? Why is she called an Indian-American?
2. When and why did she go to the U.S.? Who did she marry?
3. How did she become an astronaut? What gave her the idea that she could be an astronaut?
4. What abilities must an astronaut have, according to the journalist?
5. Describe Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space.
6. What does Kalpana Chawla say about pursuing a dream? Do you agree with her that success is possible?

Answer:

1. Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana. She was called an Indian-American because she was a naturalized U.S. citizen, married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison.
2. She went to the United States for a master’s degree. She was married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison.
3. After qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana began to consider another challenge: applying to NASA’s space shuttle program. She was first hired as a research scientist at NASA. In 1994, she was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut. The idea that she could be an astronaut came from her desire to follow her dreams.
4. According to the journalist, to be an astronaut one should have enormous ability. An astronaut must know a lot about everything, from biology to astrophysics to aeronautical engineering. In this age of super-specialisation, you must have encyclopaedic knowledge to be an astronaut.
5. Kalpana’s first space mission was in the space shuttle Columbia. It lasted for 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes. During this time she went around the Earth 252 times, travelling 10.45 million kilometres. The crew included a Japanese and a Ukrainian astronaut. The crew performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space, and tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips.
6. About pursuing a dream, Kalpana said that the path from dreams to success does exist. One needs to have the vision to find it, and the courage to get onto it. Yes, success is possible. Her life is an example of that.

Question: Read the newspaper report to find the following facts about the Columbia’s ill-fated voyage.

1. Date and place of lift off: ______________________
2. Number of astronauts on board: ______________________
3. Number of days it stayed in space: ______________________
4. Number of experiments done by scientists: ______________________
5. Date of return journey: ______________________
6. Height at which it lost contact: ______________________

Answer:

1. Date and place of lift off: 16th January, 2003; Kennedy Space Center, Florida
2. Number of astronauts on board: Seven
3. Number of days it stayed in space: 16
4. Number of experiments done by scientists: 80
5. Date of return journey: 1st February, 2003
6. Height at which it lost contact: 200,000 feet

Question: Match the following:

Answer:

Question: Use these phrases in sentences of your own, after finding out their meanings.

1. broke apart
2. streaked over
3. spread across
4. lifted off
5. blast off
6. went on
7. cheered along
8. on board
9. carry on

Answer:

1. Broke apart – Divide violently into parts
   The mobile phone broke apart when Steve stepped on it.
2. Streaked over – Flash brightly leaving a visible line
   Fireworks streaked over the horizon when India won the cricket match.
3. Spread across – Distributed over a given area
   Vodaphone has a large network which is spread across all states.
4. Lifted off – The action of an aircraft in becoming airborne
   My flight lifted off at 2 A.M.
5. Blast off – Action of a rocket leaving its launch pad
   It is not an easy task to blast off a rocket properly.
6. Went on – Continued
   Though he faced many difficulties, the traveler went on to his goal.
7. Cheered along – Stood by to shout their support
   The crowd cheered along as Dhoni hit a century.
8. On board – On a ship, plane or other vehicle
   The passengers on board the ‘economy flights’ do not have a comfortable journey.
9. Carry on – To conduct
   Rescue operations were carried out by the army in spite of heavy rains.

An Indian-American Woman in Space – Question: 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.

1. identified ___________________
2. controlled ___________________
3. attended ___________________
4. successful ___________________
5. important ___________________
6. educated ___________________
7. interesting ___________________
8. qualified ___________________
9. trained ___________________
10. answerable ___________________

Answer:

1. identified Unidentified
2. controlled Uncontrolled
3. attended Unattended
4. successful Unsuccessful
5. important Unimportant
6. educated Uneducated
7. interesting Uninteresting
8. qualified Unqualified
9. trained Untrained
10. answerable Unanswerable

An Indian-American Woman in Space – Question: What was Kalpana Chawla’s great achievement?

Answer: Kalpana Chawla’s great achievement was that she was selected to go into space. Her achievement was awe-inspiring.

Question: What is a space shuttle? Name the shuttle which took Kalpana in space.

Answer: Space shuttle is a spacecraft. It can be used for space travel more than once. It is unlike a rocket. Kalpana took in space the shuttle named Columbia.

Question: How did Kalpana Chawla meet her end? When did this tragedy in space take place?

Answer: Kalpana Chawla went up in a space shuttle along with six other astronauts. On Saturday, February 1, 2003 the shuttle Columbia broke apart. All the seven on board were killed.

Question: What do you know about Kalpana Chawla’s education? How did she become an American citizen?

Answer: Kalpana Chawla graduated from Tagore School. She got a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering. She then went to the USA to earn her PhD. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen after her marriage with Harrison, an American.

Question: What do you learn about Columbia from the lesson you have read? What was its final fate?

Answer: Columbia was a space shuttle. It carried Kalpana and six other astronauts. It went up in flames over Texas on the return journey. On February 1, 2003, all the seven on board lost their lives.

An Indian-American Woman in Space – Question: ‘Kalpana Chawla was a heroine’. How did a journalist support his statement?

Answer: Kalpana was a heroine. She was born in the small town of Karnal. But she was a genius. She became an astronaut. She had an encyclopaedic knowledge of so many subjects. She made a great achievement.

Question: What do you know about Kalpana Chawla’s birth, education, great achievement and tragic end?

Answer: Kalpana Chawla was bom in Kamal, Haiyana. She got a degree in aeronautical engineering in India and earned her doctorate in the USA. She made a historic achievement when she blasted off from Florida in a space mission. She became a naturalized American citizen after her marriage with an American flight instructor, Harrison. She met her tragic end on February 1, 2003, when Columbia broke apart and caught fire. All the seven members on board met a tragic end.

Question: The story of Kalpana Chawla has become an inspiration for millions of young Indians. How? What message did she send from the space shuttle to students of her college?

An Indian-American Woman in Space – Answer: Kalpana Chawla, an Indian-American woman, made history when she went up in a space shuttle Columbia. It had a great achievement but she met with a tragic end. Columbia went up in flames and she lost her life. In a message she sent from Columbia to students of her college in Chandigarh she told them that with courage they too can fulfill their dreams. She wished them all a great journey.