Try each question on your own first. Use the Show Answer button only after you have selected your option, then read the explanation and revise the related concept from your chapter notes.
1. "My Childhood" is an excerpt from whose autobiography?
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
C. Jawaharlal Nehru
D. Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: B. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Explanation: The chapter is taken from "Wings of Fire", the autobiography of former Indian President and scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
2. In which town was A.P.J. Abdul Kalam born?
A. Chennai
B. Rameswaram
C. Madurai
D. Trichy
Answer: B. Rameswaram
Explanation: Kalam was born in the small pilgrim town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
3. What was the occupation of Kalam's father?
A. He was a boat owner who ferried pilgrims
B. He was a doctor
C. He was a teacher
D. He was a government officer
Answer: A. He was a boat owner who ferried pilgrims
Explanation: Kalam's father owned a boat that ferried Hindu pilgrims between Rameswaram and the famous Dhanushkodi shrine.
4. What did Kalam do to earn his own pocket money as a young boy?
A. He collected and sold tamarind seeds
B. He sold newspapers
C. He worked in a shop
D. He tutored other children
Answer: A. He collected and sold tamarind seeds
Explanation: As a child, Kalam collected tamarind seeds and sold them to a provision store owner to earn a small amount of pocket money.
5. Who was Jainulabdeen, mentioned in the chapter?
A. Kalam's father
B. Kalam's teacher
C. Kalam's classmate
D. A local political leader
Answer: A. Kalam's father
Explanation: Jainulabdeen was Kalam's father, a devout and simple man respected in the community despite having no formal education.
6. What quality did Kalam admire most in his father, as described in the chapter?
A. His wisdom, generosity and refusal to indulge in unnecessary possessions
B. His wealth and business acumen
C. His political influence
D. His academic achievements
Answer: A. His wisdom, generosity and refusal to indulge in unnecessary possessions
Explanation: Kalam admired his father's practical wisdom, generosity towards others, and simple lifestyle, avoiding unnecessary comforts despite having the means.
7. Who were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan, mentioned in the chapter?
A. Kalam's close childhood friends
B. Kalam's teachers
C. Kalam's relatives
D. Political leaders of the time
Answer: A. Kalam's close childhood friends
Explanation: These were among Kalam's closest childhood friends from Rameswaram, and their friendship remained strong despite their different religious backgrounds.
8. What incident involving a new teacher and Kalam's seating arrangement is described in the chapter?
A. A new teacher objected to Kalam, a Muslim boy, sitting next to a Brahmin priest's son
B. Kalam was punished for being late to school
C. Kalam was expelled from class
D. Kalam was made to sit alone due to poor performance
Answer: A. A new teacher objected to Kalam, a Muslim boy, sitting next to a Brahmin priest's son
Explanation: A new teacher was uncomfortable with young Kalam sitting beside Ramanadha Sastry, the son of the high priest, due to their different religious backgrounds, and separated them.
9. How did Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest, respond to the discriminatory action of the new teacher?
A. He firmly told the teacher to either apologise or leave the school, opposing the discrimination
B. He supported the teacher's decision fully
C. He remained silent and did nothing
D. He complained to the government instead
Answer: A. He firmly told the teacher to either apologise or leave the school, opposing the discrimination
Explanation: The high priest strongly opposed the teacher's discriminatory behaviour and insisted that the teacher apologise or leave the school, showing his commitment to communal harmony.
10. What role did Kalam's mother play in this incident?
A. She narrated the event to Kalam later, explaining how the priest defended fairness
B. She confronted the teacher personally
C. She had no involvement or knowledge of it
D. She reported the matter to the police
Answer: A. She narrated the event to Kalam later, explaining how the priest defended fairness
Explanation: Kalam's mother later told him about this incident, highlighting the priest's fair-mindedness and courage in confronting prejudice.
11. Which teacher inspired young Kalam to pursue his dream of flying, according to the chapter?
A. Sivasubramania Iyer
B. Ramanadha Sastry
C. Aravindan
D. Jainulabdeen
Answer: A. Sivasubramania Iyer
Explanation: Kalam's science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, played an important role in nurturing his early curiosity about flight and encouraged his scientific interests.
12. What did Sivasubramania Iyer do to help his students understand the mechanism of bird flight?
A. He took them to the seashore to observe birds in flight and explained aerodynamics
B. He showed them a movie about aeroplanes
C. He gave them a written test only
D. He avoided discussing the topic entirely
Answer: A. He took them to the seashore to observe birds in flight and explained aerodynamics
Explanation: The teacher took his students to the seashore to watch birds flying and used this observation to explain the basic principles behind flight.
13. What did young Kalam initially want to become, before his interest turned toward aeronautics?
A. A fighter pilot
B. A doctor
C. A politician
D. A farmer
Answer: A. A fighter pilot
Explanation: As a boy, Kalam initially dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot, inspired by his fascination with flight.
14. What communal atmosphere did Kalam describe existing in Rameswaram during his childhood?
A. A largely peaceful and harmonious coexistence between different religious communities
B. Constant conflict between different communities
C. Complete segregation of all communities
D. Total absence of any religious diversity
Answer: A. A largely peaceful and harmonious coexistence between different religious communities
Explanation: Kalam recalls Rameswaram as a place where Hindus and Muslims lived together with mutual respect and harmony despite religious differences.
15. What did Kalam's father tell him about the meaning of true happiness and inner peace?
A. He explained that self-purification and prayer bring deep contentment, more important than material comforts
B. He said wealth is the only path to happiness
C. He believed education was unnecessary for happiness
D. He never discussed such matters with Kalam
Answer: A. He explained that self-purification and prayer bring deep contentment, more important than material comforts
Explanation: Kalam's father shared his belief that inner peace and contentment come through prayer and self-discipline rather than material possessions.
16. Who was Ahmed Jallaluddin, mentioned as an important influence in Kalam's youth?
A. His cousin and close friend who encouraged his intellectual curiosity
B. His school principal
C. His father's business partner
D. A famous scientist he met
Answer: A. His cousin and close friend who encouraged his intellectual curiosity
Explanation: Ahmed Jallaluddin was Kalam's cousin and close companion, who greatly influenced and encouraged his interest in ideas and knowledge.
17. What newspaper distribution job did Kalam take up as a schoolboy?
A. He collected and distributed newspapers early in the morning
B. He wrote articles for a newspaper
C. He worked as an editor
D. He sold newspapers at a railway station
Answer: A. He collected and distributed newspapers early in the morning
Explanation: Kalam took up the responsibility of collecting bundled newspapers thrown from a moving train and distributing them, working alongside his cousin.
18. What lesson did Kalam learn from his family's tradition of hospitality and sharing food with guests?
A. The value of compassion, generosity, and treating everyone equally regardless of background
B. The importance of accumulating wealth
C. The need to avoid social interactions
D. The value of strict formal etiquette
Answer: A. The value of compassion, generosity, and treating everyone equally regardless of background
Explanation: Kalam's family regularly hosted guests of different faiths and backgrounds at meals, teaching him the values of compassion and equality from an early age.
19. Which historical event is mentioned as having brought about significant social and political changes during Kalam's youth?
A. India's independence movement and subsequent independence in 1947
B. The Industrial Revolution
C. World War I
D. The French Revolution
Answer: A. India's independence movement and subsequent independence in 1947
Explanation: The chapter mentions how the wave of India's independence movement, culminating in freedom in 1947, brought considerable social change even to a small town like Rameswaram.
20. What was Kalam's mother's name, and how is she portrayed in the chapter?
A. Ashiamma, portrayed as a kind and generous woman who fed many people daily
B. Ashiamma, portrayed as a strict disciplinarian
C. Not mentioned in the chapter at all
D. Portrayed as uninvolved in family matters
Answer: A. Ashiamma, portrayed as a kind and generous woman who fed many people daily
Explanation: Kalam's mother, Ashiamma, is remembered fondly for her kindness and generosity, feeding a number of people outside the immediate family each day.
21. What did Kalam observe about the relationship between his father and the local temple priest, despite their different religions?
A. They shared a close, respectful friendship built on mutual regard
B. They were rivals who never spoke to each other
C. They had no interaction at all
D. They were involved in a legal dispute
Answer: A. They shared a close, respectful friendship built on mutual regard
Explanation: Despite being of different faiths, Kalam's father and the temple priest, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, maintained a warm and respectful friendship, symbolising communal harmony.
22. What broader value does the chapter emphasise through the depiction of Kalam's early life in Rameswaram?
A. The importance of communal harmony, simplicity, and strong moral values instilled through family and community
B. The pursuit of wealth as the primary life goal
C. The unimportance of education
D. The rejection of all traditional values
Answer: A. The importance of communal harmony, simplicity, and strong moral values instilled through family and community
Explanation: The chapter highlights how Kalam's formative years were shaped by values of communal harmony, simplicity, and moral integrity instilled by his family and community.
23. What did Kalam say about the effect of his father's simple lifestyle on his own outlook toward material wealth?
A. It taught him to value contentment and avoid unnecessary desires for luxury
B. It made him desire great wealth from an early age
C. It had no effect on his outlook at all
D. It made him resent his family's modest means
Answer: A. It taught him to value contentment and avoid unnecessary desires for luxury
Explanation: Growing up watching his father's simple, contented way of life, Kalam developed a similar appreciation for modesty over the pursuit of material luxury.
24. What incident reflects the strength of Kalam's friendships that transcended religious boundaries in his childhood?
A. His close friendship with Ramanadha Sastry, the son of the high priest, despite their different religions
B. His refusal to interact with anyone outside his own community
C. His decision to convert to another religion
D. His disagreement with his father over religious matters
Answer: A. His close friendship with Ramanadha Sastry, the son of the high priest, despite their different religions
Explanation: Kalam's enduring friendship with Ramanadha Sastry exemplifies the harmonious coexistence between different religious communities in his childhood town.
25. What does the chapter suggest about the influence of teachers on a student's future ambitions?
A. Teachers like Sivasubramania Iyer can inspire lifelong interests and career aspirations in their students
B. Teachers have little to no impact on students' futures
C. Only parents can influence a child's ambitions
D. Formal schooling is unimportant for shaping ambitions
Answer: A. Teachers like Sivasubramania Iyer can inspire lifelong interests and career aspirations in their students
Explanation: The chapter illustrates how an inspiring teacher can spark curiosity and shape a student's future career path, as seen with Kalam's fascination with flight.
26. What did Kalam's earnings from selling newspapers and tamarind seeds teach him about self-reliance?
A. The value of hard work and earning one's own money from a young age
B. That earning money was unnecessary for children
C. That his family disapproved of him working
D. That he should depend entirely on his family's wealth
Answer: A. The value of hard work and earning one's own money from a young age
Explanation: These early experiences taught young Kalam the importance of hard work, responsibility, and self-reliance, values that stayed with him throughout his life.
27. According to the chapter, how did Kalam view the relationship between science and spirituality in his own life?
A. He saw them as complementary, both contributing to his personal growth and worldview
B. He believed science and spirituality were completely incompatible
C. He rejected spirituality entirely in favour of science
D. He rejected science in favour of spirituality alone
Answer: A. He saw them as complementary, both contributing to his personal growth and worldview
Explanation: Influenced by his father's spiritual outlook alongside his own scientific curiosity, Kalam came to see science and spirituality as complementary aspects of his personal development.
28. What overall picture of Kalam's childhood emerges from the chapter?
A. A modest, value-driven upbringing marked by strong family bonds, communal harmony, and early signs of scientific curiosity
B. A privileged and luxurious childhood devoid of hardship
C. A childhood isolated from society and community
D. A childhood focused entirely on financial ambition
Answer: A. A modest, value-driven upbringing marked by strong family bonds, communal harmony, and early signs of scientific curiosity
Explanation: The chapter paints a picture of Kalam's humble yet value-rich childhood, shaped by strong family ties, communal harmony, and the seeds of his future scientific interests.
29. Why is the incident involving the discriminatory teacher significant to the chapter's overall message?
A. It highlights the importance of standing against prejudice and promoting equality
B. It shows that discrimination was accepted without question in that society
C. It has no bearing on the chapter's central themes
D. It suggests that religious differences always led to conflict
Answer: A. It highlights the importance of standing against prejudice and promoting equality
Explanation: The incident and the priest's firm response underscore the chapter's broader message about resisting prejudice and valuing equality among people of different backgrounds.
30. What is the central theme of "My Childhood" as an autobiographical account?
A. The formative influence of family values, education, and communal harmony on shaping a person's character and future
B. The pursuit of fame and recognition from an early age
C. The struggles of political life
D. The importance of avoiding education
Answer: A. The formative influence of family values, education, and communal harmony on shaping a person's character and future
Explanation: The chapter's central theme revolves around how Kalam's early experiences with family, teachers, and his community shaped his values, curiosity and eventual path in life.
This page contains a chapter-wise objective practice set. Try the questions without checking the answer first, then use the explanation to understand the point you missed. The current page contains 30 questions, so you can practise in smaller sets when you are revising.
Quick revision tip
After the practice set, write down the question numbers you missed and revise only those concepts once more. This makes MCQ practice more useful than repeatedly attempting the same questions without reviewing mistakes.
